With library access shrinking, Libros Schmibros expands hours to meet community needs

Libros Schmibros has expanded its hours to six days a week, filling a gap in Boyle Heights’ access to library services.

The lending library, located in Mariachi Plaza, is now open Tuesday through Sunday — a move that comes just weeks after the closure of a temporary bungalow that had supported the Benjamin Franklin Library during renovations.

“Our ambitions were always to be as available to the public as possible,” David Kipen, co-founder of Libros Schmibros, told Boyle Heights Beat. “We can’t wait to welcome people in on a new day.”

Libros Schmibros, which offers residents free books, started at four days a week when it first opened 15 years ago. Most recently, it opened Wednesday through Sunday.

Kipen helped start the nonprofit back in 2010, when libraries throughout Los Angeles, including in Boyle Heights, closed their doors on Sundays and Mondays due to budget cuts.

During that time, Kipen had moved to Boyle Heights with a personal collection of 5,000 books he had acquired as an avid reader and as a book critic for The San Francisco Chronicle.

“The neighborhood library right down the street from where I was living at the time, at 1st and Cummings, posted these closing hours … and I thought, ‘Here I am sitting on this great big pile of books,’” Kipen recalled. “That’s how Libros Schmibros was born.”

The lending library has expanded its collection with a range of books that people have donated throughout the years. It uses an online form where residents can request up to four free books all year round, including titles in Spanish and English. Bilingual story hours and film screenings also happen at the space.

An array of books at Libros Schmibros.

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Kate Valdez

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Boyle Heights Beat

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Jill Frank, the development manager for Libros Schmibros, said the expanded hours represent “a big milestone for us.”

Frank sees Libros Schmibros as “a crucial community resource,” not just because of the closure of the temporary library bungalow, but also in the wake of the immigration raids that began in June.

“Students can come and do homework after school, families who are homeschooling can inhabit our space for special events, student gatherings and such,” Frank said.

Derek Mejia, who is part of the Libros Schmibros library staff, said he always saw the need to be open more days.

He was there for the Tuesday opening this week.

“Without any big announcement, I was surprised that I got the amount of people that came in. I think it’s just a testament that people are interested in stopping by. People are interested in browsing the books,” said Mejia

Mejia helped start Libros’ Cineclub, which has featured a range of Latin American films, after finding himself often making the trek to the American Cinematheque or to the Vista Theatre for film screenings. “It was something that could be more accessible to people on the Eastside without having to drive to the west side,” he said.

“I think in Boyle Heights, as a community, we feel kind of forgotten, left behind by the city and public services,” Mejia said.

“I mean, I’m here. I’m welcoming people with open arms to get out of the heat and kind of forget about the wider world,” he said. “I feel so honored and privileged that I get to be a part of this team and to help foster a very specific sense of community here.”

How to visit

103 N Boyle Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90033
Tuesday through Sunday, 12 to 6 p.m.
(323) 604-9991

You can learn more here.