Friday is National Arbor Day: a day to celebrate trees. When we look around Los Angeles today with its beautiful tree-filled parks and palm-lined streets, it's hard to imagine it being any different.

I must confess I didn't really know that much about the history of Mardi Gras, but with a little bit of librarian research, I found out some interesting facts.

December 13 is National Cocoa Day. Don't confuse it with Hot Chocolate Day, which is its own holiday and celebrated on January 31. I thought they were the same thing but after a bit of research realized the terms are used interchangeably, and they are actually two different beverages!

When you work at Central Library, at some point in your career, you will be taken on a stairwell safety tour which guides you through a maze of long lonely corridors snaking under and around the staff side of our beloved building. When it was my turn, I had to ask, is this place haunted?