Oakland Public Library: Dimond Branch

There are public desktop computers with internet, on site laptops to check out for use in the building, and standard copy, print, scan, and fax services. The branch also participates in the Oakland Seed Library, so there is a small area with seed packets and gardening information.

Events here tend to be practical and low key. Free Technology Help sessions are set up as one-on-one 30 minute appointments with a volunteer, so visitors can bring a phone, laptop, or tablet and work through specific questions. Chair Yoga meets in the open program space, using simple movements that work in regular clothes and on standard chairs. The branch’s meeting room, which holds up to about 75 people with movable tables and chairs, hosts many of these recurring programs and can be reserved for community use. Outside the building, the same stretch of Fruitvale sees the weekly Dimond District community cleanups, so it is common to see volunteers with cleanup gear in the area on Wednesday mornings.

The library is part of the Oakland Public Library system, which runs branches across the city and shares one card and catalog. Dimond Branch has been around since 1915 and has been at its current Fruitvale Avenue location since 1980, so it functions as a long established neighborhood stop for people coming to events, picking up holds, or using the computers and meeting spaces.

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