Alameda County Law Library’s involvement with our community
In addition to housing the books on shelves and databases on computers, the Alameda County Law Library offers the community space for art exhibitions, meetings and other gatherings.
The walls at both the Oakland and Hayward libraries are used to display the works of local artists. Next month from May 1st to June 12th, 2015, Kim Vanderheiden’s show Words that Glimmer will be on display at ACLL’s Main Library. Earlier this winter, the Hayward library hosted a show by Forrest Newton.
Shows change throughout the year. For more information and details of how shows are selected, please contact Clara Lim at clara.lim@acgov.org.
In addition to conference room rentals, ACLL also provides working and meeting space for local non-profits. The East Bay Community Law Center‘s Clean Slate program is held at the library in downtown Oakland twice a month. Other local legal-related non-profits take advantage of the ACLL space to hold training sessions. Contact Nicole at nicole.lemieux@acgov.org for use criteria and more information.
Staff members from our Hayward library participate in local senior education fairs providing information on legal resources and forms of interest to older citizens who live in southern Alameda County.
The American Library Association has recently released a report on the state of America’s libraries. The ALA discusses the shift currently occurring in a public library’s place within American communities. Here is an excerpt from the press release which accompanied the report:
“Public libraries and librarians are viewed as change agents by addressing unique needs and identifying trends that impact the community. The majority of public libraries offer neutral space for patrons, residents and students to discuss and resolve critical issues. For example the fatalshooting of Michael Brown brought chaos to Ferguson, Missouri. Protests divided residents and caused schools and city services to shut down—but the Ferguson Municipal Public Library stayed open, providing a much-needed safe haven for the community and served as an ad hoc school.”
Public libraries continue to play an important part in our local communities. They need your support to continue to do so – with your votes or with your financial contributions. Thank you.
