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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...

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Collage of images and works by Alfonso Pardiñas

Alfonso Pardiñas and the Mystery of the LAX Mural

Tina Lernø, Librarian, Digital Content Team, Friday, October 10, 2025

As a born-and-raised Angelino, there are places in this fair city of ours that always evoke strong feelings and memories. For me, one of those places is the Los Angeles International Airport, also known as LAX.


Author Kathleen Kaufman and her latest novel, Of Monsters and Mainframes

Interview With an Author: Barbara Truelove

Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch Library, Thursday, October 9, 2025

Barbara Truelove is an Australian author and game designer who writes about werewolves, monsters, space, and sometimes other things. Her interactive novel, Blood Moon, was released in 2023.


Collage of films adapted from books

Read It First! Movie Adaptations in Theaters This Month

Elizabeth Graney, Librarian, Literature & Fiction Department, Monday, October 6, 2025

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.


Armenian composer Alan Hovhaness

Alan Hovhaness: A Highly Prolific Modern Composer

Ardem Tajerian, Librarian, Friday, October 3, 2025

Alan Hovhaness (1911-2000) is probably the most prolific American composer of whom you have never heard.


Author Eric J. Guignard and his book, Scaring and Daring: Terrifying Takes on 15 Classic Tales: A Horror Writers Association Anthology

Interview With an Author: Eric J. Guignard

Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch Library, Thursday, October 2, 2025

Eric J. Guignard is an author and anthologist of dark and speculative fiction, operating from the shadowy outskirts of Los Angeles, where he also runs the small press Dark Moon Books.


collage of 10 books

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

Patricia Valdovinos, Librarian, Multilingual Collections, Wednesday, October 1, 2025

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!


collage of ten books

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

Multilingual Collections, Librarian, Multilingual Collections, Wednesday, October 1, 2025

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!


Author Lindy Ryanand her two novel, Bless Your Heart and Another Fine Mess

Interview With an Author: Lindy Ryan

Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch Library, Thursday, September 25, 2025

Lindy Ryan is an award-winning author, anthologist, and short-film director whose books and anthologies have received starred reviews from


Collage of Hispanic American and Latinx leadership in Los Angeles

Celebrating the City's Latino Trailblazers in Public Office

Jesús Castañeda, Librarian, Social Science, Philosophy & Religion Department , Tuesday, September 23, 2025

The vibrant legacy Latino leadership in Los Angeles is woven deeply into the city's political, social, and cultural fabric.


Author Kathleen Kaufman and her latest novel, Fiend

Interview With an Author: Alma Katsu

Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch Library, Thursday, September 18, 2025

Alma Katsu is the award-winning, critically acclaimed author of eight novels. Her books have been nominated and won multiple prestigious awards.


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