Your Guide To Exploring Your Local LA Library — And Why It's Worth Your Time

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.

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Megan Garvey

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LAist

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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.

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Courtesy Los Angles Public Library

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Los Angeles Public Library

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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

Listen • 23:20

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.

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