Located on the ground floor of the Branch, entry at the back of the building. The Tool Library has carpentry, gardening, electrical and plumbing tools for check out. For hours, tool list and library guidelines, click here.
Volunteer @ Temescal
Temescal welcomes volunteers when there are available jobs. Priority is given to teen volunteers who have community service requirements. Please call the library at 597-5049 for more information.
Temescal Branch has approximately 29,000 books, compact disks, videos, DVDs, audio books, audiocassettes, magazines and newspapers for all ages. Circulating materials are largely of popular interest, with a strong emphasis on fiction and home repair, maintenance, decorating and gardening in the adult collection. This is the only branch with books in the Amharic and Tigrinya languages. The Children's and Teen collections provide materials for school projects and personal interests.
Computers
Five computers with Internet access and word processing are available for public use. There is one express terminal with 20-minute turns, and sign-ups are on a drop in basis. For the other 4 computers, people can reserve hour turns on the library catalog. Please call 510-597-5049 for more information.
Kurzweil 3000 is a scanning, reading and writing solution for people with learning disabilities, reading difficulties, or low vision. Call the branch at (510) 597-5049 for more information or to schedule a training.
Meeting Room Information
Meeting Room Capacity: 45 people. Collapsible tables and chairs, stage. Wheelchair accessible. For information about policies and rental fees, click here.
Neighborhood Links & Contacts
Emerson Child Development Center
879-0811
4801 Lawton 94609
North Oakland Senior Center
597-5085
5714 Martin Luther King Jr Way
Washington Child Development Center
879-0839
6097 Racine 94609
Local Schools
Emerson Elementary School
879-1150
4803 Lawton Ave 94609
Sankofa Academy
879-1610
581 61st Street 94609
St Martin de Porres Catholic School
652-2220
675 41st Street 94609
Branch History
The building, which is Tudor style, was built with a grant from Andrew Carnegie and opened in 1918 as Alden Branch. In 1948, neighborhood organizations requested that the name be changed to Temescal. In 1999, the branch was retrofitted and refurbished to its original appearance. SEE ALSO:http://www.carnegie-libraries.org/california/regions/sfbayarea/oakland-temescal.html
Directions & Public Transit Information
By Car:
From Hayward: Take 580 West towards Oakland. Take 24 East exit towards Berkeley/Walnut Creek. Merge onto 24 East. Take the Claremont Ave exit. Turn right onto Claremont Ave. Turn right onto Telegraph Ave. The library is at the corner of Telegraph and 52nd St.
From Richmond: Take 80 West. Take 580 East exit towards 24/Downtown Oakland/Hayward-Stockton. Merge onto 24 East. Take the Claremont Ave exit. Turn right onto Claremont Ave. Turn right onto Telegraph Ave. The library is at the corner of Telegraph and 52nd St.
By Bus:
The 1 and 1R lines run along Telegraph with a line 1 stop right in front of the library and a 1R rapid stop two blocks south of the library. The line 18 runs along Shattuck, two blocks south from the library.
By BART:
MacArthur Station (10 blocks south of the library), then transfer to 1 or 1R bus.
