| Library Name: | Los Angeles Public Library |
| Library Logo: | Los_Angeles_Public_Library_Logo.png |
| Country: | United States |
| Type: | Public |
| Location: | Headquarters: 630 West 5th Street Los Angeles, California |
| Num Branches: | 72 |
| Collection Size: | 6,393,429 |
| Annual Circulation: | 18 million (2008) |
| Pop Served: | |
| Num Employees: | 944 |
| References: | [1] [2] |
The Los Angeles Public Library system (LAPL) is a public library system in Los Angeles, California. The system holds more than six million volumes,[3] and with around 19 million residents in the Greater Los Angeles area, it serves the largest metropolitan population of any public library system in the United States.[4] The system is overseen by a Board of Library Commissioners with five members appointed by the mayor of Los Angeles in staggered terms, and operates 72 library branches throughout the city.[5] In 1997 a local historian described it as "one of the biggest and best-regarded library systems in the nation."[6]
The Los Angeles Library Association was formed in late 1872, and by early 1873, a well-stocked reading room had opened in the Downey Block at Temple and Main streets under the first librarian, John Littlefield.[7] Los Angeles Public Library is a library with 6 million works located in Los Angeles, United States of America. The library was founded in 1872 and serves in 72 departments. Approximately 1000 people work in the library. The library was last renovated in 1993.
The original library consisted of two rooms. The larger room was called the "Book Room," and the smaller room was called the "Conversation Room," which contained newspapers, tables, chairs, and spittoons for the chess and checkers players who gathered there.[8]
Women were not initially involved in the conception and development of the Los Angeles Library Association. First Lady of California Maria Downey was given an honorary membership out of "courtesy," but otherwise, no women were listed in the association's founding documents, women were not represented on the board, and women were denied access to the library's reading room. However, this changed in 1876 when the association decided to implement a "Ladies Room." While this new room did not offer any books, it did provide a number of magazines and comfortable sofa and chairs for local clubwomen to use.
After Mary Foy was appointed as the first head woman librarian in 1880, her appointment was viewed as an act of charity by Mayor Toberman, who may have thought Foy to be in need of a job. Joanne Passet even posited that Foy's nomination, and librarian nominations in general, were seen as "an honorable means of assisting needy men and women in the community." This notion was mostly confirmed when Foy was replaced by Jessie Gavitt, whose economic need was deemed greater than Foy's by the board. Following Foy's appointment, the LAPL would go on to be "headed by a series of women administrators" for the next 25 years. These administrators included, Mary E. Foy (1880–1884), Jessie Gavitt (1884–1889), Lydia Prescott (1889), Tessa Kelso (1889–1895), Clara Fowler (1895–1897), Harriet Child Wadleigh (1897–1900), and Mary L. Jones (1900–1905).[9]
There was further speculation as to why the board decided on appointing Foy as the first head woman librarian. It may have been a political choice since she represented values that flourished in women's organizations, aiming to please the city's powerful women's clubs who may have been applying pressure. It's also suggested that Foy's nomination was a financial move; John Littlefield earned a salary of $100 while Mary Foy earned $75, which included janitorial work.
Tessa Kelso was appointed head librarian in 1889. She abolished the membership fee, increased membership from 100 to 20,000, increased the collection from 12,000 to 300,000 volumes, moved the books to open shelves, and permitted children to use the library. She set up an early system of branch libraries and moved the central library in to City Hall. She was forced out after a controversy over the library's acquisition of Jean Richepin's book La Cadet, which was considered indecent at the time.
Mary Jones, who was appointed Librarian in 1905, was fired by the library board in favor of Charles Fletcher Lummis. The only reason given for this was that the library should be run by a man, not a woman. This provoked "The Great Library War". Women in Los Angeles petitioned and marched in support of Jones but she was finally forced out; she took up a position as head of the library at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania.[10] Lummis established several special collections, including photography, autographs, and California and Spanish history. He oversaw two moves into larger buildings, and he greatly increased use of the library through several outreach programs.
