LAPL Blog
Vi Ha, Senior Librarian, International Languages Department
Julius Levitt, Community Activist
Julius Levitt (1885–1952) was a promoter of Yiddish culture and a community activist, most importantly through the Jewish Labor Committee (JLC) to bring attention to the horrors of Nazism throughout the world.
African American History Month Coloring Pages
In order to showcase the technology available in the Octavia Lab, celebrate the diversity of Los Angeles, and demonstrate how library resources, such as Tessa, the library's online digital archive, and historical newspaper databases, can be used towards social justice, Octavia Lab staff have been creating
Y.C. Hong - A Biography
You Chung (“Y.C.”) Hong (1898–1977) was a community booster, social activist, and immigration lawyer based in Chinatown in Los Angeles and is profiled as a part of Archives Alive: Stories and Voices from L.A.
Ornament Making in the Octavia Lab
Each December we face a design challenge of decorating a 15-foot noble fir tree in the Central Library’s rotunda.
Turn the Knob: Find Inspiration
Looking for Inspiration for a project? Need a good fortune to help you out on a bad day?
On Persistence: Octavia E. Butler & Central Library
“Habit is persistence in practice.”—Octavia E. Butler
Textiles
My parents worked in the garment industry. My father started out doing bespoke suits in the 1970s and had to constantly reinvent his career as the clothing tastes changed.
World Water Day, Innovation, and Southern California
World Water Day was celebrated this past March 22. It is a day created in 1993 by the UN to bring to light the importance of water to life among people. This year’s celebration was dedicated to Water and Sustainable Development.
Etymology
Recent conversations with the teenagers that visit Teen’Scape revolved around the history of words.