As we spend the year commemorating the centennial of Central Library, it's also necessary to acknowledge a less celebratory, but still important milestone—the 40th anniversary of the 1986 Central Library Fire. The blaze, which ignited shortly before 11 a.m. on April 29, took over seven hours to extinguish and claimed roughly 400,000 books due to fire, smoke, or water damage. The tragic event...
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Librarians Billie Connor, Helene Mochedlover, and Katie Leidich sit across the street from Central Library during the Fire. Leo Jarzomb/Los Angeles Herald Examiner Collection
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From Lewis Carroll to John Lennon: The Irrational Magic of Nonsense Verse
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, nonsense verse is defined as “humorous or whimsical verse that differs from other comic verse in its resistance to any rational or allegorical interpretation.
Read it First: At Home Edition
Movie theaters may be closed and many films delayed, but fear not!
Daring Women: On Foot, on a Camel, in the Sky, on a Bicycle...
As Women’s History Month ends, we would like to offer you a few e-books and e-audiobooks about intrepid, adventurous women who traveled for the sheer joy of doing something different, to escape from others, to see the world, or to take on a challenge.
Explore a World of Online Music With Your Library Card
“Music… will help dissolve your perplexities and purify your character and sensibilities, and in time of care and sorrow, will keep a fountain of joy alive in you.” ―Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Interview With an Author: Sarah Gailey
Sarah Gailey came onto the scene in 2015 and has since become one of the sharpest, funniest voices in pop culture online. They are a regular contributor to multiple websites, including Tor.com. Their nonfiction has appeared in Mashable and The Boston Globe.
Remembering David Roback and L.A.’s Paisley Underground Scene
On February 24, guitarist and songwriter David Roback passed away in his home city of Los Angeles at the age of 61.
Yes, Central Library Still Has Catalog Cards
While it's true that information on the 2.8 million items in the Central Library is on computer servers that take up a tiny space compared to the hundreds of drawers of catalog cards once used, one can still view some of our collections the old-fashioned way, complete with Dewey decimal number, title, auth
Interview With a Zine Maker: kuwa jasiri
kuwa jasiri (first name) Indomela, pronoun the one, is a seed steward, wordsmith, and spiritual tender. This one engages in international writing and speaking opportunities that affirm People Of Heritage (Of Colour).
Gentefied y las bibliotecas de Boyle Heights
No es común que una serie de televisión comience con la imagen de una biblioteca. En este caso, la serie en cuestión empieza con la imagen de la Biblioteca Benjamín Franklin, una sucursal de la Biblioteca Pública de Los Ángeles. ¡Qué emoción!
Gentefied and the Libraries of Boyle Heights
Not often does a TV series begin with a shot of a library. In this case, the series in question began with a shot of the Benjamin Franklin Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library. Be still my heart! This library is very special for me as this was the first library I frequented growing up.