The West Branch of the Berkeley Public Library, which opened in Decemeber 2013, produced more energy that it used in 2014, and it has been officially anointed as the first “net zero” library in the state and only the third municipal building of its kind in the nation. “Libraries embody a community’s values,” Jeff Scott, […]
Berkeley West Branch library
Posted inArts, Events
The It List: Five things to do in Berkeley this weekend
BERKELEY CITY COLLEGE 40TH ANNIVERSARY Berkeley may be best known for one of its higher-ed institutions, but this week a much-deserved spotlight will be trained on the other. Although it has gone by many different names over the years, Berkeley City College has been producing scholars for four decades. BCC’s 40th anniversary celebration will kick off Friday, Oct. 17, […]
Posted inArts, City, Community, Events
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, Events
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, Nature
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
Debate on future of two city libraries sparks concerns
A special joint meeting of Berkeley’s Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB) and the Landmark Preservation Commission tonight will consider the final environmental impact reports (EIR) on the South and West branch libraries and their planned demolition. The plans approved by the Board of Library Trustees for new branch library buildings are the subject of a lawsuit […]