The Brief

If you were a student in a Los Angeles Unified school you most likely remember taking a field trip to your local public library. Well, the L.A. library still has a lot to offer — whatever your age — from books on almost any topic to research tools like computers, and even 3-D printers. Plus, it's got a pretty entertaining and informative Instagram feed.

If you haven’t renewed your library card, you might want to think about doing that now.

The library's history

The first library opened downtown in 1872, near Temple and Main, with just two reading rooms. It had about 750 books, plus newspapers and a small room for games of checkers and chess. Now it has 72 branches from Cahuenga to Chinatown to Fairfax.

For a recent How to LA episode, Producer Megan Botel learned about its history through an exhibit at the Central Library downtown — arguably one of the more gorgeous buildings in the city.

L.A. library officials are beginning to reopen the grand central library in downtown L.A. and 37 branches.

(

Megan Garvey

/

LAist

)

Her guide was librarian and co-curator of the exhibit, James Sherman.

“What really astonishes me is that I didn't realize how quickly L.A. grew. By the time this building that we're in — Central Library — was built, it was between a half million and a million people,” says Sherman. “At the turn of the century, it was 100,000 people.”

About its iconic architecture

The iconic building with its pyramid-shaped roof opened in 1926. And it is huge. The 5th Street location is 538,000 square feet of space on eight floors with nearly 89 miles of shelves and seating for more than 1,400 people. Designed by architect Bertram Goodhue, the Central Library joined the National Register for Historic Places in 1970.

Believe it or not, announcement by the Federal Bureau of Mines that all the gold mined in the world since 1493 would form a cube 38 1/2 feet square, would fit comfortably within the tower of the Los Angeles Public Library. It would weigh 1,003,500,000 ounces and be worth a bit over $20,000,000,000. Photo dated: Nov. 6, 1929.

(

Courtesy Los Angles Public Library

/

Los Angeles Public Library

)

Goodhue came to local attention with his approach to Spanish-style architecture. But with the Central Library, Goodhue mixed older styles with a fresh, modern perspective, creating an early example of art deco architecture. Sherman says novelist Ray Bradbury once said the building looked like “the future."

Goodhue worked with sculptor Lee Lawrie, borrowing a philosophy professor’s “Light of Learning'' ideology as a design theme. This is evident from the torch that’s on top of the library.

“A lot of the themes that are in the library are light illumination," Sherman says. "Knowledge is that source ... that lights a path through darkness, lights the path through ignorance and so on."

At the top of the library, there are six figures. Sherman says they are all representative of people who were considered “light bringers,” including the poets Homer and Virgil.

“Homer and Virgil, both were blind, but they also had the illumination of knowledge within. Light is the metaphor there,” Sherman says. “It's really kind of, it's really a beautiful way that it's integrated into the library.”

A bonus for all the foodies out there: You can take a blast from the L.A.’s cuisine past at the Central Library and view old restaurant menus from the late 19th century.

But that’s not all — the podcast episode checks out so much more. Gone are the days where the library was just a place to borrow books and CDs. It’s a public resource.

Listen 23:20

Apple

Spotify

Learn about the history of Los Angeles Public Library, going back to its beginnings in 1872, as well as some of the most brilliant features of the Central Library building.

Exploring The 'Light of Learning' — And LA History — In The Public Library

Learn about the history of Los Angeles Public Library, going back to its beginnings in 1872, as well as some of the most brilliant features of the Central Library building.

Subscribe

• Apple
• Spotify

Library resources

Here’s a list of resourceful things you can do at your local library: 

• Check out a computer through the library’s Tech2go Program. 
• Get all your own tech needs with 3D printing machine, Final Cut Pro, or a laser cutter at the Central Library’s DIY studio Octavia Lab (P.S. you can also play with VR gear). 
• Use your library card to get FREE access to some museums, language learning apps, films and more. 
• Receive mental health services, including case management and counseling. 
• If you’re unhoused, you can get help with Medi-Cal enrollment, employment assistance, housing assistance and other services through The Source program. 
• During the summer months, kids and adults alike can register for the Los Angeles Public Library’s summer reading program.

See it for yourself: Take a guided tour through the building and admire the art. On Saturdays, you can take a tour of the Maguire Gardens.

Go deeper: 

• LA Public Library Seeks Creative Angelenos For Residency Program
• County Library Rolls Out More Education Programs Around LA — In Some Cases, Literally
• After Years Of Waiting, A South LA Neighborhood Has A New Library 

Alysa Liu’s comeback at this year’s Olympics — and her stunning gold medal win — has rocked the world of figure skating, making headlines due to her joy while performing and her commitment to mental health on and off the ice.

Though she primarily trained in Oakland, Liu, who’s also a psychology student at the UCLA, has used a facility in Lakewood as one of her home bases away from home. The 20-year-old started training there as she came back from retirement and prepared to take the gold medal (not that that was necessarily her goal, to hear her tell it).

It’s part of a long history for the Rinks-Lakewood ICE, which has also hosted many champions and Olympians over the years, including Mariah Bell, Nathan Chen, Ashley Wagner and Adam Rippon, and counts prominent figure skaters among their staff.

“ We're not unfamiliar with Olympic ties,” Overett said, though he also clarified, “that does not in any way diminish the fun and the coolness [of Liu’s win].”

