LAPL Blog

Latest Posts

Three librarians are pictured in front of the burning Central Library
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
Christina Rice, Senior Librarian, Photo Collection, April 29, 2026

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...

Pages

Colorize photo of author and illustrator Leo Politi reading to children in the Children’s Literature Department

Leo Politi, Fondly Remembered

Tina Princenthal, Principal Librarian, Central Library Services, Monday, November 13, 2023

Come on a trip with me. We'll time travel to 1938, a difficult time for the United States, slowly recovering from the economic disaster of the Great Depression, but a wonderful time for the recently revived Olvera Street in Los Angeles.


Author Connie Willis and her latest novel, The Road to Roswell

Interview With an Author: Connie Willis

Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch Library, Thursday, November 9, 2023

Connie Willis is a member of the Science Fiction Hall of Fame and a Grand Master of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.


Colorized photo of Albert Camus and his novel, The Stranger

Understanding Albert Camus; Novelist, Playwright and Philosopher

John Tommasino, Cybernaut, Van Nuys Branch Library, Monday, November 6, 2023

November 7, 1913, is the birthdate of Albert Camus, one of the most important writers and philosophers of the 20th century.


Collage of films adapted from books

Read It First! Movie Adaptations in Theaters This Month

Elizabeth Graney, Librarian, Literature & Fiction Department, Friday, November 3, 2023

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.


Author Lina Rather and her newest book, A Season of Monstrous Conceptions

Interview With an Author: Lina Rather

Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch Library, Thursday, November 2, 2023

Lina Rather is a speculative fiction author and graduate student living in Central New York. Her short fiction has appeared in venues including Lightspeed, Podcastle, and Shimmer.


Los libros en español más esperados están disponibles en tu biblioteca

Lo nuevo en español para niños: libros interesantes que llegan a la biblioteca este mes

Patricia Valdovinos, Librarian, Multilingual Collections, Wednesday, November 1, 2023

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!


Los libros en español más esperados están disponibles en tu biblioteca

Lo nuevo en español para adultos y jóvenes: libros interesantes que llegan a la biblioteca este mes

Nicholas Clayton, Librarian, Multilingual Collections, Wednesday, November 1, 2023

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!


view of the Hollywood sign when first constructed

Setting the Scene: Los Angeles

Kelly Wallace, Librarian, History Department, Monday, October 30, 2023

"The lights of the city were an endlessly glittering sheet. Neon signs glowed and flashed.


Author Hajar Yazdiha and her book, The Struggle for the People’s King

Interview With an Author: Hajar Yazdiha

Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch Library, Thursday, October 26, 2023

Hajar Yazdiha's an Assistant Professor of Sociology, a faculty affiliate of the Equity Research Institute, and a CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar (2023-2025).


Collage of books about disabilities among us

Diversability In the Workplace

Salvadora Sosa Prieto, Administrative Clerk, Multilingual Collections, Tuesday, October 24, 2023

There is a fairly widespread story regarding the first sign of civilization, Dr. Paul Brand, attributed to anthropologist Margaret Mead.


Pages

Top