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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Pop Culture Celebrates the Opening of Central Library’s New Teen’Scape Department
On March 13, 2000, the new, expanded Teen’Scape Department at the Central Library opened with great fanfare.
Read It First! Movie Adaptations in Theaters This Month
If you've heard it once, you've heard it a million times—the book was better! There's nothing like debating the differences between a favorite book and its translation to the screen.
Interview With an Author: Terence Keel
Terence Keel is a professor of human biology, society, and African American studies at UCLA.
Shall the Public Library Be Fittingly Housed? The Need for a Central Library Building
Tiffney Sanford, Librarian, North Hollywood Amelia Earhart Regional Branch Library, Wednesday, March 4, 2026
The first several decades of the Los Angeles Public Library's existence involved frequent moves into various rented spaces downtown.
Lo nuevo en español para adultos y jóvenes: libros interesantes que llegan a la biblioteca este mes
Los libros en español más esperados están disponibles en tu biblioteca. Haz clic en cada título para verlo en nuestro catálogo. ¡No esperes y reserva tu copia hoy mismo!
Lo nuevo en español para niños: libros interesantes que llegan a la biblioteca este mes
La Biblioteca Pública de Los Ángeles ofrece los libros más leídos y más esperados para niños. Haz clic en cada título para verlo en nuestro catálogo. ¡No esperes y reserva tu copia hoy mismo!
Read it First Oscar Edition: The 98th Academy Awards
The Academy Awards are right around the corner, and, once again, films adapted from books have snagged multiple nominations! From a hauntingly beautiful take on a classic monster to a wacky and violent adventure, these adaptations caught the eye and the hearts of the critics this year.
Interview With an Author: Christopher Huang
Christopher Huang grew up in Singapore, an only child in a family tree that expands dramatically sideways at his parents' generation.
Hats Off to the Library!
Do you own a hat? I don’t mean a baseball cap—I mean a real, structured, leave-the-house-in-it hat. And how would you feel about wearing it... every single day?
Interview With an Author: Ryan Douglass
Ryan Douglass is a queer author and poet from Atlanta, Georgia.