A month after the first of two fires burned through the Central Library in 1986, a collective effort by the City of Los Angeles raised $3.2 million. This was yet another plus in a major reconstructive…
When the gleaming “new” Central Library opened its doors on October 3, 1993, seven years after the devastating fires of 1986, it touted the latest innovations in computer automation. The now familiar…
Temperatures are rising, the environment is suffering, and income inequality is widening. Amidst the confusion, a charismatic politician takes the presidency with the promise to, “Make America great…
Born in New York and raised mostly in Houston, P. Djèlí Clark spent the formative years of his life in the homeland of his parents, Trinidad and Tobago. His writing has appeared in Daily Science…
In retrospect, it is ironic that the fire took place when it did: April 29, 1986. On that day, progress was quietly continuing with plans for a renovation of the original Central Library and a new…
A number of travelogues have been written about Los Angeles throughout the decades with a myriad of opinions on the cultural and social climate of the city. The City of Angels has been both praised…
The day my own dear Central Library reopened I got my name in the L.A. Times which elicited ragging from pals around the city. “As soon as I crossed the threshold I got down on my knees and kissed the…
Who will win, who will "be happy just to be nominated," and who will go home empty-handed? Watch the festivities tonight to find out, but before you do, check out these amazing images from our photo…
I love fashion and seeing all the beautiful new clothes and styles coming out for the fall season. Even though in Los Angeles the temperatures barely dip below the perfect 72 degrees, one can pretend…
The last time I looked upon Admission Day as an important holiday for our dear Golden State was probably back in Sister Leocritia’s grade 4 classroom at St. Helen school back when electricity was new…
"Never give up. Keep your thoughts and your mind always on the goal."—Tom BradleyThe Tom Bradley Wing of the Central Library is a fitting tribute to the enlightened man who presided over Los Angeles…
Christopher Huang grew up in Singapore, where he served his two years of National Service as an Army Signaller. He then moved to Canada where he studied Architecture at McGill University in Montréal…
Instagram is a perfectly good place to research tattoo designs, or to find an artist whose work you admire, but it can quickly become a sea of interchangeable infinity symbols, feathers, skulls…
Juliet McDaniel has an M.A. in Writing from DePaul University. Although raised in Arizona, she spent the last 25 years living in Chicago, where she currently resides with her partner and her cats. She…
Celebrate National Senior Citizens Day at the Library! August 21 was established as a day to honor Americans ages 65 and older. The National Senior Citizens Day proclamation states that the best way…
Anne Youngson had a long, successful career in the motor industry before taking an early retirement to focus on her writing. She is currently studying for a PhD at Oxford Brookes. Anne and her husband…
It's the day lots of adults look forward to, and lots of kids dread. After a summer of fun, it's time to start setting that alarm again, shop for supplies, and go back to school!Looking through our…
Ruthanna Emrys lives in a mysterious manor house in the outskirts of Washington DC with her wife and their large, strange family. She makes home-made vanilla, obsesses about game design, gives…
While attending the 1907 Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, ten-year-old Amelia Mary Earhart saw her first airplane. She was not impressed. She described it as “a thing of rusty wire and wood and not at…
July 17 is the 63 anniversary of Disneyland's opening day. This Disney loving librarian is planning on celebrating and won't be the only one either; it will probably be super crowded, and there will…
It's summertime in Los Angeles and the mercury is rising. Are you beach ready? Have you packed your sunscreen, hats, coolers, snacks, umbrellas, folding chairs, kites, frisbees, bikes, trikes, boogie…
In January 1947, KTLA Channel 5, Los Angeles's first commercial television station, aired its first broadcast, and the Herald Express newspaper was there to report the milestone event. Since then…
Dr. Kathryn Harkup is a chemist and author. Kathryn completed a Ph.D. then a postdoc at the University of York before realizing that talking, writing and demonstrating science appealed far more than…
The world of comics has long been filled with stories written by young men, for young men, featuring men throwing punches in a never-ending fight for justice, revenge, etc. But times have changed. The…
![A close-up shot is lined up by the director and cameraman during a Maverick shoot on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, [1961]. Valley Times Collection](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser_1536x864/public/blogs/2026-01/backyardheader.jpg.webp?itok=YufS7lZk)
