All Things Library 
Foundation News,
Events and Happenings
In this Issue
With the new year comes a whole host of things to look forward to -- books to read, places to go, authors to meet, food to enjoy. Here at the Library Foundation we find ways to do all this in support of the Berkeley Public Library.

In this issue read updates about the upcoming Authors Dinner and our first ever online auction . Enjoy a sneak preview of AfterWORDS events, and a donor spotlight about Bayer HealthCare. There's a new Board President, Rachel Anderson, to meet and we welcome a new staff member, Beatrice Kilat. A community partner features another event with Frances Dinkelspiel. We continue the fundraising campaign It's Time for Central, and invite you to become a a charter member of the Rosa Shattuck Circle. There's even a video sampler of the Weininger conversation with Anne Washburn and Joy Carlin. Last in the list, but first in what we are all about, are the links you need to current activities and happenings at the Berkeley Public Library. It's a New Year, and working together we will continue to make a great library extraordinary!
Reception
Authors Reception Dinner
The Foundation's most anticipated gala fundraiser is coming up on February 6. The dinner is sold out but you can still be a part of the fun by attending the Authors Reception. Guests have an opportunity to support the Berkeley Public Library while meeting and rubbing shoulders with the 32 featured authors, representing some of the Bay Area's best literary talent (see the full list of authors here ). Plentiful hors d'oeuvres and fantastic wine and specialty drinks will be served, and our annual silent auction offers opportunities to bid on unique literary treasures, getaways, and tickets to future AfterWORDS events!

Auction
New! Online Auction
Our popular Authors Dinner auction is now live online in advance of the event, to include everyone who wants to support our fundraiser for the exciting capital improvements at the flagship Central Library. Click here to view items or bid online prior to the event. You do not need to be present to bid on or win many of the items. Don't miss out on the one-of-kind literary treasures, unique vacation getaways, and AfterWORDS events with leading local authors, artists and thinkers. Some items are only available online, so start your bidding now!
Central
It's Time for Central 
The Foundation continues to fundraise for the exciting new improvements being planned for the flagship Central Library. The project centers on the first two floors promising a wonderful new experience for the thousands who enter the Central Library each week.
Board
Meet new BPLF Board President  Rachel Anderson
I grew up in a small New Hampshire town and progressively moved west. After undergraduate studies at Northwestern University and the University of Sussex, I moved to Berkeley in 1992 to study at the Graduate Theological Union. My professional life includes serving as a Unitarian Universalist congregational minister and as hospital chaplain at the Alta Bates Medical Center. I enjoy making music, writing, and spending lots of time in the Sierras hiking, biking and snowboarding with my family.  

Thoughts on the library...
As the daughter of a librarian (reference, business, and elementary school), I've never known life without a library card. As a child my library card was a portal to worlds beyond my own. As an adult, I see libraries as critical public spaces that foster curiosity, help people grow their lives and encourage thriving communities.

Favorite part of the library... 
I love the ease of surfing the Berkeley Public Library's online catalog and discovering new materials to put on hold.  Of all the wonderful branches, I particularly love the (long overdue) beautiful transformation of South Berkeley's library. I love that our libraries offer all kinds of families a free, non-commercial, safe environment to explore the world. 

Why I serve on the Foundation Board...
I believe that dynamic, responsive public libraries are critical to democracy and the vitality and well-being of a community, and I wanted to be a part of growing and deepening support and advocacy for Berkeley's libraries. As a 40-something who expects to live in Berkeley for a long time, I wanted to find a way to serve the greater good and work with great people and the Foundation Board is a great choice!

What I am reading... 
I just finished reading Helen Macdonald's H is for Hawk and listening to Ta-Nehisi Coates' read aloud his book Between the World and Me.  Both books are powerful, brilliant, and beautifully written, and I am struck, again, by how art invites me to see the world through someone else's experience. It's enlightening and challenging and ultimately connects me to the human family.  Since I'm obsessed with the soundtrack from the Broadway musical Hamilton, I've added its source material--Ron Chernow's book Alexander Hamilton to my hold list.  I'm number 5 of 21.  Get reading people!

