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. But if you don't know your beloved series is coming out as a movie or that the fun-looking preview you saw was adapted from a book, how can you join the debate? The Library is here to the rescue! Here, we will be...
LAPL Blog
Latest Posts
Pages
Interview With an Author: Veronica G. Henry
Veronica G. Henry was born in Brooklyn, New York, and has been a bit of a rolling stone ever since.
Julius Levitt, Community Activist
Julius Levitt (1885–1952) was a promoter of Yiddish culture and a community activist, most importantly through the Jewish Labor Committee (JLC) to bring attention to the horrors of Nazism throughout the world.
Jewish Roots of L.A.
President Joseph Biden may have put it best in his 2021 proclamation on Jewish American Heritage Month: “The Jewish American experience is a story of faith, fortitude, and progress.
Stand With the Banned: Free Access To Challenged Books for Teens and Tweens
Here at the library, we closely follow stories of books being banned or challenged throughout the country.
When a Librarian Retires
I dislike the question “how do you like retirement?” I mean, this is like asking “how do you like breathing?” Life is a one-way street and there are no U-turns on the way toward the great unknown.
Interview With an Author: Jenny Tinghui Zhang
Jenny Tinghui Zhang is a Chinese-American writer. She holds an MFA from the University of Wyoming and has received support from Kundiman, Tin House, and VONA/Voices.
Memoirs of Japanese-Americans Incarcerated During World War II
By the late nineteenth century, the West Coast of the United States was home to thriving Japanese communities. After the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 barred the immigration of Chinese workers, Japanese laborers were sought for many industries, including agriculture and fishing.
Interview With an Author: Alma Katsu
Alma Katsu is the award-winning author of six novels, most recently Red Widow,
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.
Why We Need Another Celebration Month
May is Jewish American Heritage Month. It was officially declared on April 20, 2006. The month of May was chosen due to the highly successful celebration of the 350th Anniversary of American Jewish History. 350 years. That's a lot of years!



![Map of Bell’s Row, [1858]. Fom the Western States Jewish History Archives Map of Bell’s Row, from the Western States Jewish History Archives.](https://www.lapl.org/sites/default/files/styles/whats_on_list_120x90/public/blogs/2025-04/ws0972-7-n-bells-row-los-angelesca-1858.jpg?itok=25Rx9RSF)


![Panoramic view of Heart Mountain Relocation Center, the WWII Japanese American internment camp in Wyoming, [ca 1943]. Shades of L.A.: Japanese American Community Panoramic view of Heart Mountain Relocation Center, the WWII Japanese American internment camp in Wyoming, [ca 1943]. Shades of L.A.: Japanese American Community](https://www.lapl.org/sites/default/files/styles/whats_on_list_120x90/public/blogs/2022-05/heartmountain.jpg?itok=3a80Cr4c)


