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Los Angeles Public Library
Public library system in Los Angeles, California From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) is a public library system in Los Angeles, Caliornia, operating separate rom the Los Angeles County Public Library system. 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 o any public library system in the United States.[4] The system is overseen by a Board o Library Commissioners with ive members appointed by the mayor o Los Angeles in staggered terms, and operates 72 library branches throughout the city.[5] In 1997 a local historian described it as "one o the biggest and best-regarded library systems in the nation."[6]
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History
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The Los Angeles Library Association was ormed 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 irst librarian, John Littleield.[7][8]
The original library consisted o 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 or the chess and checkers players who gathered there.[9]
Women were not initially involved in the conception and development o the Los Angeles Library Association. irst Lady o Caliornia Maria Downey was given an honorary membership out o "courtesy," but otherwise, no women were listed in the association's ounding 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 oer any books, it did provide a number o magazines and comortable soa and chairs or local clubwomen to use.[9]
Ater Mary oy was appointed as the irst head woman librarian in 1880, her appointment was viewed as an act o charity by Mayor Toberman, who may have thought oy to be in need o a job. Joanne Passet even posited that oy's nomination, and librarian nominations in general, were seen as "an honorable means o assisting needy men and women in the community." This notion was mostly conirmed when oy was replaced by Jessie Gavitt, whose economic need was deemed greater than oy's by the board.[9] ollowing oy's appointment, the LAPL would go on to be "headed by a series o women administrators" or the next 25 years. These administrators included, Mary E. oy (1880–1884), Jessie Gavitt (1884–1889), Lydia Prescott (1889), Tessa Kelso (1889–1895), Clara owler (1895–1897), Harriet Child Wadleigh (1897–1900), and Mary L. Jones (1900–1905).[10]
There was urther speculation as to why the board decided on appointing oy as the irst head woman librarian. It may have been a political choice since she represented values that lourished in women's organizations, aiming to please the city's powerul women's clubs who may have been applying pressure. It's also suggested that oy's nomination was a inancial move; John Littleield earned a salary o $100 while Mary oy earned $75, which included janitorial work.[9]
Tessa Kelso was appointed head librarian in 1889. She abolished the membership ee, increased membership rom 100 to 20,000, increased the collection rom 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 o branch libraries and moved the central library in to City Hall. She was orced out ater a controversy over the library's acquisition o Jean Richepin's book La Cadet, which was considered indecent at the time.[7]
Mary Jones, who was appointed Librarian in 1905, was ired by the library board in avor o Charles letcher Lummis. The only reason given or 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 o Jones but she was inally orced out; she took up a position as head o the library at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania.[11][12] Lummis established several special collections, including photography, autographs, and Caliornia and Spanish history. He oversaw two moves into larger buildings, and he greatly increased use o the library through several outreach programs.[7]
c. 1914, the collection numbered 203,600.[13] The central library was located in the "Hamburger Building at Eighth and Broadway" with plans to soon move to the "Metropolitan Building at ith and Broadway."[13] The library had 22 branch "reading rooms" including two (San Pedro and Hollywood) housed in Carnegie library buildings.[13] The library had a total o 41 "branches and distribution points" at that time, and cooperated with the "playground department" to oer "branch libraries" at "the Violet Street, Slauson, Hazard, and Echo Park playgrounds, and at the Recreation Center."[13]
Aggressive expansion and growth o the system began in the 1920s. The irst building dedicated exclusively or library use opened in 1926.[7]
On January 8, 2025, the Paciic Palisades Branch Library was destroyed in the 2025 Palisades ire. [14]
City librarians
Mary Foy
Tessa Kelso
Charles F. Lummis
- 1873–1879: John Littleield
- 1879–1880: Patrick Connolly
- 1880–1884: Mary oy
- 1884–1889: Jessie Gavitt
- 1889–1889: Lydia Prescott
- 1889–1895: Tessa Kelso
- 1895–1897: Clara Bell owler
- 1897–1900: Harriet Child Wadleigh
- 1900–1905: Mary Letitia Jones
- 1905–1910: Charles letcher Lummis
- 1910–1911: Purd Wright
- 1911–1933: Everett Robbins Perry
- 1933–1947: Althea Warren
- 1947–1969: Harold Hamill
- 1969–1990: Wyman Jones
- 1990–1994: Elizabeth Martinez
- 1995–2004: Susan Goldberg Kent
- 2004–2008: ontayne Holmes
- 2009–2012: Martin Gomez
- 2012–present: John Szabo[7]
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Central Library
The Central Library Goodhue building was constructed in 1926 and is a Downtown Los Angeles landmark.[15] It was designed by architect Bertram Goodhue.[16] This was his last work, because the man died suddenly in 1924.[17] The Richard Riordan Central Library complex is the third largest public library in the United States in terms o book and periodical holdings. Originally named the Central Library, the building was irst renamed in honor o the longtime president o the Board o Library Commissioners and President o the University o Southern Caliornia, Ruus B. von KleinSmid. The new wing o Central Library, completed in 1993, was named in honor o ormer mayor Tom Bradley.[18] The complex (i.e., the original Goodhue building and the Bradley wing) was subsequently renamed in 2001 or ormer Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, as the Richard Riordan Central Library. The building was burned out by a catastrophic ire 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.[19]
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Branches
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Besides the Central Library in downtown Los Angeles, the system operates 72 branch locations in the city's neighborhoods. Eight o the larger branches are designated "regional branches."
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High school diploma
The library oers an online program that allows adult patrons who have not completed high school to earn their high school diploma.[24]
Special services
TESSA is Los Angeles Public Library's online historical collections. TESSA is named ater Tessa Kelso, Los Angeles City Librarian rom 1889 to 1895.[25]
In June 2019, the Los Angeles Public Library opened the Octavia Lab, located at Central Library. Named in honor o science iction author Octavia E. Butler, the lab is a makerspace and audiovisual studio that provides ree access to creative tools and technology or library cardholders. Available equipment includes 3D printers, a laser cutter, sewing machines, green screen video production tools, and digitization stations or preserving analog media such as VHS tapes, cassettes, and slides. Some services may require advance reservations or include material ees.[26]
In 2023, the library issued a limited-edition library card eaturing the mountain lion P-22 in a National Geographic photo with the Hollywood Sign in the background.[27]
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Awards
The Los Angeles Public Library received the National Medal or Museum and Library Service, the nation's highest honor given to museums and libraries or service to the community.[28] City Librarian John . Szabo and community member Sergio Sanchez accepted the award on behal o the library rom irst Lady Michelle Obama during a White House Ceremony on May 20, 2015.
The Los Angeles Public Library was selected or its success in meeting the needs o Angelenos and providing a level o 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 inances and access health and well-being services and resources.[29]
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See also
- List o Registered Historic Places in Los Angeles
- Samuel Bradord Caswell (1828–1898), one o the irst trustees o the irst Los Angeles public library, owned property where the Central Branch was built
- Donald D. Lorenzen, City Council member who supported renovation o library
- Althea Warren, head librarian, 1943–1947
- Leontyne Butler King, irst black member o the Los Angeles Library Commission (appointed 1961)
- Central Business District, Los Angeles (1880-1899)
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Reerences
External links
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