This week, we’re showing some love to the Oakland Public Library, which has an array of interesting events that you can attend this week and through March. 

If you have an event that you’d like me to consider for this roundup, email me at azucena@oaklandside.org. If there’s an event that you’d like to promote on our calendar, you can use the self-submission form anytime by clicking on our homepage’s “Events” tab. 

Free tax preparation at the Eastmont Branch

Tax-filing help is available at the Oakland Public Library through April 14. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

It’s that time of year when we have to gather W2’s, 1099’s, and look through financial records to file our taxes. If you don’t want to pay for a tax-filing service but are unsure about how to file on your own, the Oakland Public Library’s Eastmont Branch is hosting tax preparation workshops starting Friday, Feb. 17 through Friday, April 14. AARP volunteers will be on-site to help. The deadline to file your taxes is Tuesday, April 18. 

Beginning this Friday, Feb. 17, 12 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., call: (510) 510-615-5726 to register, OPL Eastmont Branch, 7200 Bancroft Ave., Suite 211

The Bike Fix at the Martin Luther King Jr. Branch

Travel to School 05
An Oakland family traveling by bike from home to school. Credit: Amir Aziz

The Oakland Public Library is offering bike clinics through the end of year at its different branches. This weekend, licensed bike mechanics will be at the Martin Luther King Jr. branch to help bike owners do things like fix flat tires, and other minor repairs. No need to bring tools; supplies will be available on-site. 

Saturday, Feb. 18, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., free to attend, OPL Martin Luther KIing Jr. Branch, 6833 International Blvd. 

Exhibit: The Black Press in Oakland at the Main Branch

Examples of Black newspapers available for viewing in the Oakland Public Library’s Magazine & Newspaper Room. Credit: OPL

Delilah Beasley was the first Black woman to be published regularly in a major metropolitan newspaper. She moved to Oakland in 1910 and wrote for the Oakland Sunshine, one of a handful of Black-owned and operated newspapers in the city. She was also a columnist for the Oakland Tribune. From now until March 31, the Oakland Public Library Main Branch has a new exhibit titled: The Black Press in Oakland where visitors can learn more about Beasley, the Oakland Sunshine, and other Black journalists and newspapers from the 1860s to the modern day. To follow the timeline, visitors should begin in the second-floor hallway and continue on to the Oakland History Center. The exhibit includes photographs, original newspapers, and other artifacts. 

Through Friday, March, 31, free to attend, OPL Main Library, 125 14th St. 

Bay Area Hip Hop Archive at AAMLO

A life-size photo cutout of longtime DJ and member of The Coup, Pam the Funkstress, stands behind the artist’s turntables, which are on display at the African American Museum and Library in Oakland and among the artifacts featured in its Bay Area Hip Hop Archive. Credit: Brandy Collins

Launched last week at the African American Museum and Library of Oakland (AAMLO), a reference library that’s operated by Oakland Public Library, the Bay Area Hip Hop Archive is the first-ever historical archive dedicated entirely to local hip-hop. Those interested in checking out the exhibit must make an appointment and wear white gloves when handling the collection’s various artifacts, which include rare sound recordings, research notes, posters, and other memorabilia. To make an appointment, email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org or call (510) 637-2000.

By appointment only, African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO), 659 14th St.

Exhibit: Recent Abstraction at Creative Growth

Image details, left to right: untitled by Cedric Johnson, Acrylic on paper by Rosa Giron, Print by Dinah Shapiro. Credit: Creative Growth

Creative Growth is an arts nonprofit founded in 1974 by husband and wife duo Florence Ludins-Katz and Elias Katz. The center, which includes a studio and gallery, provides vocational training and support to artists with developmental, mental, and physical disabilities. The organization’s latest exhibit features paintings, drawings, sculptures, photography, and ceramics by 20 artists currently working in the studio. The exhibit is on display through Thursday, March 9.

Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, and by appointment, Creative Growth Art Center, 355 24th St. 

Azucena Rasilla headshot

Azucena Rasilla is a bilingual journalist from East Oakland reporting in Spanish and in English, and a longtime reporter on Oakland arts, culture and community. As an independent local journalist, she has reported for KQED Arts, The Bold Italic, Zora and The San Francisco Chronicle. She was a writer and social media editor for the East Bay Express, helping readers navigate Oakland’s rich artistic and creative landscapes through a wide range of innovative digital approaches.