As the month of June comes to an end, we are celebrating the first anniversary of the Octavia Lab and Octavia E. Butler’s birthday by taking a glimpse into her life as a teenager and a list of great…
The library is home to many resources, even heavy metal music. We make it possible to indulge people on a headbanging journey on demand through resources such as hoopla and Freegal. My partner-in…
The MarketWatch news portal reported on May 20, National Rescue Dog Day, that pet adoptions had “seen a spike” during the recent nation-wide lockdowns as people sought companionship, a distraction…
“Today I sketched the preliminary plans for a large country house which will be erected in one of the most beautiful residential districts in the world... Sometimes I have dreamed of living there. I…
World Refugee Day is June 20, a day to celebrate the courage and resilience of refugees all over the world. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Refugee Act and since that time, California has…
Maggie Tokuda-Hall is the author of the Parent's Choice Gold Medal-winning picture book, Also an Octopus, illustrated by Benji Davies. She lives in Oakland, California, with her husband, son, and…
This week we are exploring Octavia E. Butler’s childhood and some great science fiction books for children, as we continue to celebrate her birthday and the first anniversary of the Octavia Lab…
The notion of having one’s own savings account is commonplace to us modern folk. But for former slaves—many of whom had never even seen money—it was an alien concept. And, in a country that runs on…
On this blog we have featured hundreds of films adapted from novels and short stories by authors from across the world and throughout history. While we have celebrated their works both on page and on…
Rebecca Serle is an author and television writer who lives in Los Angeles. Serle co-developed the hit TV adaptation of her YA series Famous in Love, and is also the author of The Dinner List, and YA…
When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, Annabeth Albert is a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer. Her popular LGBTQ+ romances include several fan-favorite and critically acclaimed…
This month is not only the first anniversary of the Octavia Lab at the Central Library, a do-it-yourself studio space, but also Octavia E. Butler’s birthday on June 22. During this time we are…
Forty years after his death, film director Alfred Hitchcock is still known as “the master of suspense”, and his movies retain their popularity and critical acclaim. A number of his best films are…
We may all find ourselves in higher stress and uncertainty these days. I know I have met my fair share of emotional difficulty in the past few months. What has helped steady me is my mindfulness…
Celia Laskey's work has appeared in Guernica, The Minnesota Review, and other places. She has an MFA from the University of New Mexico and was a finalist in Glimmer Train's Short Story Award for New…
Who was Octavia E. Butler? Octavia E. Butler was a science fiction author who had a very close connection to the Los Angeles Public Library and made an impact on our organization, community, and the…
When the library closed almost three months ago, I checked out eight books. I’ve finished two of them. This is unusual for someone who reads everywhere—in checkout lines, on the Metro, at Dodger…
Being vegetarian or vegan; is it a diet or a way of life? As we've seen, the world is constantly changing and so is the way of life for many of us Angelenos. Do you know that the library has many…
We hope you’ve enjoyed the scrumdiddlyumptious poems created by Los Angeles Public Library staff members as part of our celebration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month. Thanks for sticking with us all the…
John Scalzi is a New York Times bestselling and award-winning speculative fiction author whose work has been translated into more than 20 languages. He has also worked as a creative consultant for the…
In a world of 24-hour news cycles and constant social media updates, it can seem impossible to escape our current stressful reality. So voluntarily choosing to read even more about world-ending…
Here they are—the last few tankas written by Los Angeles Public Library staffers in celebration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month. It’s not too late to join in the fun by posting your own poem to…
As we head into Memorial Day Weekend and the feasting that often involves, consider this latest group of poems as your appetizer. Written by staff members of the Los Angeles Public Library as part of…
Marie Benedict is a lawyer with more than ten years’ experience as a litigator at two of the country’s premier law firms and for Fortune 500 companies. She is a LibraryReads Hall of Fame Recipient and…
