What age group is Youthlit?
Everyone! We will have programs for youngsters, elementary and middle grade, tweens & up, and young adults, as well as adults. We will also have fun activities for all ages, including many that can be enjoyed together as a family.
Do you offer childcare?
We are not able to offer childcare for attendees. Please plan to accompany your children to programs and activities if they need supervision.
What do I do if I need an ADA accessible seat, or have any mobility or accessibility needs?
The Festival is ADA accessible. In particular, all sessions at the Berkeley
Public Library are wheelchair accessible. We care about making sure
everyone can safely and easily enjoy the Festival so please let us know if
we can help you in any way. Feel free to send an email in advance of
festival weekend to [email protected].
If you are onsite and have a special need for seating because of a
disability, please let our staff know at the venue upon arrival. We will make
every effort to accommodate.
How do I make a request for a Sign Language Interpreter?
We will have available-on-demand/roving ASL interpreters who will be ‘scheduled’ on a first-come basis, by email and reservation. If you need services for a particular session, please email [email protected] to request an interpreter for that session. We will confirm whether an interpreter is available for that particular session via an email reply.
Once confirmed, we will place an Interpreting Services Icon on the session/program listing(s) on our website so others can see it when perusing the schedule.
For further assistance you can email us at [email protected].
Will the Berkeley Public Library be open to the general public during the event?
Yes! The Berkeley Public Library’s central branch will remain open to the general public for regular use during YouthLit on Saturday, May 30.
The Library is closed to the public on Sundays and as such, will not be open on Sunday May 31 during the Festival.
Where can I find more information?
Before Festival weekend, feel free to email [email protected] with any questions you have about the day.
During the event, we will have an information desk just inside the main entrance to the library.
Narratives shape how we see the world. From immigration to climate action and economic justice, the stories we tell define our shared possibilities—or what we imagine to be unchangeable.
In these times, literature is a powerful force. It challenges norms, sparks dialogue, and fosters civil disagreement as we work toward a nation that lives up to its ideals. The Bay Area Book Festival (BABF) is a critical gathering space where authors, activists, and audiences confront today’s urgent issues and uplift marginalized voices, centering Black, brown, Indigenous, and queer writers.
