Oakland Public Library – Serving In And Surviving A Pandemic
A presentation and conversation about how Oakland Public Library pivoted to provide vital community services during Covid-19 and the Library’s creative future plans to support community need and generate positive and healthy social outcomes.
Speakers
Jamie Turbak
Jamie Turbak is the Director of Library Services for the City of Oakland. She began working for Oakland Public Library (OPL) in 2001 as a temporary part-time library assistant and has served as a children’s librarian, a branch manager, a supervising librarian for Main and Children’s Services, an administrative librarian, and an associate director. Two years ago, she became OPL’s 13th director since the City incorporated public library services in 1878. Jamie helped ensure the expansion of library services in 2019, and focuses on creating system-wide policies and services that are user-friendly and impactful to the daily lives of Oaklanders. |
Anthony Propernick
Anthony Propernick has worked for Oakland Public Library for fifteen years and currently leads the East Oakland Initiatives Team. He builds partnerships and relationships with the community to grow visibility and increase the relevance of library services through innovative programs such as storytelling, gardening projects, youth media workshops, community events, bike fix-it clinics, and father circles. In 2016, when the Original Scraper Bike Team lost its rent-free space, Anthony brought together stakeholders to establish a permanent bike repair facility in the parking lot of the Martin Luther King Jr. Branch Library. The Scraper Bike Team spray-painted a shipping container to create “The Shed”, a place to store bike parts and to provide free help on bike building, repair, decoration and maintenance. Planning and design are in progress for an expansion of The Shed.
Responses