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Blogs from the Oakland Public Library

Posted on August 9, 2013 by Mary Farrell to Advice for Readers

Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon, Lakeview Book Club Notes

Michael Chabon lyrically writes a novel of Oakland in the recent past and the multiracial, troubled and loving small community of family members and friends.

Hello Everyone,

What a great meeting about Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon!

There were 10 of us and our leader did a great job! She had done research on Michael Chabon and told us about his early life in Columbia, Maryland in an almost utopian middle class Black and White community. This background gave credence to his depicting a multiracial/multicultural world on Telegraph Avenue. One member told us that she knows Michael Chabon, because their children attended the same school. She said he is a really nice person. Other members have heard him speak at other venues and thought he seemed shy, almost childlike, but seemed really nice.

Our discussion leader set the stage for us by finding a play list of 126 of the 128 musical mentions in the book. We sat down to the

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Posted on August 8, 2013 by Miriam Medow to Children's Services Blog

Full Steam Ahead: Picture Books about Trains

A list of recommended picture books on the topic of trains at Oakland Public Library.

Here’s an understatement for you: train books are popular at the library. They have the power to capture the attention and imagination of wiggly toddlers, curious preschoolers, and knowledgeable school-aged kids alike. They inspire squeals of delight when discovered and, sometimes, tears of despair when returned! Come find these tried-and-true books at the library for the train lover in your life:

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Posted on August 6, 2013 by Sharon McKellar to The Library Community

National Night Out

Six Oakland Public Libraries are hosting National Night Out parties tonight. We hope to see you at some of them.

Tonight (8/6/13) is National Night Out and all over the country people will gather with neighbors to promote community. Just here in Oakland there will be over 100 block parties tonight, and 6 of them are taking place outside of Oakland Public Library branches! Stop by and say hi to your friendly library staff and your fellow library lovers. Turn your neighbors into friends!

The 81st Avenue Branch's party will be happening between 6 and 8:30pm and features food, fun and live music.

At the Dimond Branch, the party starts at 7pm and includes a performance by Dan Chan Magic Man.

Snacks, games, an outdoor storytime and lots of sidewalk chalk will be found at the

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Posted on August 6, 2013 by Laurie Willhalm to Children's Services Blog

Summer Reading Ends This Saturday!

Take a look at Oakland's Children's Summer Reading accomplishments. And don't forget to log your reading, either online or at one of Oakland's 17 branches.

Sisters Reading What a summer we've had! Together we have read almost 35,000 hours since June 15.

But, wait--that's not all! We have planted seeds in pots we decorated. We have blown bubbles all over Oakland. We have made bracelets and rain sticks. We've planted and eaten vegetables. We have seen performers do magic, blow magical balloons, and take us to magical places through dance. We have met bugs and reptiles and frogs. Puppets have visited us, and we've seen science at its most fun. We have sung and we have danced, and we've seen dogs do both.

Tortoise in the library

Yes, it has been a full summer.

If your child has read for at least eight hours, be sure to log it, either by coming into the branch or by

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Posted on August 1, 2013 by Amy Martin to Children's Services Blog

The Right Book for the Right Reader: Introductions

Is there such a thing as the right book for the right reader? Join Miss Amy on her quest, which is not at all monomaniacal.

Greetings! Many of you already know me as Miss Amy, especially if you are under three feet tall and have attended a storytime at Montclair Branch, the Main Library Children's Room, or Eastmont Branch in the last six years. I'm one of your friendly children's librarians, and in this series I will discuss a topic that drives children's librarians and keeps us invested in our profession. A thing that keeps us hard at work, hour upon hour, day after day, and I'm not talking about googling "is Kadir Nelson married*"-- no, it's our guiding principle, the beacon we follow when all else is dim.

It is the concept of the right book

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Posted on July 29, 2013 by Nina Lindsay to Children's Services Blog

Summer Reading Celebration at the Oakland Museum's Free First Sunday

Sunday August 4th, from 12-4pm, enjoy a slew of free family activities at the Oakland Museum, celebrating Summer Reading!

Come to our Summer Reading Celebration at the Oakland Museum! Sunday, August 4, 12-4pm.

Join the Oakland Public Library and the Oakland Museum of CA for our 9th Annual Summer Reading Celebration, Reading is So Delicious! Enjoy storytime with your favorite librarians, hands-on craft activities, face painting, a live art demonstration, and active games with Oakland Parks and Recreation all on the lawn in the beautiful Museum Gardens. Following a performance by Busy Bee Dogs, children who are participating in the Summer Reading Game will receive a special certificate of achievement.

First

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Posted on July 26, 2013 by Rebekah Eppley to Advice for Readers

Chef Memoirs and Other Delicious Titles

Hungry? Reading is So Delicious, and so are these memoirs written by chefs and food writers.

Throughout the summer Oakland Public Library is hosting food related programs and events for adults as part of our Reading is So Delicious Summer Reading Program. In keeping with this theme, I've highlighted memoirs written by chefs and food writers. The chef memoirs explore the writer's relationship to food, their journey to the kitchen, and what food represents to them. Other writers, such as Michael Pollan, write about food awareness and the history of food. I hope you enjoy exploring some of these titles and have a few of your own to recommend.

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Posted on July 25, 2013 by Sharon McKellar to The Library Community

On Display at the Library

The Oakland Public Library has some amazing exhibits on display right now.

Right now we have an abundance of amazing works on display throughout the library system. A lot of art, a little history, and some social justice - none of these are to be missed!

If you hurry, you can catch the wonderful Impressions Exhibit by Laurie Rothman at the Lakeview Branch, which is up through Saturday, July 27th.

Make it over to the Rockridge Branch before the end of July for a chance to see lovely jewelry by Kim Anderson, who is not only a

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Posted on July 25, 2013 by Miriam Medow to Children's Services Blog

What Are We Reading Right Now?

A list of children’s books that Oakland librarians are currently reading.

Children’s librarians tend to hold in our hearts a deep and abiding love of children’s literature. We read kid's books for work, but we read them for pleasure too! Check out the variety of books that Oakland Public Library’s Children’s Librarians are reading, and let us know which books you're excited about right now:

Amy Martin, Eastmont Branch

The Center of Everything

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Posted on July 23, 2013 by Laurie Willhalm to Children's Services Blog

Summer Lunches at Oakland Public Library Branches

Summer lunch at the Oakland Public Library is available at eleven locations.

Now that summer schools are ending, we want to remind you that eleven OPL branches are offering free lunch for children and teens, in partnership with the Alameda County Community Foodbank and the City of Oakland's Department of Human Services. Lunch is served on weekdays (Tuesday-Friday at branches, Monday-Friday at Main) through August 9.