For safety reasons, libraries close when the inside temperature reaches 87 degrees. In the coming hot days, call ahead or check back here to make sure your branch is open!
A list of favorite scary books for kids compiled by Oakland Public’s children’s librarians.
Most kids love a good scare, and Halloween is the perfect time to give it to them. Find these spooky stories at a library near you, and let us know in the comments if we missed any of your favorites!
Scary stories from China for Halloween!
Are you tired of ghosts, goblins, and scary pumkins? Do you want to hear and see a scary story you've never seen or heard before? Come celebrate Halloween with a frightening tale from China. The Scary Temple will send shivers down your spine. But don't be too afraid; they are only puppets.
Monday, October 28 at 7:00 PM Piedmont Avenue
Tuesday, October 29 at 6:30 PM Lakeview
Wednesday, October 30 at 10:30 AM Golden Gate
Wednesday, October 30 at 3:30 PM Elmhurst
Thursday, October 31 at 4:00 PM César Chávez
Come see us at Nerd Nite East Bay on Monday, or at Nerd Nite at Sea on Wednesday!
Well, it's almost time for another Nerd Nite, but this month the library has the opportunity to participate in double Nerd Nite nerdy awesomeness!
First, on Monday, is the regularaly scheduled Nerd Nite East Bay at the New Parkway beginning at 8pm (doors at 7pm). OPL staff will be there, as usual, making library cards, replacing lost cards, regaling you with fine facts about all the things you can do and find at the library, and distributing our newest Nerd Nite Reading List. The October talks will cover Supercomputers, Lake Merritt, and DNA Sequencing. Fascinating stuff, right?? Check out the Reading List below, or hit our Nerd Nite Pinterest Board to see the covers and click straight through the the catalog.
Halloween is almost here. Check out these haunted tales for adults.
When I was a kid I loved reading scary stories and listening to spooky tales (does anyone else remember those Scholastic 45s?), especially at Halloween. I still love all the children's Halloween books that we take out every October, but I've also been introduced to some great ghost stories for adults over the years.
Listed below are ghost stories, gothic and supernatural tales, novels in which ghosts and hauntings are a central theme, and stories of local hauntings as well as those from around the world. I've also included a children's title, More Bones, because there are some great stories contained within it. And if you enjoy listening to a good ghost story, make sure to check out Great Classic Ghost Stories on CD. What are some of your favorite haunted tales?
What do you have planned for November? Perhaps you should come to the library!
Another month has almost passed, and as hard as it is to believe, November is bearing down upon us. The good news is that, although it is getting colder and darker, the library is still light & bright and full of fun things for you to do!
What do we have coming next month? Well, as always, we have storytimes, lawyers to help you with your legal questions, and book clubs galore! This month, though, we also have a Diwali Celebration, a Native American Culture Day, an urban arts workshop for teens, SAT
The 90 Second Newbery festival is once again accepting submissions!
This past Sunday I went to the East Bay Mini Maker Faire at Studio One Art Center, where I saw kids making new clothes out of of old clothes, rockets out of toilet paper rolls, giant milk crate structures (while strapped into a harness in a crane), terrariums, butter, and more.
So who is primed and ready to make a "90 Second Newbery" video? This online contest and festival is starting up its third year. Upload your video and share it (check out the instructions here) before December 10, to be considered in this
Reggie Jackson played for our hometown Athletics from 1967–1975 and then again in 1987. His phenomenal success led him to be dubbed "Mr. October" and what's even better, in my opinion, he got a candy bar named for him. How Amazin' is that?
When I started this post a few weeks ago, the A's were riding high on a wave of victory, sadly, the season is over for us now, but there's always next year. Here's a look a one of the best players our team has ever seen:
Books and information about sign language for children available at the Oakland Public Library.
Adapted from American Sign Language (ASL, the primary form of communication in Deaf communities), baby sign allows children as young as 8-10 months to communicate when they are hungry, thirsty, sleepy, want more of something, are finished with an activity, and much more. Teaching babies to sign can be enjoyable, and presents a chance for adult-child bonding. Best of all, babies who are able to communicate their needs through sign may experience less frustration, which can reduce fussiness. That’s a benefit for everyone!
If you’re interested in exploring sign with your baby, come to the Dimond branch on Saturday, October 26, 2013 at 10:00 am for a Baby Sign Language Introductory Workshop. To learn more, call Rebekah Eppley at (510) 482-7844 or
Storytime is for everyone, from babies to adults.
This last week I was talking with some teen moms about what they can do to help their babies get ready to read. I had given them the full presentation about five simple activities - talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing - that help a baby, toddler, and preschool child be ready to read by kindergarten.
One of the teen moms said her favorite memory of libraries was all the storytimes she went to when she was a child. She and her parents went to libraries all over Oakland. Her face changed as she talked about the pleasure of hearing stories with her family. It reminded me that when I was young, I spent weeks one summer listening to my librarian read C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. She talked about "being transported to a different world." Being a very literal child, I was disappointed when we all stayed in the garden of the library
Savor the memories of a young, precocious girl on the 1950s, so fresh and real you can taste the Niagra Falls snow and feel the magic of her strength, invincibilty and intelligence.
