| Oakland Public Library

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Laurie Willhalm

Growing Readers Gardening Workshops

Mary Mary, quite contrary How does your garden grow? Come to Oakland Public Library's Children's Room to find out!

Have you seen the gardening containers in the front of the Main Library's Children's Room? This summer we have a special series of gardening programs for children on Thursdays. Acta Non Verba; Youth Urban Farm Project is teaching us about soil, seeds, bugs and more.

In addition to the programming, we also have a new shelf full of gardening books for children. Come to the Main Library Children's Room to both garden and learn about gardening.

Programs are mostly on Thursdays at 3:00. This week the program will be today (Tuesday) at 3:00. The topic is Weed or Plant? How are weeds and plants different?

Look at some of the activities! You too could be part of the fun. Come on by!

Click here to read more

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Nina Lindsay

Meet Manny Hernandez

Manny Hernandez is a Library Aide in the Main Library Children's Room, with a career goal of being a Children's Librarian.

Manny Hernandez is a Library Aide who works in several locations, including the Main Library Children's Room. Library Aides are the backbone of your library: they touch every book checked in and out in the whole system, and are often the first smiling face you see. But let's hear about it from Manny.

What brought you to the Main Library Children’s Room?

I was drawn to the Main library Children’s Room because it was my local childhood library growing up in the Lake Merritt area. My career goal is to become a children’s librarian and what better place to receive experience, guidance and motivation.

Give us an example of what a day at work looks like for you?

On regular day at work I have assigned duties which consist of organizing and shelving books. Doesn’t sound too interesting does it? You’ll be surprised. Library Aides work

Click here to read more

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Miriam Medow

Awesome Early Readers

Recommended books for beginning readers at the Oakland Public Library.

It’s not always easy finding the right books to place in the hands of brand new readers. Letting kiddos choose their own books is a surefire strategy for creating excitement about reading – you can use the five finger rule to decide if a book is too hard for a child. If you want some tried and true favorites, take a look at the Geisel Award winners and mosey on over to your library to find these awesome early readers!:

Click here to read more

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Laurie Willhalm

MOCHA at Libraries this Summer

What to do this summer? How about art? MOCHA artists bring painting, and sculpting and more to Oakland children at Oakland libraries.

Click here to read more

Posted on June 18, 2013 by Nina Lindsay

It is Summer and Your Library is Open!

Books, bikes, and bubbles were at your library this weekend.

Bubbles at West Oakland library This Saturday kids turned out all over Oakland to help kick-off the Summer Reading Program. Bubble-parties at many branches let families enjoy the sunshine with each other and their books, and a bike meet-up at the Main Library pedaled over to the West Oakland branch to enjoy an incredible Scraper Bike workshop with Tyrone "Baybe Champ" Stevenson.

Scraper Bike Meet up at West Branch

What's next? Check out the listings for your favorite performers and activites, or look to see what's happening

Click here to read more

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Miriam Medow

Happy Birthday, Harry Potter!

Fantasy series recommendations for kids who love Harry Potter -- in celebration of the series' 15th anniversary.

Can you believe that the first Harry Potter book is now celebrating its 15th anniversary of publication in the U.S.? Go ahead and celebrate by reading the whole groundbreaking series! Or, if you're craving something similarly awesome, check out the first book in another excellent fantasy series:

Click here to read more

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Laurie Willhalm

Read to Your Baby!

How old does your child need to be to be enrolled in Summer Reading, you ask? You can enroll him as soon as he is born!

It is never too early to start reading with your baby; she will associate the security and pleasure of your lap with reading and will want to learn to read when she is older.

Read with your baby every day.
Try board books. Board books are books with hard pages your baby can throw, bite, and hit.
You don’t need to read the words at all. Just point to the pictures and talk about them.
Have him flip the pages. Let him play with the book.
Comment as you read. Connect what you read to what's happening in her life.
Keep their board books in the same place as toys.
Let your child see you reading for yourself and enjoying it.
Come to the library often! Find new books and come to storytime.

Click here to read more

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Nina Lindsay

Help your library help Oakland youth: Summer Lunch Volunteer Site Coordinators Needed!

The Oakland Public Library needs your help to coordinate free summer lunch for children and teens!

Girl Eating Lunch Did you know that most Oakland Public Libraries now serve free lunch for children and teens during the summer?

We couldn't do it without the partnership of the Alameda County Community Food Bank, which recruits, trains, and places volunteers for the lunch service. In addition, they train volunteer Site Coordinators, who commit to at least two weeks of coordinating the other volunteers at a single library site, during lunch time.

Could you be a volunteer Summer Lunch Site Coordinator? While server positions are mostly filled, we still need some committed volunteers to help with this crucial role. Coordinators work closely with library staff to make sure this is a fun

Click here to read more

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Miriam Medow

Celebrate Pride…with books!

LGBTQ-themed children’s books at the Oakland Public Library.

June is Pride month for the lesbian / gay / bisexual / transgender / queer community – a perfect time to explore these books with LGBTQ themes available at the Oakland Public Library. If you want more recommendations, check out the Rainbow Book lists for children and teens…and let us know here in the comments if you have any favorites to share! Happy reading, and happy Pride!