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Central Library

Central Library Exterior
Address:
630 W. 5th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Phone:
213-228-7000
Coordinates
,
Email:
Contact form
Librarian:
Kren Malone, Director
Map for Central Library Branch

Click map for detailed view, directions, and transit info.

Hours of Service

Mon: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Tues: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Weds: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Thurs: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Fri: 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Sat: 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Sun: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Upcoming Events at Central Library
Portrait of Charles Perry
August 13, 2022 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Antonin Carême: Mr. Nouvelle Cuisine of 1820 (Culinary Historians of Southern California)
Since the 18th century, French cuisine has periodically reinvented itself as new. The usual tendency has been to claim a return to...
Globe chandelier located in the Central Library rotunda
Saturdays at 11 a.m.
Docent-Led LA Central Library Art & Architecture Tour
Take an hour-long tour through the Los Angeles Central Library. Your docent guide will share stories about the history, art, and...
Red ABC block letters in intricate calligraphy
August 13, 2022 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Illuminated Letter Craftivity
Before the printing press, books were arduously written by hand, one letter at a time. In the Middle Ages, these manuscripts were often...
A photo collage of four poets.
August 13, 2022 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM
A Day of Poetry in Los Angeles: A Celebration of Poetry and Community
Los Angeles Poet Laureate Lynne Thompson and former Anaheim Poet Laureate Grant Hier host A Day of Poetry in Los Angeles with feature...
2 people fencing together
August 13, 2022 1:00 PM
World Cinema Series: The Fencer
A fencer prepares his students to compete in a national tournament and needs to make a choice between risking his safety and disappointing...
Ceiling of the Central Library Rotunda.
Sundays at 2 p.m.
Docent-Led LA Central Library Art & Architecture Tour
Take an hour-long tour through the Los Angeles Central Library. Your docent guide will share stories about the history, art, and...
globe with a stack of books
Mondays at 11 a.m.
Italian Conversation Group
Are you learning Italian, but need practice speaking the language? Join us for a relaxed and informal group conversation via Zoom.
A book on it's back, open, with pages fluttering with magic
August 15, 2022 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Book Club Bonanza
Join us as we partner with Well Suited, a nonprofit organization that provides middle and high school students with the tools needed to...
Adult literacy logo in teal
Mondays at 5:45 p.m.
Watch and Talk With Goldie
Americans often speak fast and use confusing expressions and slang. One effective and fun way to improve your comprehension and...
Korean fall colors landscape. Photographer: Park Eun-Suk
Tuesdays at 2:30 p.m.
Basic Korean Conversation 1-1
Do you want to learn Korean? Join us and learn the Korean language and culture. This program is presented by the Los Angeles Public Library...
More Events at Central Library


What We're Reading

LAPL Reads: Recommendations | Book Lists | New Books | Catalog

Recent Blog Posts from LAPL Blog
August 12, 2022
L.A. Libros Fest: Interview With Donna Barba Higuera
By Llyr Heller, Librarian
Donna Barba Higuera grew up in a tiny desert town in central California surrounded by agricultural and oil fields. Rather than wrangling dust devils, she’d spend recess squirreled away in the janitor... Continued
August 11, 2022
Interview With an Author: B.L. Blanchard
By Daryl M., Librarian
B.L. Blanchard is a graduate of the UC Davis creative writing honors program and was a writing fellow at Boston University School of Law. She is a lawyer and enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie... Continued
August 09, 2022
Vincent Edward Scully, 1927-2022
By Bob Timmermann, Senior Librarian
The recent passing of Vin Scully has resulted in innumerable obituaries, most of which will be far more eloquent than what this one will be. For someone who held the same job for 67 straight years,... Continued
August 09, 2022
Art in the Library: Exposition Park - Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Regional Library
By Catherine Sturgeon, Children's Librarian
The current building of the Exposition Park - Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Regional Library is an LEED Gold Certified (environmentally sustainable design) structure built in 2008. Renamed in 1973, the... Continued

All Posts from LAPL Blog

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Meeting Rooms

The Literature & Fiction (Upper Level 3) and Business Department (Lower Level 1) have glass-enclosed meeting rooms available for use.

Guidelines

  • Meeting Room hours
    Monday - Thursday: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
    Friday - Saturday: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
    Sunday: 1 - 4:30 p.m.
  • Sign ups on the hour or half hour
  • Must have a valid library card
  • Reservations must be made in person, day of and up to one day in advance
  • Two hours per floor per patron
  • Water allowed. No food or drink
  • Three or more people required for large (6 chair) rooms
  • Furniture and chairs must not be moved
  • Dry erase markers and erasers available upon request
  • All library rules apply: Patrons in violation of library rules may be refused service.

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