T Board of Library Trustees
he past year has been an exciting one for the
Berkeley Public Library. We’ve continued to develop
our collections and services to better meet the needs
of the city’s diverse, multi-cultural community. With
over 1,000 programs for audiences of all ages, the
Library brought tens of thousands of people in to
listen, learn, laugh, sing, and read, and we’ve brought
the Library to the people, with our community out-
reach projects. From free book giveaways to sum-
mer reading programs for teens to discussions and
lectures on books in Spanish to our adult literacy
program, the Library continues to bring culture, infor-
mation, recreation, and education to Berkeley.
The year’s accomplishments would not have been pos-
sible without our amazing staff. We salute all of our
over 150 employees, each committed to supporting
excellence in library service. We celebrated National
Library Workers Day this past April, in recognition of all
staff does everyday to serve the Berkeley community.
Last fiscal year staff provided a total of 14,164 hours
of public service, with the Central Library open seven
days a week and the Claremont, North, South, and West
branches open six days a week.
The 2006/2007 fiscal year was an outstanding success
for the Library, but we won’t stop there. 2008 brings
new long-range plans for an accessible, updated, and
improved library, with many opportunities for valuable
input from our patrons. We’re proud to share this report
of FY 2006/2007 with you and look forward to connect-
ing with our community in the coming months to plan
the future of the Berkeley Public Library.
— Donna Corbeil
Director of Library Services
The five-member Board, appointed by the City Council, is charged
with management and governance of the Library. The Board meets
monthly to formulate major policies and long-range plans for the
Library. Members serve four-year terms.
BERKELEY
PUBLIC
Susan Kupfer, Chair Carolyn Henry Golphin
Terry Powell, Vice Chair Ying Lee
Darryl Moore, City Councilmember
www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/about_the_library/bolt/bolt.ph
www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/about_the_library/bolt/bolt.php
Friends of the Library
LIBRARY
The Friends of the Berkeley Public Library is an important nonprofit
partner organization that supports the public library by funding
educational, cultural, and outreach programs, including the annual
Children’s Summer Reading program. The Friends of the Library
raises funds through the operation of two book sale outlets, one
ANNUAL
located in the lobby of the Central Library and a larger store on
Channing Way, and in 2007, donated over $86,000 to support free
community programs and events.
Amy Roth, President, Board of Directors
www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/about_the_library/support_the_
REPORT
library.php
Berkeley Public Library Foundation
The Berkeley Public Library Foundation is a non-profit partner that
has historically focused on supporting rehabilitation and renovations
of Berkeley Public Library branches. In 2007 the Foundation donated
2007
$100,000 to supplement the library materials budget, the final pay-
ment of a $300,000 commitment to raise money for library materials.
The Authors Dinner, held each winter, celebrates the Bay Area’s
uniquely vibrant literary community and raises funds that directly
aid the Library.
Linda Gage, President, Board of Directors
Roxanne Figueroa, Executive Director
www.bplf.org
www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org
510/981-6100
Statistical Highlights
• During the 2007 fiscal year 1,339,327 visits were made to Berkeley
Public Library sites, an increase of nearly 10 percent from the pre-
vious year.
• The number of registered borrowers rose nearly 8 percent to 94,053.
• Circulation of Library materials rose over 4 percent to 1,609,726.
• The Library held over 1400 public programs at Library facilities
and at other community locations, with a total attendance of
35,435. Of these programs, nearly 1,200 were for preschool or
school-age audiences, encouraging good reading habits and
promoting lifelong library use among young people.
• A total collection of over 325,000 books; over 75,000 movies and
music CDs and tapes; 60 online databases; and over 1,400 maga-
zine and periodical subscriptions.
• The Tool Lending Library, a unique and popular
resource, added 375 items to its already extensive
collection of tools for carpentry and wood-
working, gardening and digging, concrete
and masonry work, drywalling, carpet-laying,
electrical work, and plumbing.
Expanded Services
• More open hours at the Central Library. The
Central Library expanded public service hours,
increasing from 52 to 54 hours weekly, thereby improv-
ing access for class visits by school-age patrons.
