On Monday, June 20, Save Oakland Libraries organizers are holding a “14 Hours, 14 Branches Read-In” from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The City Council presents their budget recommendations on Tuesday, June 21, and the group wants their voices to be heard reading for an uninterrupted 14 hours the day before to send its message loud and clear - save ALL of Oakland's public libraries. 

People will read in 15-minute slots continuously throughout the day in the amphitheater in front of City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza.

According to organizers, local authors and celebrities will appear from noon to 1 p.m. and again from 4 to 8 p.m. They include:

MAC BARNETT, Billy Twitters and His Blue Whale Problem, Brixton Brothers series
ANNIE BARROWS, Ivy and Bean series, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (appearing at 10:45 a.m.)
SHIRIN YIM BRIDGES, Ruby's Wish, The Umbrella Queen
JEFF CHANG, Can't Stop Won't Stop: a History of the Hip-Hop Generation
GENNIFER CHOLDENKO, Al Capone Does My Shirts and Al Capone Shines My Shoes
CHARLIE HAAS, The Enthusiast
JENNIFER HOLM, Babymouse series, Turtle in Paradise
NINA LACOUR, Hold Still
KATHRYN OTOSHI, One, Zero
SHAILJA PATEL, Migritude
THE PHENOMENAUTS, East Bay Space Rock Band
FRANK PORTMAN, King Dork, Andromeda Klein
ISHMAEL REED, The Free-Lance Pallbearers, Yellow Back Radio Broke-Down
TENNESSEE REED, Spell Albuquerque, City Beautiful
HARRIET ROHMER, Heroes of the Environment
LISSA ROVETCH, Hot Dog and Bob series
DASHKA SLATER, Baby Shoes, The Wishing Box
AMY SONNIE, Hillbilly Nationalists, Urban Rebels & Black Power and editor, Revolutionary Voices
JENNIFER VETTER, Down By the Station
BEN WALKER, Illustrator

Background
"14 Hours, 14 Branches" is a 14-hour read-in being held to raise awareness that 14 of 18 Oakland's branch libraries (including AAMLO and the Tool Lending Library) will be completely eliminated under the current budget Scenario A. A Facebook page for the group provides more information.