In this episode of Past Due, we explore the Children’s Literature Department, highlighting the art and architecture, and explain how LAPL purchases the many resources for our diverse range of library…
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…
In this episode of Past Due, we talk with Stephen Gee, author of Los Angeles Central Library: A History of Its Art, to discuss the artwork of the Central Library, past and present. We also explore the…
One of the Los Angeles Public Library's largest pieces of outdoor art can only be appreciated in photos now, after becoming a victim of Southern California's weather. Bison Hunt, a 50-foot-by-26-foot…
On March 13, 2000, the new, expanded Teen’Scape Department at the Central Library opened with great fanfare. (This replaced the smaller Teen’Scape Department that existed at Central from 1998-2000.)…
In this episode of the Past Due podcast, our host gets the inside scoop from a Central Library docent about some odd architectural features of Central Library’s past and present, and also explores…
It’s 2026, and here at the Library, we’re looking forward to commemorating 100 years of the Central Library. Dedicated in July 1926, the opening of this architectural icon was a milestone not only for…
When you think of stories, you might think of books first. But many stories—including gender-diverse stories—are told through art, as well.The Los Angeles Central Library, also known as the Goodhue…
Some of the things that first come to mind when we think of culture are the languages, religions, foods, and arts that are a part of the traditions of a specific group of people. But culture is much…
Richard J. Riordan, Mayor of Los Angeles from 1993-2001, for whom the rebuilt Central Library is named, passed away at his home in Brentwood on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, at the age of 92. During his…
Los libros son puentes a otros mundos y experiencias, nos unen a una rica tradición de la palabra escrita por todos los siglos. Hay un rincón en la biblioteca que forma parte de esta historia, no…
A few words come to mind about my practice as an Art Librarian with roots in both academic and studio experiences—scribe, space, and light. I work in the Los Angeles Central Library. Every day Bertram…
While it's true that information on the 2.8 million items in the Central Library is on computer servers that take up a tiny space compared to the hundreds of drawers of catalog cards once used, one…
I have always loved books. When I was five, I pleaded with my mother for books...Little Golden Books, about lambs and engines and whatever...and she helped me learn to read them. In junior high and…