, the collection numbered 203,600. The central library was located in the "Hamburger Building at Eighth and Broadway" with plans to soon move to the "Metropolitan Building at Fifth and Broadway." The library had 22 branch "reading rooms" including two (San Pedro and Hollywood) housed in Carnegie library buildings. The library had a total of 41 "branches and distribution points" at that time, and cooperated with the "playground department" to offer "branch libraries" at "the Violet Street, Slauson, Hazard, and Echo Park playgrounds, and at the Recreation Center."[11]
Aggressive expansion and growth of the system began in the 1920s. The first building dedicated exclusively for library use opened in 1926.
See main article: article and Richard J. Riordan Central Library. The Central Library Goodhue building was constructed in 1926 and is a Downtown Los Angeles landmark.[13] It was designed by architect Bertram Goodhue. This was his last work, because the man died suddenly in 1924.[14] The Richard Riordan Central Library complex is the third largest public library in the United States in terms of book and periodical holdings. Originally named the Central Library, the building was first renamed in honor of the longtime president of the Board of Library Commissioners and President of the University of Southern California, Rufus B. von KleinSmid. The new wing of Central Library, completed in 1993, was named in honor of former mayor Tom Bradley.[15] The complex (i.e., the original Goodhue building and the Bradley wing) was subsequently renamed in 2001 for former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, as the Richard Riordan Central Library. The building was burned out by a catastrophic fire in 1986 when a million books and many other records (patents, play scripts, photographs) were damaged or totally destroyed. Arson was suspected but never proved.[16]
Besides the Central Library in downtown Los Angeles, the system operates 72 branch locations in the city's neighborhoods. Eight of the larger branches are designated "regional branches."
| No. | Name | Photograph | Address | Zip Code | Phone | Area | Neighborhood Served | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Benjamin Franklin | 2200 E. First St. | 90033-3902 | 323-263-6901 | Northeast | ||||
| 02 | Lincoln Heights | 2530 Workman St. | 90031-2322 | 323-226-1692 | Northeast | ||||
| 03 | Pío Pico-Koreatown (피오 피코 코리아타운 도서관) | 694 S. Oxford Ave. | 90005-2872 | 213-368-7647 | Hollywood | ||||
| 04 | Vernon | 4504 S. Central Ave. | 90011-3632 | 323-234-9106 | Central Southern | ||||
| 05 | Arroyo Seco | 6145 N. Figueroa St. | 90042-3565 | 323-255-0537 | Northeast | Regional Branch | |||
| 06 | Exposition Park | 3900 S. Western Ave. | 90062-1111 | 323-290-3113 | Central Southern | Regional Branch | |||
| 07 | Junipero Serra | 4607 S. Main St. | 90037-2735 | 323-234-1685 | Central Southern | South Park | |||
| 08 | Echo Park | 1410 W. Temple St. | 90026-5605 | 213-250-7808 | Northeast | ||||
| 09 | San Pedro | 931 S. Gaffey St. | 90731-3606 | 310-548-7779 | Central Southern | Regional Branch | |||
| 10 | Wilmington | 1300 N. Avalon Blvd. | 90744-2639 | 310-834-1082 | Central Southern | ||||
| 11 | Goldwyn Hollywood | 1623 Ivar Ave. | 90028-6304 | 323-856-8260 | Hollywood | Regional Branch | |||
| 12 | John C. Fremont | 6121 Melrose Ave. | 90038-3501 | 323-962-3521 | Hollywood | ||||
| 13 | Westchester-Loyola Village | 7114 W. Manchester Ave. | 90045-3509 | 310-348-1096 | Western | ||||
| 14 | Vermont Square | 1201 W. 48th St. | 90037-2838 | 323-290-7405 | Central Southern | ||||
