Library Happenings

December Event Highlights

More December Events

Cantonese Bilingual Story Time

with Beatrice Tebbe of Meh Yun Educators

Tarea Hall Pittman South
Tues, Dec 2

10:30 am

North

Sat, Dec 3

10:30am 

Concert: Opera+

with Gabriell Lochard

Tarea Hall Pittman South
Tues, Dec 2

6 pm

Tech Exchange

Attend beginning tech class series and earn a free laptop!

Central @ 3pm

Tuesdays: Dec 2, 4, 9, & 11 

*Registration Required

Zine Readings with Artists

Artist Preview night at the Library for Oakland Creates Zine Fest 2025

Tarea Hall Pittman South
Thurs, Dec 4

6 pm

Snacks, Crafts and Classic Movies

Tarea Hall Pittman South

Wed, Dec 3, 4pm: The Nightmare Before Christmas

Wed, Dec 17, 4pm: Gremlins

Winter Karaoke Party

Designed for adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities (#idd)

Central
Fri, Dec 12

4:30 pm

Robotics Build for Grades 3-5

North
Sat, Dec 13

12 pm

*Registration Required

Reading Rainbow Watch Party 

Tarea Hall Pittman South
Sat, Dec 20

10:30 am

Join us for a morning of butterflies in the sky as we watch the new reboot of Reading Rainbow featuring Mychal Threets plus craft and snack in community.

Did you know that our West Branch Library was chosen as the first location to shoot the Reading Rainbow reboot?

Bright Ideas: Ways to Spark New Writing

with Award-winning Poet Maw Shein Win

Claremont
Sat, Dec 20

2 pm

Let's Cook Karamu!

Cooking demonstration, history talk, and sharing of a Kwanzaa meal

North
Tues, Dec 20

11 am

Fall Series with Teaching Artists from MOCHA
(Museum of Children's Art)

Central

Fridays, 3:30-5:00pm

Tarea Hall Pittman South

Thursdays, 3:30-5:00pm

There are many more library programs happening in December:

Know Your Rights / Conozca Sus Derechos

Know your rights! There are protections and rights that everyone in the United States share, regardless of immigration status. Plus, there are organizations and programs that can help with the citizenship process.  Visit the Library's website for more information.

Siéntase libre de imprimir este folleto: Conozca sus derechos si aparece ICE PDF.  Se puede doblar al tamaño de 2.75 x 4.25 pulgadas, con un resultado final de un minilibro de 8 páginas. Si desea algunos ya impresos y doblados, pase por la Biblioteca Central o llame al 510-981-6100.

From the Berkeley History Room @ Central

Who was James W. Plachek?  

Most likely most current Berkeleyeans have no idea, but almost everyone in Berkeley is familiar with his work.

Plachek was born in 1885 in Chicago of Czech parents, began working with architects by age 15, and attended the Chicago Art Institute. In 1906 he was sent by the Chicago mayor to San Francisco to study the effects of fire on building materials – think the 1906 earthquake and fire. In 1912 he opened his own architecture office in Berkeley, and worked here until his death in 1948. During those decades, he transformed Berkeley as the “unofficial official” architect of this fair city.  

Just some Plachek buildings that you may recognize aside from the Glide Memorial Church in SF:

• the Central, North & Claremont Branches of the Berkeley Public Library

• Berkeley’s City Hall and several buildings around it

• the old U.C. Theater on University Ave.

• many if not most of landmarked buildings in downtown along Shattuck Ave (too many to list!), and apartment buildings and houses all around town.

What would Berkeley be like without him?

The answer: Different, very different.

The Berkeley History Room at Central is open Wednesdays from 10am-1pm, and by appointment: libraryhistoryroom@berkeleyca.gov.

Your history awaits.

From our City of Berkeley partners: Rent Board

Help Guide Rent Board Services

The Berkeley Rent Board is seeking feedback about tenant, landlord, and property manager experience with the Rent Registry.

Respond to the 2025 Berkeley Tenant & Landlord Rent Registry Survey by December 14 to help guide Rent Board services.

No experience with the Rent Registry is needed - if you have not used the Rent Registry, they would like to hear why. If you have, they would like to learn what is or is not working for you.

From our City Of Berkeley partners: Parks, Rec & Waterfront

Scholarships are available for kids and families for the City of Berkeley's many recreation programs including sports programs and overnight camps.

Apply online or register to attend a workshops on Dec 9. to get help applying for scholarships that cover 50-100% of program fees!

Pardon Our Dust

Part of the 4th floor of the Central Library is under construction.

A beautiful new Story Time Room will open next year!

Holiday Reminders

All Libraries are closed on December 24 & 25.

All Libraries will close early at 6pm on December 31. 

eBooks, eAudiobooks, newspapers, music, movies & more available 24/7 at berkeleypubliclibrary.org.

Thank you!

Working together to make a great public library extraordinary...

Thank you, Foundation & Friends!