The Campaign for a Permanent Home is Gathering Steam!

As we have reported in past issues of HOOT, Six months ago the Friends of the Piedmont Avenue Branch Library, or FOPABL, is moving forward with a campaign to find a permanent home for our library. Remember that the temporary space we occupy now is ours for only for 3 more years!

FOPABL has begun the steps toward incorporation and is ramping up our outreach and social media presence.

Will you attend our next meeting, Saturday, February 23rd 4 PM, at the library?

Four years. We have four years left on our lease on the building on Echo Avenue that houses the Piedmont Avenue Branch Library.That’s about how much time it will take to secure a permanent home – all things considered – so we need to start now.

We will assign teams to interview city and library administrators to determine what funds are available for rent and improvements.

We will explore with OUSD officials if the derelict building next to the library could become our permanent home.

We will research several options for funding the library. For example, we’ll look into partnering with a developer or other builder or creating a special tax district for our area.

As you can see, we’ve got ideas; now we need foot soldiers. We need a variety of skills for this multi-year effort. Please contact the campaign at fopabl.org.

If you can join the work for a permanent library please email us at contact@fopabl.org

The Friends of the Piedmont Avenue Branch Library was formed in 1993 when our library was facing budget cuts and possible closure.

We have continued to work for the Piedmont Avenue Branch Library reaching out to the community to advocate for our and other Oakland libraries.

With donations and proceeds of book sales we fund the Children’s Summer Reading Program, LGBT collection, DVD collection, magazine and newspaper subscriptions and community outreach programs.

If you wish to make a donation to the Piedmont Avenue Branch Library, please go to our Contact Us page.

Our Library Hours, Events & Programs are available here.

Our library is a vital resource and community hub.

Please join the Friends to support our beloved library and to be involved in a long term solution by going to our Contact Us page.

The HOOT! -- our monthly newsletter covering what's new and interesting at our branch and throughout the library system.

If you're on our Friends' email list you'll automatically receive a copy.

If not, join the Friends now (see contact page) to make sure you don't miss an issue.

Have a topic you'd like to see covered or one you'd like to cover?
Send information to contact@fopabl.org