| 15 | Pacific Palisades | 861 Alma Real Dr. | 90272-3730 | 310-459-2754 | Western | ||||
| 16 | Donald Bruce Kaufman Brentwood | 11820 San Vicente Blvd. | 90049-5002 | 310-575-8273 | Western | ||||
| 17 | Jefferson-Vassie D. Wright | 2211 W. Jefferson Blvd. | 90018-3741 | 323-734-8573 | Central Southern | ||||
| 18 | Malabar | 2801 Wabash Ave. | 90033-2604 | 323-263-1497 | Northeast | ||||
| 19 | Robert Louis Stevenson | 803 Spence St. | 90023-1727 | 323-268-4710 | Northeast | ||||
| 20 | Cahuenga | 4591 Santa Monica Blvd. | 90029-1937 | 323-664-6418 | Hollywood | ||||
| 21 | El Sereno | 5226 S. Huntington Dr. | 90032-1704 | 323-225-9201 | Northeast | ||||
| 22 | Palms-Rancho Park | 2920 Overland Ave. | 90064-4220 | 323-840-2142 | Western | ||||
| 23 | Van Nuys | 6250 Sylmar Ave. | 91401-2707 | 818-756-8453 | East Valley | ||||
| 24 | Canoga Park | 20939 Sherman Way | 91303-1744 | 818-887-0320 | West Valley | ||||
| 25 | Studio City | 12511 Moorpark St. | 91604-1372 | 818-755-7873 | East Valley | ||||
| 26 | Angeles Mesa | 2700 W. 52nd St. | 90043-1953 | 323-292-4328 | Central Southern | ||||
| 27 | West Los Angeles | 11360 Santa Monica Blvd. | 90025-3152 | 310-575-8323 | Western | Regional Branch | |||
| 28 | Cypress Park | 1150 Cypress Ave. | 90065-1144 | 323-224-0039 | Northeast | ||||
| 29 | Wilshire | 149 N. St. Andrews Pl. | 90004-4019 | 323-957-4550 | Hollywood | ||||
| 30 | Ascot | 120 W. Florence Ave. | 90003-1805 | 323-759-4817 | Central Southern | ||||
| 31 | Will & Ariel Durant | 7140 W. Sunset Blvd. | 90046-4416 | 323-876-2741 | Hollywood | ||||
| 32 | Eagle Rock | 5027 Caspar Ave. | 90041-1901 | 323-258-8078 | Northeast | Article on the former building | |||
| 33 | Hyde Park-Miriam Matthews | 2205 W. Florence Ave. | 90043-5101 | 323-750-7241 | Western | ||||
| 34 | John Muir | 1005 W. 64th St. | 90044-3605 | 323-789-4800 | Central Southern | Vermont-Slauson | |||
| 35 | Sunland-Tujunga | 7771 Foothill Blvd. | 91042-2137 | 818-352-4481 | East Valley | ||||
| 36 | Los Feliz | 1874 Hillhurst Ave. | 90027-4427 | 323-913-4710 | Hollywood | The library computer room is named after actor Leonardo DiCaprios whose childhood home was located on the site, DiCaprios family foundation sponsored the computer equipment.[17] [18] [19] | |||
| 37 | North Hollywood Amelia Earhart | 5211 Tujunga Ave. | 91601-3119 | 818-766-7185 | East Valley | Regional Branch | |||
| 38 | Mar Vista | 12006 Venice Blvd. | 90066-3810 | 310-390-3454 | Western | ||||
| 39 | Panorama City | 14345 Roscoe Blvd. | 91402-4222 | 818-894-4071 | East Valley | ||||
| 40 | Venice-Abbot Kinney | 501 S. Venice Blvd. | 90291-4201 | 310-821-1769 | Western | ||||
| 41 | Washington Irving | 4117 W. Washington Blvd. | 90018-1053 | 323-734-6303 | Hollywood | ||||
| 42 | Robertson Branch Library | 1719 S. Robertson Blvd. | 90035-4315 | 310-840-2147 | Western | Beverlywood/Cheviot Hills/Pico-Robertson | Closed Saturday and open Sunday due to widespread observation of Shabbat in this neighborhood | ||
| 43 | Alma Reaves Woods-Watts | 10205 Compton Ave. | 90002-2804 | 323-789-2850 | Central Southern | ||||
| 44 | Atwater Village | 3379 Glendale Blvd. | 90039-1825 | 323-664-1353 | Hollywood | ||||
| 45 | Mark Twain | 9621 S. Figueroa St. | 90003-3928 | 323-755-4088 | Central Southern | ||||
| 46 | Baldwin Hills | 2906 S. La Brea Ave. | 90016-3902 | 323-733-1196 | Western | ||||
| 47 | Encino-Tarzana | 18231 Ventura Blvd. | 91356-3630 | 818-343-1983 | West Valley | ||||
| 48 | Felipe de Neve | 2820 W. 6th St. | 90057-3114 | 213-384-7676 | Hollywood | ||||
