Welcome to an amazing August at the Oakland Public Library! This month we're celebrating back-to-school season, Read-A-Romance Month, Book Lovers' Day, and of course all the wonderful reading you've done over the summer!
Here’s a few events you can look forward to this month:
End of Summer Celebration
Saturday, August 1, 2026
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Dimond Branch
It's a party and you're invited! Oakland Firefighters Local 55 are serving up free BBQ plates (while supplies last), Eat. Learn. Play., opens a new window will be onsite with snacks and books for children, and there'll be activities for all ages. Block printing, the Try-It Truck, a magic show and more! It's a can't-miss-it event!
National Night Out
If you can't make it to the summer celebration, you'll at least want to make it to this community celebration. Every year, it's something fun to look forward to for the whole family! This year we'll have interactive experiences celebrating games and digital creativity from the MADE Museum, DJ Hour where you can learn the basics of DJing, and face painting.
Haircuts, Braids and Backpacks
August 7 at 12pm at 81st Ave Branch
August 15 at 12pm at Martin Luther King Jr. Branch
A brand sparkling new offering this year is our back-to-school programs where your children can get free haircuts or braided styles and free backpacks! Sometimes, a fresh hairstyle makes all the difference.
Mayan Mam Weaving Group
We invite you to join us at the César Chávez Branch for the beginning our weaving group, guided by expert weavers from Union Maya.Learn the fundamentals of traditional weaving, observe ancestral techniques, and share a community learning space!
Award winging author, Maggie Tokuda-Hall, is also a founding member and the former president of Authors Against Book Bans (AABB), "a coalition of writers, illustrators, anthology editors and contributors, and other book creators, who stand united against the deeply unconstitutional movement to limit the freedom to read." As many state and local governments - as well as the Fed - make efforts to limit what we can read (especially in school libraries), AABB is on the frontlines of this battle, pushing back against authoritarian efforts to silence queer and POC storytellers.
Tokuda-Hall will be in conversation about her work with AABB. She will be discussing the current and future threats to our freedom to read, what AABB is doing about it, and how you can help.
The Oakland Wiki Edit-a-thon, Analog Edition
Join us for another collaborative edit‑a‑thon as we work together to update and expand the Oakland Wiki, opens a new window, a community-driven resource for all things local. This session will take a deeper look at analog research materials in the Magazines & Newspapers Department meaning, yes, you can learn how to use a microfilm reader!
Local historian and Oakland Wiki contributor Gene Anderson will also be on hand to offer guidance on editing and contributing to the Wiki.
And here's something to get you started on your romance reads:
Find hundreds more free community events for all ages and interests! Did you make your summer reading goals?
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