Past Due: 100 Years of Central Library - Episode 7: Preservation Fights

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Past Due: 100 Years of Central Library - Episode 7: Preservation Fights

In this episode of the Past Due podcast, we delve into some of the preservation issues Central Library has encountered in its history, including the mystery of a lost mural, and how the Library building itself was nearly demolished in the 60s and 70s.

Librarian Sheridan Jay Cazarez interviews Adrian Scott Fine, president and CEO of the LA Conservancy, about how the LA Conservancy was formed partly to save Central Library from demolition. Then he speaks with librarian Nicholas Beyelia about the lost Branch Libraries Map mural by artist Gail Cleaves. And finally, he talks with librarian David Turshyan about the International Languages Department’s treasures from around the world.

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View of Central Library in October 1974

Resources Mentioned

White space in foreground, Seventh and Figueroa Streets
Above is the site for one of the proposals for building a new Central Library building in downtown. From the Herald Examiner Collection, a photograph dated July 11, 1977, reads, "White space in foreground, Seventh and Figueroa Streets, is the site of proposed library-retail store complex proposed as alternative to revamping the old Central Library."
Maps drawing of the library branches 1960s
Image of the proposed design Gail Cleaves submitted for her Branch Libraries Map mural.  This mural was installed at the Library’s 5th Street entrance and was painted over in 1963

Participant(s) Bio

Adrian Scott Fine

Adrian Scott Fine is president and chief executive officer of the Los Angeles Conservancy, providing overall leadership for the nation’s largest local, nonprofit membership-based heritage conservation organization. He oversees the Conservancy’s strategic direction across the greater Los Angeles region—spanning 88 cities and unincorporated communities over more than 4,000 square miles—guiding teams that set priorities, build public awareness, and advance programs that protect and celebrate historic places. Collaborating with local governments, nonprofit partners, and community stakeholders, he ensures the Conservancy remains a proactive force in shaping the future of preservation across one of the country’s most diverse metropolitan landscapes.

Nicholas Beyelia at the beach

A native Angeleno, Nicholas Beyelia has been a librarian in the History and Genealogy Department for nearly a decade. In addition to a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science, he holds both a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s degree in history from CSU Los Angeles. Prior to working at LAPL, he was an intern at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., a Student Worker at the Port of Los Angeles Archives, and served a residency at the Margaret Herrick Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He enjoys writing about Los Angeles history and has been on the Board of the Los Angeles City Historical Society since 2021.

David Turshyan

David Turshyan is a Subject Specialist Librarian in the International Languages Department. He facilitates weekly language classes and coordinates the World Cinema Series film screenings. David is a dual alumnus of UCLA, where he earned his Master of Library and Information Science and a Bachelor’s in International Relations.

Sheridan Jay Cazarez

Moderator: Sheridan Jay Cazarez is a librarian in the Exploration & Creativity Department at the Los Angeles Public Library. He's presented on bilingual early literacy programming, translation practices, and labor advocacy at the REFORMA National, California Library Association, Seguimos Creando Enlaces, and American Library Association conferences. Find his original translations of songs and rhymes for young children on his website, Bibliocuentos.com.