| 49 | Memorial | 4625 W. Olympic | 90019-1832 | 323-938-2732 | Hollywood | Country Club Park | |||
| 50 | West Valley | 19036 Vanowen St. | 91335-5114 | 818-345-9806 | West Valley | Regional Branch | |||
| 51 | Sherman Oaks | 14245 Moorpark St. | 91423-2722 | 818-205-9716 | East Valley | ||||
| 52 | Sun Valley | 7935 Vineland Ave. | 91352-4477 | 818-764-1338 | East Valley | ||||
| 53 | Pacoima | 13605 Van Nuys Blvd. | 91331-3613 | 818-899-5203 | East Valley | ||||
| 54 | Sylmar | 14561 Polk St. | 91342-4055 | 818-367-6102 | East Valley | ||||
| 55 | Playa Vista | 6400 Playa Vista Dr. | 90094-2168 | 310-437-6680 | Western | ||||
| 56 | Granada Hills | 10640 Petit Ave. | 91344-6452 | 818-368-5687 | West Valley | ||||
| 57 | Valley Plaza | 12311 Vanowen St. | 91605-5624 | 818-765-9251 | East Valley | Formerly known as Vanowen Park Branch | |||
| 58 | Woodland Hills | 22200 Ventura Blvd. | 91364-1517 | 818-226-0017 | West Valley | ||||
| 59 | Northridge | 9051 Darby Ave. | 91325-2743 | 818-886-3640 | West Valley | ||||
| 60 | Chatsworth | 21052 Devonshire St. | 91311-2314 | 818-341-4276 | West Valley | ||||
| 61 | Fairfax | 161 S. Gardner St. | 90036-2717 | 323-936-6191 | Hollywood | Fairfax | |||
| 62 | Lake View Terrace | 12002 Osborne St. | 91342-7221 | 818-890-7404 | East Valley | ||||
| 63 | Chinatown | 639 N. Hill St. | 90012-2317 | 213-620-0925 | Northeast | ||||
| 64 | Little Tokyo | 203 S. Los Angeles St. | 90012-3704 | 213-612-0525 | Northeast | ||||
| 65 | Platt | 23600 Victory Blvd. | 91367-1349 | 818-340-9386 | West Valley | ||||
| 66 | Mid-Valley Regional | 16244 Nordhoff St. | 91343-3806 | 818-895-3650 | West Valley | Regional Branch | |||
| 67 | Porter Ranch | 11371 Tampa Ave. | 91326-1729 | 818-360-5706 | West Valley | ||||
| 68 | Harbor City-Harbor Gateway | 24000 S. Western Ave. | 90710-1741 | 310-534-9520 | Central Southern | ||||
| 69 | Edendale | 2011 W. Sunset Blvd. | 90026-3122 | 213-207-3000 | Northeast | ||||
| 70 | Pico-Union | 1030 S. Alvarado St. | 90006-3712 | 213-368-7545 | Hollywood | ||||
| 71 | Westwood | 1246 Glendon Ave. | 90024-4914 | 310-474-1739 | Western | ||||
| 72 | Silver Lake | 2411 Glendale Blvd. | 90039-3217 | 323-913-7451 | Northeast |
The library offers an online program that allows adult patrons who have not completed high school to earn their high school diploma.[20]
TESSA is Los Angeles Public Library online historical collections. TESSA is named after Tessa Kelso, Los Angeles City Librarian from 1889 to 1895.[21]
In 2023, the library issued a limited-edition library card featuring the mountain lion P-22 in a National Geographic photo with the Hollywood Sign in the background.[22]
The Los Angeles Public Library received the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation's highest honor given to museums and libraries for service to the community.[23] City Librarian John F. Szabo and community member Sergio Sanchez accepted the award on behalf of the library from First Lady Michelle Obama during a White House Ceremony on May 20, 2015.
The Los Angeles Public Library was selected for its success in meeting the needs of Angelenos and providing a level of social, educational, and cultural services unmatched by any other public institution in the city. The award recognizes the library's programs that help people on their path to citizenship, earn their high school diploma, manage personal finances and access health and well-being services and resources.[24]
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