I'll be the first to admit it, Halloween is my favorite holiday! I love everything about it from the spooky atmosphere and dressing up in a costume, to—I confess—all the candy! As an adult and a…
Jack-o’-lanterns, trick-or-treaters, clever costumes and spooky decorations—Halloween is one of the most beloved holidays in the United States. But where exactly did Halloween come from? What customs…
Victoria "V.E." Schwab V.E. Schwab has been called “the heir to Diana Wynne Jones.” She is the author of the New York Times bestselling Shades of Magic series, as well as a number of middle grade and…
Oscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez, better known as Monsignor Romero or San Romero has represented a symbol of social justice against repression and poverty in El Salvador and throughout Latin America…
Kanopy offers Los Angeles Public Library cardholders 24/7 online streaming access to the most acclaimed movies and documentaries from award-winning filmmakers. These films are often difficult or…
Erin Entrada Kelly, the author of the Newbery Award-winning book Hello Universe, spoke at the Central Library a few months ago as part of our Summer Author Series. Audience members wrote questions for…
Rebecca Serle is a full-time writer, which means she gets to wear pajamas to work. She went to the University of Southern California, then got her MFA from the New School in NYC. (She likes New York…
It was a typical day in my 11th grade English class, except my teacher offered a rare extra credit opportunity—to write a 100-word essay on the topic, "What a Library Means to Me." She explained that…
A month after the first of two fires burned through the Central Library in 1986, a collective effort by the City of Los Angeles raised $3.2 million. This was yet another plus in a major reconstructive…
When the gleaming “new” Central Library opened its doors on October 3, 1993, seven years after the devastating fires of 1986, it touted the latest innovations in computer automation. The now familiar…
Temperatures are rising, the environment is suffering, and income inequality is widening. Amidst the confusion, a charismatic politician takes the presidency with the promise to, “Make America great…
Born in New York and raised mostly in Houston, P. Djèlí Clark spent the formative years of his life in the homeland of his parents, Trinidad and Tobago. His writing has appeared in Daily Science…
In retrospect, it is ironic that the fire took place when it did: April 29, 1986. On that day, progress was quietly continuing with plans for a renovation of the original Central Library and a new…
A number of travelogues have been written about Los Angeles throughout the decades with a myriad of opinions on the cultural and social climate of the city. The City of Angels has been both praised…
The day my own dear Central Library reopened I got my name in the L.A. Times which elicited ragging from pals around the city. “As soon as I crossed the threshold I got down on my knees and kissed the…
Who will win, who will "be happy just to be nominated," and who will go home empty-handed? Watch the festivities tonight to find out, but before you do, check out these amazing images from our photo…
I love fashion and seeing all the beautiful new clothes and styles coming out for the fall season. Even though in Los Angeles the temperatures barely dip below the perfect 72 degrees, one can pretend…
The last time I looked upon Admission Day as an important holiday for our dear Golden State was probably back in Sister Leocritia’s grade 4 classroom at St. Helen school back when electricity was new…
"Never give up. Keep your thoughts and your mind always on the goal."—Tom BradleyThe Tom Bradley Wing of the Central Library is a fitting tribute to the enlightened man who presided over Los Angeles…
Christopher Huang grew up in Singapore, where he served his two years of National Service as an Army Signaller. He then moved to Canada where he studied Architecture at McGill University in Montréal…
Instagram is a perfectly good place to research tattoo designs, or to find an artist whose work you admire, but it can quickly become a sea of interchangeable infinity symbols, feathers, skulls…
Juliet McDaniel has an M.A. in Writing from DePaul University. Although raised in Arizona, she spent the last 25 years living in Chicago, where she currently resides with her partner and her cats. She…
Celebrate National Senior Citizens Day at the Library! August 21 was established as a day to honor Americans ages 65 and older. The National Senior Citizens Day proclamation states that the best way…
Anne Youngson had a long, successful career in the motor industry before taking an early retirement to focus on her writing. She is currently studying for a PhD at Oxford Brookes. Anne and her husband…