Lakewood ICE’s place in this year’s Olympics

Working with her coaches remotely, Liu started to drill down on perfecting her skating while also attending classes at UCLA. And though she moved on to her home base at Oakland Ice Center as the Olympic training started to ramp up, the staff who worked with her at Lakewood ICE kept cheering her on.

Braden Overett, the skating manager at Lakewood ICE, said that he loves highlighting the Olympic connections at the rink, which may not be obvious to everyone who skates there.

“It's always fun just to connect the dots, right?” Overett said. “It's like going to a restaurant and then you find out later it's your favorite actor's restaurant.”

Ashleigh Ellis runs the nonprofit Unity Ice Academy, which focuses on increasing access to figure skating for kids of all backgrounds at Lakewood ICE.

“ That's just very much how the skating world is. It's very small, you never know who you're going to run into at any time,” Ellis said. “ Could you imagine just being on the ice with a national champion and Olympic skater of any sort? It's just so inspiring for the kids to see that and be within the vicinity of that.”

And Liu wasn’t the only 2026 Olympic figure skater who's used the facility. Li Yu-Hsiang, the Taiwanese national champion who represented Chinese Taipei in Milan this year, also trains in Lakewood.

The rink’s coaches

The small world of skating means that even novice skaters can take classes from world-class skaters: 1976 Olympic silver medalist Dianne de Leeuw teaches there, as do national medalists (and future Olympic contenders) Starr Andrews and Josephine Lee.

 ”To get to see them and to get to share ice with them just has a layer of magic that you can't replace and you can't get anywhere else,” Overett said. “ You see the turnover of generations, and it brings in a huge element of history.”

What Liu’s win means for the skating world

Ellis is already using Liu’s example to stress the importance of mental health to the kids and families she works with, like one parent who was worrying about her child taking two weeks off skating due to pneumonia.

“I was like, ‘Alysa Liu took two plus years off and she just won the Olympic gold. Do not worry about it this two weeks,’” she said.

A bipartisan bill aimed at protecting pets during disasters has been introduced in Congress, with a Southern California representative citing the rescue efforts of local organizations during last year’s L.A.-area fires.

The PETSAFE Act of 2026 — which stands for Providing Essential Temporary Shelter Assistance For Emergencies — would expand the use of emergency management funds so local governments can plan for evacuations that move animals to safety, as well as provide veterinary care and rescue equipment during disasters.

Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) helped introduce the bill earlier this month with several House of Representatives colleagues, including Republican Rep. Brian Mast of Florida and Democrat Rep. Dina Titus of Nevada.

Chu, who represents Pasadena and Altadena in the 28th Congressional District, said when the Eaton Fire tore through her district, many families delayed evacuations because they couldn’t bear to leave their pets behind.

She told LAist she’ll never forget seeing the cats, dogs and other animals with burned feet and singed fur who were being cared for by Pasadena Humane in the aftermath.

“But to think, if there is even one more thing we could do to keep our precious pets safe, wouldn't we want to do that?” Chu said. “So this PETSAFE Act could go a long way towards making sure that our loved pets can indeed survive a disaster.”

About the bill

Pasadena Humane teams looked for pets and wildlife in Eaton burn zones, dropping off food and water along the way.

(

Courtesy Pasadena Humane

)

The PETSAFE Act now has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The bill would amend the Emergency Management Performance Grant program to increase the federal cost share for certain animal-related preparedness activities from 50% to 90%.

Supporters say this would lower barriers and make it more affordable for communities to roll out emergency protection plans for people and pets.

Specifically, the PETSAFE Act would allow state, local and tribal governments to use grant money awarded by FEMA toward pet supplies, crates, veterinary equipment, emergency generators and training, among others.

Pet owners whose homes are under disaster-related evacuation orders can be faced with an “impossible choice” — leaving their pets behind or staying home with them, which risks the owner’s own safety and complicates rescue efforts for first responders, according to Chu’s office.

The bill aims to address the challenges pet owners and first responders face without authorizing new federal spending, according to Mast’s office.

How we got here 

Chu said local shelters, including Pasadena Humane, and communities across California stepped up to care for all kinds of animals during the Eaton Fire, which ignited in January 2025.

Pasadena Humane helped more than 1,500 pets and wildlife during the fire and in the aftermath by providing shelter, medical care and emergency resources.

A horse was housed in the organization’s garage when Chris Ramon, Pasadena Humane’s president and CEO, ran into its owner walking down Raymond Avenue for miles.

“Part of me likes to think that this won’t happen again,” Ramon told LAist last month. “But the realist in me realizes … disaster preparedness is something that just is an ongoing conversation for us at Pasadena Humane.”

Chu also cited the work of the ASPCA, which helped more than 530 animals during the Eaton Fire, including goats, parakeets, pigs and a gecko, according to the organization.

She said local organizations did “tremendous” work and “lovingly cared for” the rush of animals affected by the fire.

“But what we would want to do is to make sure that there is an even better system for animal evacuation and ways to ensure that pets could be safe,” Chu said, adding that would relieve the burden on places like Pasadena Humane.

Other laws aiming to protect pets

This is not the first time last year’s fires have led to new legislation focused on protecting pets during emergencies.

A new state law known as the FOUND Act, which went into effect Jan. 1, was inspired by Oreo the Pomeranian, who reunited with its Pacific Palisades owner in an emotional, viral video during the Palisades Fire.

The law requires cities and counties to include procedures for rescuing pets during mandatory evacuations in their next emergency plans, which need to be updated every five years to qualify for FEMA assistance.