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Author D.J. Waldie and his latest book, Elements of Los Angeles: Earth, Water, Air, Fire
Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch Library, December 11, 2025

D.J. Waldie is a historian of Los Angeles, a memoirist, and a translator. He is the author of Holy Land: A Suburban Memoir (1995),...

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roses and a rhinestone crown for a quinceañera

Tiempo de vals, tiempo para sentir (Mis quince años)

Patricia Valdovinos, Librarian, Multilingual Collections, Friday, August 30, 2019

*las luces se apagan ... y se ilumina la pista*
* doo, doo, doo, bum, bum, una cuerda de piano, algunos tambores, doo, doo, bum, bum ... *
Y….
Tiempo de vals
tiempo para sentir ...

*unas palabras que no recuerdo aquí*
Es tiempo de vivir.


Tim Mason and his first adult novel, The Darwin Affair

Interview With an Author: Tim Mason

Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch Library, Thursday, August 22, 2019

Tim Mason is a playwright whose work has been produced in New York and throughout the world. Among the awards he has received are a Kennedy Center Award, the Hollywood Drama-Logue Award, a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and a Rockefeller Foundation grant.


young man in tank top running away from another man

Interview With a Director: Matt Porterfield

Neale Stokes, Senior Librarian, Digital Content Team, Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Matt Porterfield has written and directed four feature films, all set in his hometown of Baltimore. His latest, Sollers Point, tells the story of a young man just released from prison and living under house arrest with his father.


3 graphic novel book covers

Drawing on the Classics

Vincent (Vincey) Zalkind, Administrative Clerk, Studio City Branch Library, Tuesday, August 20, 2019

It’s back-to-school time! Time to sharpen up your pencils, meet your new teachers, and grab your list of classics to read for homework. Time to put away those comic books and graphic novels in favor of “serious” literature, right? Wrong!


Lobby card from the original 1939 release of The Wizard of Oz featuring Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley and Bert Lahr

Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Lion, Oh My!

Daniel Tures, Adult Librarian, Edendale Branch Library, Thursday, August 15, 2019

Once upon a time in Hollywoodland, 80 years ago today, The Wizard of Oz had its Hollywood Premiere at Grauman’s Chinese Theater.


Del Howison and his first novel, The Survival of Margaret Thomas

Interview With an Author: Del Howison

Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch Library, Thursday, August 8, 2019

Del Howison is an award-winning editor, journalist, fiction author, and actor. He has been nominated for the Bram Stoker Award four times (and won it once), for the Black Quill Award twice, for the Shirley Jackson Award and for the Rondo Hatton Award.


Charles Manson being lead away by deputies

Helter Skelter in the Summer of 1969

Tina Lernø, Librarian, Digital Content Team, Tuesday, August 6, 2019

1969 was a tumultuous year. The US Apollo 11 mission brought men to the moon, and the Beatles gave their final live performance. Richard Nixon was sworn in as President, the war raged on in Vietnam (along with huge protests), and the draft was reinstated.


Baby splashing in a pool

Bringing the Heat!

Photo Friends, Tuesday, July 30, 2019

The Los Angeles basin cannot escape the fact that its climate tends to extremes, particularly of the hot variety. Global warming and galloping urbanization have exacerbated the situation Temperatures have increased over the past century, while heatwaves are becoming ever more common and last longer.


Cover of 1946 Thomas Street Guide

Video: Navigating L.A. in the Pre-GPS Era

Neale Stokes, Senior Librarian, Digital Content Team, Monday, July 29, 2019

Before the advent of GPS and smartphones, residents of Los Angeles were wholly dependent on the street guide to navigate their sprawling metropolis. In this video, map librarian Glen Creason explores the history of the L.A. street guide, and explains why they are still relevant today:


Author Casey McQuiston and her first novel, Red, White & Royal Blue

Interview With an Author: Casey McQuiston

Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch Library, Thursday, July 25, 2019

Casey McQuiston grew up in the swamps of Southern Louisiana, where they cultivated an abiding love for honey butter biscuits and stories with big, beating hearts.


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