The Library will be closed on Sunday, March 31, 2024, in observance of Easter

central 25

Pages

Cindy Holsey
Cindy Holsey, October 13, 2018

It was a typical day in my 11th grade English class, except my teacher offered a rare extra credit opportunity—to write a 100-word essay on the topic, "What a Library Means to Me." She explained that our essays would be submitted to the "Save the Books" essay contest, part of an effort to raise funds for t


firefighters climbing ladder with equipment
Neale Stokes, October 13, 2018

October 2018 marks the 25th anniversary of the LA Central Library reopening seven years after a catastrophic fire in 1986. In this short film, three people who were at the fire share their memories of the fire and the effort to recover and rebuild.


Families fill the Maguire Gardens on Central Library's reopening day
Curtis Livingston Edwards, October 11, 2018

A month after the first of two fires burned through the Central Library in 1986, a collective effort by the City of Los Angeles raised $3.2 million. This was yet another plus in a major reconstructive campaign lasting 7 and a half years.


TransLogic system tracks running through the library
Kelly Wallace, October 10, 2018

When the gleaming “new” Central Library opened its doors on October 3, 1993, seven years after the devastating fires of 1986, it touted the latest innovations in computer automation.


Jubilant participants during the 1987 Save the Books telethon.
Sheryn Morris, September 28, 2018

In retrospect, it is ironic that the fire took place when it did: April 29, 1986. On that day, progress was quietly continuing with plans for a renovation of the original Central Library and a new multi-level addition.


Glen Creason and his daughter Katya celebrate the re-opening of Central Library on a closed-off 5th Street
Glen Creason, September 25, 2018

The day my own dear Central Library reopened I got my name in the L.A. Times which elicited ragging from pals around the city.


Tom Bradley on an escalator at the opening of the Red Line subway downtown, 1-30-93.
Central Docents, September 06, 2018

“Never give up. Keep your thoughts and your mind always on the goal.” —Tom Bradley


vintage postcard of central library
Glen Creason, April 28, 2018

"It happened in New York, April 10th, nineteen years ago. Even my hand balks at the date. I had to push to write it down, just to keep the pen moving on the paper.


Sphinxes
Central Docents, November 15, 2016

In Part 1 of our post we looked at sculpture on the library’s exterior as it reflects an overall theme, The Light of Learning.


UN World Peace Bell
Central Docents, September 14, 2016

Most visitors to the Central Library’s Maguire Gardens see Jud Fine's “Spine” installation and the unique collection of fountains that grace the gardens, but not everyone notices tucked away in the westernmost corner, nearest Flower Street, a quiet token of the most ambitious possibility, the World Peace B


Pages

Top