This April, the Berkeley Public Library marked the completion of its Branch Library Improvement Program with a month-long celebration. The event, called Branch Out, consisted of over 170 programs and helped draw thousands of visitors to the Library. True to its name, Branch Out featured a wide range of free workshops and activities for all Berkeley residents. The […]
Donna Corbeil
Posted inCity
Berkeley Library Director Donna Corbeil to retire
Donna Corbeil, who oversaw the renovation and reconstruction of Berkeley’s four branch libraries, will be stepping down from her post as executive director of the library system in September. Corbeil has headed the Berkeley Public Library for seven years. In that time, she oversaw the completion of a master plan for the branch libraries, which […]
Posted inArts
Berkeley Authors’ Dinner honors writers and library staff
Berkeley, a literary city if there ever was one, celebrated local authors, readers and the renovation of its branch libraries Saturday night at the 12th annual Authors’ Dinner. The Central Branch of the Berkeley Public Library was transformed for the evening into an elegant dining room, complete with fancy stemware, plates, and glasses, and table […]
Posted inCity
Photo gallery: Berkeley’s brand new West Branch library
On Saturday, Berkeley welcomed a new West Branch library at 1125 University Ave. (at San Pablo). Read all about it in our story published last week. And enjoy these superlative photographs by Richard Friedman, taken on opening day. Related: New, $7.5m Berkeley West Branch library to open Saturday (12.12.13) Berkeley Public Library South Branch: The […]
Posted inCity
New $7.5M Berkeley West Branch library to open Saturday
When the new West Branch of the Berkeley Public Library opens on Saturday Dec. 14, officials hope that it not only becomes a place for people to take out books, but a community center that allows people to collaborate and build their businesses. The new 9,300 square foot, $7.5 million structure at 1125 University Ave. (at […]
Posted inCity
Berkeley’s West Branch library to re-open in December
By Eli Wolfe Construction continues at a brisk pace at Berkeley’s West Branch Library, which is scheduled to re-open in December, after the holidays. The completion of the West Branch, which is located at 1125 University Ave. (at San Pablo), will mark the end of a four-year overhaul of Berkeley’s branch libraries. Voters passed a $26 million […]
Posted inCity
New South Branch library to open in Berkeley on Saturday
It was four days to D-Day and the place was hopping. Painters rolled on a last coat of paint. IT guys fiddled with computer wire while architects strolled around looking for last minute glitches. Carpenters nailed sheets of plywood to a storage area. In just a few hours, the new South Branch of the Berkeley […]
Posted inCity
Berkeley library stays relevant with shift to digital
2012 was a year of big changes for the Berkeley Public Library. Two of its branches, Claremont and North, reopened after extensive remodeling. Two other branches, South and West, closed for their own redos. As Donna Corbeil, the library’s director, put it in the library’s annual report, “library spaces have moved far beyond the traditional […]
Posted inNature
City will replace 70-foot destroyed redwood with oak tree
Two months after a contractor irreparably damaged the root system of a towering redwood tree that was slated to be the centerpiece of the garden at the West Branch library, the trustees of the Berkeley Public Library Board are on the verge of selecting another species to take its place. The BOLT Board is expected […]
Posted inCommunity
Contractor mistake damages lone redwood tree at library
A towering redwood tree that was to be the focal point of the garden at the new West Branch of the Berkeley Public Library was so damaged by the contractor that it will have to be taken down, library officials announced Tuesday. The contract with West Bay Builders required the company to take precautions to […]
Posted inCity
Renovated Claremont library branch opens Saturday
After a year of construction, the refurbished Claremont Branch of the Berkeley Public Library will reopen Saturday May 5 at 1 pm with music, food, and greetings by a host of dignitaries. “We’re so proud of it,” said Donna Corbeil, director of the library. “We are so excited.” The renovation of the branch paid attention […]
Posted inCity
Gleaming new North Branch Library to open Saturday
Workers were busy putting the finishing touches on the renovated North Branch Library last week in anticipation of its grand reopening on Saturday, April 7 at 1:00 pm. The library has been closed for nearly a year and, when it reopens, patrons will see many recognizable features, but some new ones too. “We’re really excited,” […]