For Immediate Release: August 3, 2007

Martin L. King, Jr. Branch Library Temporarily
Closes For First Phase Of Renovation

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(Oakland, CA)—The Oakland Public Library’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Branch, located at 6833 International Boulevard, will be temporarily closed to the public for three weeks starting Tuesday, August 21, 2007 in order to receive a fresh makeover. The library will shut it doors beginning August 21 and reopen on Tuesday, September 11, 2007, 10:00 a.m. When it does, the public will see new carpeting and replacement of some of its shelving, public furniture and circulation desk. This is the first phase of a major renovation for the neighborhood library that is envisioned in the Oakland Public Library’s Master Facilities Plan.

During this time period, residents can use and return their library materials to nearby branches in East Oakland, including the Eastmont Branch Library, Eastmont Town Center, 7200 Bancroft Avenue, Suite 211, and the Elmhurst Branch Library, 1427 88th Avenue.

The Oakland Public Library is still seeking additional funds to fully implement the improvements cited in its master plan, including expanded areas for children and teens, more computers, and increased security. So far, the library has received $895,000 from the City of Oakland’s Capital Improvement Projects fund, Coliseum Redevelopment funds, and a recent Workforce Housing Rewards Grant towards the Martin Luther King, Jr. Branch renovation project.

For more information about the closure, please call the Martin Luther King, Jr. Branch at (510) 615-5728. To view the Oakland Public Library’s Master Facilities Plan, go to the Web site at www.oaklandlibrary.org.

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