About my family...
I live with my wife Sally McCoy, our twelve year old twin sons and a 2 year old canine within walking distance of the North Branch Library.
Bayer
Donor Spotlight: Bayer Healthcare
As Berkeley's largest private employer, and with a century-old history in the city, Bayer is proud of its role in sustaining one of California's finest and busiest public library systems.
-Joerg Heidrich, Sr. VP and Berkeley Site Head, Bayer
 
Bayer has been an important part of the Berkeley community since 1974, when it acquired the historic Cutter Laboratories site as an expansion of its hematology portfolio. In 1992, Berkeley became the lead site for Bayer's global biotech pharmaceutical operations, and today is responsible for production and distribution of all of Bayer's recombinant medicines. The facility's 1,500 employees manufacture a treatment for hemophilia-A that transforms the lives of patients around the world and is one of the company's top-selling products. In 2015, Bayer began construction of a new product testing facility on the Berkeley site, with an investment of $100 million. Bayer is a proud partner with the City of Berkeley in areas including science education, economic development, and environmental sustainability, and has been a major funder of the campaign to rebuild Berkeley's branch libraries.
Welcome Beatrice Kilat!
This month we welcome Beatrice Kilat to the BPLF staff team as our new Program Assistant. She joins the Foundation from Oakland nonprofits, where she has worked as an administrative and development assistant and events planner. In the past, she worked with Ingram Publisher Services and co-founded the Bay Area Young to Publishing Group which hosts educational and social events for young professionals in Bay Area publishing.

Beatrice
Beatrice graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in creative writing and film and media studies. She is a library lover, a storyteller, and her favorite recent book is Diane Cook's story collection Man v. Nature.

Welcome Beatrice!

Vines
North Berkeley Investment Partners Hosts an evening with Authors Dinner Honorary Chair Frances Dinkelspiel
If you miss meeting Frances at this year's Authors Dinner, you can see her at the North Berkeley Investment Partners office on Solano on Tuesday, February 9, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.


Frances Dinkelspiel is an award-winning journalist, co-founder of the local news site Berkeleyside, and author of the best-selling Towers of Gold, and the most recently popular Tangled Vines: Greed, Murder, Obsession and an Arsonist in the Vineyards of California.
Afterwords
AfterWORDS are up-close gatherings with Bay Area authors, artists, and thinkers. These one-of-a-kind ticketed events feature a dynamic array of local authors, artists, and filmmakers who volunteer their time in support of the Berkeley Public Library. To add to the fun, AfterWORDS events take place in some of the Bay Area's best restaurants and venues. Tickets are sold during the online auction and live at the Authors Dinner Reception. Remaining tickets are offered to the general public starting February 10th. Click here to see the current line up. 
Rosa Shattuck Circle
RosaIn recognition that so many of us love the library and happily give significantly year after year we've created the Rosa Shattuck Circle, named for the donor of the land for Berkeley's Central Library in 1903, a lifelong supporter of the library. As a charter member of the Circle, there are some unique benefits to sustained giving. Please join us!

Wein

Thank you Weininger Family for sponsoring the 4th Annual Weininger Lecture featuring Joy Carlin and Anne Washburn in Conversation. Click here to hear a 3 minute sampler of their engaging conversation about Berkeley and beyond.
reading-dreads-boy.jpg BPL
Library Happenings
The library is already your source for the best books and media, but many people also come here to explore new ideas, learn new skills, find jobs, and finish those bucket list projects. The Berkeley Public Library continues to be a hub of activity throughout the winter months. Check out the Library's monthly calendar to find movie viewings, game nights, play readings, and much more. BPL is also home to the Berkeley Information Network (BIN) a database of community resources: local organizations, agencies, services, nonprofits, and clubs. Search BIN for information on museums, disability services, low-cost legal aid, recycling, schools, emergency dental referrals, parks, summer camps, senior resources, job lines, consumer groups, and much more.
Berkeley Public Library Foundation
working together to make a great library extraordinary
2090 Kittredge Street /  info@BPLF.org 
510-981-6115 
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