Los Angeles Public Library

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) — Public library system of the City of Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California, USA

Overview

The Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) is the public library system of the City of Los Angeles, consisting of the Central Library in downtown Los Angeles and 72 branch libraries across the city. It is a department of the City of Los Angeles, governed by a five-member Board of Library Commissioners, with day-to-day administration led by the City Librarian.

History

The library traces its origins to 1872, when the Los Angeles Library Association was founded as a private, subscription-based library, operating out of rented rooms in the Downey Block at Temple and Main Streets with an initial collection of about 750 volumes. In 1878, the Los Angeles City Council passed an ordinance establishing the "Los Angeles Public Library," making it a department of the city and enabling public funding. The library moved among rented and municipal spaces for decades, including City Hall beginning in 1889. In 1910, Andrew Carnegie donated $210,000 toward the construction of six branch libraries (Vermont Square, Lincoln Heights, Cahuenga, Arroyo Seco, Vernon, and Boyle Heights).

In June 1921, voters approved a $2.5 million bond measure to fund a permanent Central Library building. Architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue designed the building, which opened to the public on July 6, 1926. In 1986, two arson fires at Central Library destroyed or damaged several hundred thousand volumes, prompting a community "Save the Books" campaign and a subsequent 1990s renovation and expansion of the building. In 2001, the Central Library building was renamed the Richard J. Riordan Central Library in honor of the former Los Angeles mayor.

Collections, Holdings, and Publications

LAPL's collections include more than six million physical books and items, more than 1.5 million ebooks and audiobooks, more than 800 laptops and hotspots available for borrowing, and access to more than 200 research databases and digital resources. Central Library houses the library's Special Collections department and the Tessa digital archive of historical photographs, maps, and other materials. In 2018, the independent publishing imprint Angel City Press became part of LAPL.

Access and Usage

LAPL operates the Central Library and 72 branch libraries throughout the City of Los Angeles, serving a population of roughly four million city residents. Library cards and library use are free. Hours of operation vary by branch location.

Los Angeles Public Library – Central Library

630 West 5th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071

Phone: (213) 228-7000

Email: infonow@lapl.org

Website: www.lapl.org

Hours of Operation

Central Library (630 W. 5th Street):
Sunday: 1:00 pm–5:00 pm
Monday–Thursday: 10:00 am–8:00 pm
Friday–Saturday: 9:30 am–5:30 pm
Note: hours vary by branch location across LAPL's 72 branch libraries.

Membership Requirements

Library cards are free. Any California resident may obtain a card. To get a full library card, applicants must present photo identification bearing their name and current address — a California driver's license or DMV-issued ID card, or a Mexican, Argentine, or Korean consular identification card, may be used as the sole form of ID. Without one of these, applicants may present two other forms of identification, at least one with a photo and one showing a current address (e.g., passport, school ID card, other government-issued photo ID, employee ID card, printed personal check, credit card statement, rental or property tax receipt, or postmarked business mail). An E-Card, for instant online access, is available to City of Los Angeles residents only.