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17 items

• What You Don't Know Will Make a Whole New World

  a Memoir

  Lazard, Dorothy,

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  Dorothy Lazard was a reference librarian at OPL and famously served as head of the Oakland History Center from 2009-2021. This memoir focuses on her first years in California, in the 1960s and 70's, navigating complicated family situations…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Learning to Fall

  Engelfried, Sally

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  Sally Engelfried is a children's librarian here at OPL. Her debut novel is written for middle-grade readers, but can be enjoyed by anyone who is or was a kid. It's also set in Oakland!

• Hillbilly Nationalists, Urban Race Rebels, and Black Power

  Interracial Solidarity in 1960s-70s New Left Organizing

  Sonnie, Amy,

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  Amy Sonnie was a passionate advocate for library patrons in her roles as a teen outreach librarian and later as head of Second Start. Outside of the library and literary world, Amy is also known as one of the founders of the Center for…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Cryptopedia

  Demcak, Andrew

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  Andrew Demcak is a poet, novelist, and librarian. He was the keynote speaker at the California Library Association's 2023 conference, where he was honored for his contributions to LGBTQ+ Young Adult literature. Besides cryptids, he's also…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Purepero Stories

  [Poems]

  Cortez, Maria del Carmen, 1966-

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  Rebekah Eppley is a librarian at Dimond branch when she's not writing lovely prose poetry in collaboration with her wife.

• Gold Miner's Daughter

  a Memoir of Boom, Bust and Bliss in the High Sierra

  Thomas, Mabel W., 1878-1965

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  Mabel W. Thomas came to Oakland in 1896 and worked at the library from 1909-1948. She served as head of the Main Library's Reference Department for many years, and started the collection that eventually became the Oakland History Center.…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Book of Jobs

  What Steve Is Doing on the Cloud

  Atman, Skye

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  Skye Atman was a part time reference librarian, a fixture on the Main Library's Sunday reference desk schedule for many years. Outside of the library she was an accomplished musician and the author of this novel imagining Steve Jobs…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Historic Photos of Oakland

  Lavoie, Steven P.

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  Steven Lavoie compiled this volume of photos from the collection in the Oakland History Room (now the Oakland History Center), where he was the head librarian for several years before moving to other positions in the library. We also have…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Bookhunter

  Shiga, Jason

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  Jason Shiga worked at OPL for 10 years as a library aide and later in computer services. Many of his comics feature Oakland locations, and this one is set in a fantasy version of the Oakland Public Library.

• BREW. Volume 1

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  Peggy Simmons has shared her love of poetry with hundreds of teens through her work with Oakland's Youth Poet Laureate Program. You can read some of Peggy's own poetry in this and other volumes in our collection.

• Hey Paesan!

  Writing by Lesbians and Gay Men of Italian Descent

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  Giovanna Capone is a writer, teacher, and former OPL librarian. She taught poetry and creative writing through the California Poets in the Schools program, and you can find several collections of youth writing that she edited in our…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Quentin's Guide to the Streets of Northern Alameda County, Including Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland, and Piedmont

  Quentin

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  Want to know who your street is named for? Ask Quentin! He researched street and tract names for many years, and created several volumes that are extremely well-used in the Oakland History Center. Quentin was a reference librarian who…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Blacks in Oakland: 1852-1987

  Hausler, Donald E.

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  Don Hausler worked as a reference librarian at OPL for 32 years. In his retirement he has focused on writing the always engrossing newsletter for the Emeryville Historical Society, which he co-founded with former OPL Library Assistant…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Captain William Thomas Shorey and Shorey Street

  Conmy, Peter Thomas, 1901-1996

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  Peter Conmy was Oakland's City Librarian from 1943-1969. He wrote a huge number of short books (zines before they were zines) on local history topics. Many of his writings focus on histories of organizations he was involved with, including…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Ina Coolbrith

  Rhodehamel, Josephine DeWitt

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  Josephine DeWitt Rhodehamel was head of the Main Library's reference department. She also wrote the first book-length biography of Ina Coolbrith, who appears just a little further down this list.

• From the Sierra to the Sea

  or Songs From the Scaean Gate

  Greene, Charles S. (Charles Samuel), 1856-1930

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  Charles S. Greene served as OPL's third City Librarian from 1899-1926. Before coming to the library he was an editor of the influential literary journal Overland Monthly. He published this collection of poems shortly after his retirement.

• Songs From the Golden Gate

  Coolbrith, Ina D. (Ina Donna), 1841-1928

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  Poetry by California's first Poet Laureate, and Oakland's first Librarian. Ina Coolbrith was the first head of OPL, from 1874 (four years before we became a free public library) until 1892. We have several other books by and about her here…Read moreRead more of this annotation