The Berkeley Public Library has been writing a blog to keep patrons updated on the renovations to the North and Claremont branches of the library. These are photos from that site. The two branches were closed in April 2011. Claremont branch renovations should be done by end of year, according to library director Donna Corbeil, […]
Berkeley Public Library Branch Improvement Program
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Library architect apologizes to Berkeley
Todd Jersey’s vision for a renovated West Branch of the Berkeley Public Library. The architect who worked with Concerned Library Users, the group suing Berkeley to stop the demolition and rebuilding of the south and west branch libraries, has sent an apology for his actions to the City Council and city manager. In a letter […]
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Rally planned to draw attention to library lawsuit
Benjamin Bartlett has helped BHS students organize against CLU lawsuit Dozens of church leaders, community activists, students, and library supporters plan to stage a rally outside city hall on Tuesday to call attention to a lawsuit they believe could stop construction of new libraries in the southern and western parts of Berkeley. The group, which […]
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Claremont branch of the library will close April 2
The Claremont Branch of the Berkeley Public Library will close at 6 pm Saturday April 2 for nine to twelve months. During that time the entire building will be renovated and seismically strengthened. When the branch reopens, it will have 350 more square feet of space, a new reference desk, a more open and inviting […]
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North Branch library construction delayed
Bids to renovate the North Branch Library came in way over estimates. Photo: Frances Dinkelspiel The bids to renovate the North Branch of the Berkeley Public Library came in so high that library officials are asking the City Council to reject them all. The architects hired by the library thought it would cost about $3.8 […]
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Meet Berkeley’s newest ‘branch’ library
Berkeley is preparing to close the Claremont and North branch libraries for a year in order to remodel them and improve their seismic safety and disabled access. So what are library junkies expected to do? Take a look at the new mobile branch library, known in another era as a bookmobile. Now it’s called a […]
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While libraries plan improvements, not all approve
Interior of Claremont branch of the Berkeley Public Library. On Tuesday afternoon, the main reading room of the Claremont branch of the Berkeley Public Library was crowded. All four of the library’s computers were occupied, and patrons clustered at the wooden tables scattered around the building. During the last few years, about 160,000 people have […]