Re-imagine the Oakland Main Library

The Oakland Main Library Community Workshop # Workshop was held at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center in Chinatown. We had a great turnout and our participants made some great contributions about their inspirations for the design and programming of the future facility.

We always like to support local businesses, so we had banh mi sandwiches from Cam Hong across the street, and noodles from the historic Shan Dong! We also did an interactive exercise with the participants that visualized their idea of a Main Library that really served the people and represented the spirit of Oakland! Please join us at an upcoming events and share the news. You can sign up for updates on future events here!

The Oakland Main Library Storytelling Workshop was held at the Main Library Community room to help build an authentic narrative in support of a re-imagined Oakland Main Library. Participants learned about the storytelling process and shared stories and experiences that will be used to inspire and shape the design and programming of the future facility.

The 3-hour workshop had two highly interactive segments. In the first hour, participants became familiar with the four main components of a story - Story, Audience, Message, and Style (SAMS). Keith Battle from BAVC Media led the discussion and together the group analyzed a few short videos on the impact and importance of branch libraries using the SAMS rubric. In the second half, participants joined small break-out groups led by a professional local filmmaker and generated unique storylines or simple storyboards using the SAMS rubric about what a new Branch Library would mean to the community.

Sign up for updates on future events

We want to hear about your wildest dreams for a re-imagined Oakland Main Library branch! In less than 15 seconds, respond to the prompt “That Would Be Cool If…” You can tell us what you would like to see, what you would like to do, what kind of programs and services- WHATEVER!!

You can record a video on your phone, or if you want to be fancy, download our OPL Zoom background HERE and record it on Zoom. You can then send it to us, share it on Facebook and Instagram, and tag @oaklibrary with the hashtag #newoaklandmain!

The Oakland Main Library Feasibility Study team will be launching an online survey to get the community’s input on a new vision for a re-imagined Oakland Main Library Branch. Information collected in the survey will include feedback on programs and services, the physical attributes of the current facility, and your visions for a new Oakland Main Library Branch. We will want to hear from individuals, groups, young and “seasoned” residents. The survey will not take long and will be offered in multiple languages. Please stay tuned and be sure to sign up for updates to make sure you are among the first to know!

Village Connect’s mission is to build the capacity of people to become more self-aware and self-directed resulting in sustainable positive transformation for all. They work across the East Bay with deep ties in Oakland. Village Connect’s programs, services, and initiatives are aimed at developing a mindset to improve the lives of not only the individual, but their families, and their communities. Village Connect’s Community Impact Program Coordinator Micheal Tarkington not only coordinated the youth involvement, but also participated in multiple community workshops, as did Shekinah Taylor, an Oakland Resident attending Howard University who has been incredible in her engagement with both the Main Library and the Hoover Branch.

Higher Ground Neighborhood Development Corp. was founded by a motivated group of dedicated teachers, principals, licensed mental health therapists, and community school experts in 2002 as one of Oakland’s first organizations to use a Community Schools Model. They partner with local community-based organizations to support the OUSD Community School Concept. Every year, Higher Ground participates and facilitates local events, fundraisers, field trips, workforce opportunities, and as a lead service agency. Founder Amber Blackwell has been great in engaging young people in the program and was able to recruit youth participants Jamiyah Knight and Deshawn Lewis for the Advisory Committee where their voice has been extremely helpful.

Omnira Institute began in 2003 as a school for sacred knowledge for children of practitioners of spiritual traditions derived from West Africa by way of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Haiti. The organization’s choir, Awon Ohun Omnira (Voices of Freedom) participates in annual Juneteenth and Black History Month celebrations.

Advisory Committee Roles and Responsibilities

The Advisory Committee will be composed of 20-30 members who will share their opinions and perspectives, study issues, and advise the Project Lead Team, which is composed of members from Oakland Public Library, Oakland Public Works, and two community-focused architectural and planning partners, EHDD and blinkLab! architecture. The Advisory Committee will also interact with the community engagement team from RBA Creative, storytellers from the San Francisco Urban Film Festival, and youth specialist Jeremiah Tolbert.

The Advisory Committee members are asked to:

• Participate in (4) 90-minute meetings between June 2023 and February 2024
• Engage and be available for specific questions about their areas of expertise as needed
• Participate in stakeholder meetings of interest to their vision
• Stipends available for non-professional members of the committee; inquire for more information