• From home or anywhere — online fine payment. The Library
launched a “Pay Your Fines Online” service that offers Library users
the convenience of paying their fines anytime, from anywhere
through the Library’s website.
• Free wireless access. WiFi access is now available at all Berkeley
Public Library locations.
• Access to more books! Berkeley Public Library joined the Link+
consortium, a resource sharing service between California and
Nevada libraries. Patrons can now request materials online from
library collections totaling over more than 65 million books and
government documents — for free.
• New historical digital image database. With the
help of grant funds the Library launched the Berkeley History
Online Database,, a resource of digitized images of Berkeley,
accessible via the library’s website. The Library partnered with the
University of California’s Online Archive of California to complete
this project.
Service and Program Highlights
The Library invites the community into our spaces to enjoy the
many programs and services we offer. Library staff also
visits schools, senior centers, community centers, and
the elderly at their home or in group care facilities,
all in an effort to connect with the community in
the ways that meet their needs and to promote
library services.
• The Central Children’s Library unveiled the mag-
nificent new tapestry Kaleidoscope. The event rec-
ognized Giorgia Neidorf, who generously donated
the tapestry in honor of her son Max, and Elisa Kleven,
on whose art the tapestry is based. The tapestry celebrates
children’s books, the public library, and the Berkeley community,
together in one beautiful work of art.
• Hundreds of Berkeley children participated in the 2007 Summer
Reading Program Get a Clue @ Your Library. Thousands of books
were read for prizes, and children and their families attended
many wonderful programs.
• The Library presented “Jazz on a Monday Afternoon,” a six-part
monthly program showcasing rare European archival jazz foot-
age. One of only 50 libraries in the country to have access to the
amazing films, the Library received a grant from the National
Endowment for the Humanities to produce the series. The pro-
gram, which attracted a large, enthusiastic, and diverse audience,
featured the films, lively discussions, and live music.
• Hundreds of people from teens on up participated in the Library’s
citywide reading programs. With free book givaways, lectures,
blogs, discussions, and cultural events, the Library had people
from all over Berkeley reading and talking about the remarkable
bestsellers, Funny in Farsi, by Firoozeh Dumas, and The Kite Runner,
by Khaled Hosseini.
• The Central Children‘s Library, along with community partners,
hosted its second annual Dia de los niños/Dia de los libros (Children’s
Day/Book Day) celebration. Over 250 people came to hear local
musicians, create craft projects, and receive
free books.
Budget Summary
The Berkeley Public Library’s operating budget is comprised of
revenues from the Library Services Tax (largest percent), grants,
fines and fees, gift funds, donations from our two major support
organizations and individuals, and awards from the California State
Library. The Library also has an accrued fund balance from which it
can draw in order to supplement the annual library tax and other
revenues when developing the budget.
Fiscal Year 2007 (July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2007)
Proposed budget report and projections, May 2006
anticipated revenues $13,188,811
adopted expenditure authority $14,473,168
beginning fund balance $1,995, 593
Year-end report, September 2007
final total revenues $12,773,053
final total expenditures $13,033,969
carry forward fund balance $1,247,884
Projections: In July 2007 the Berkeley City Council approved an
increase in the Library Services Tax for Fiscal Year 2008 of approxi-
mately 4 percent, as it did in the previous year. The Library expects
to maintain a surplus fund balance through FY2011; rising personnel
and operational costs could affect this projection. Creating a stable
budget environment and identifying funding to address branch
facility inadequacies are among the Library’s major financial goals.
The Library in 2008
In 2008 the Berkeley Public Library will undertake two major plan-
ning initiatives:
• Work with the firm, Noll & Tam Architects of Berkeley to develop a
20-year Branch Library Master Facility Plan. This plan will assess
the current physical condition of the four branch librar-
ies and the tool library and make recommendations
concerning upgrades and modernization needs.
• Create a three-year Library Strategic Plan that will
describe the Library’s long-range needs, goals and
service priorities.
Together these two community efforts will set a
direction for our future. We are excited about the
prospect of engaging the community in a discussion
about their Library!