The Library will be closed on Monday, March 31, 2025, in observance of César Chávez Day.

Tina Lernø, Librarian, Digital Content Team

librarian holding a cat

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1934 colorized picture of people at the beach with typewriters

What a Day at the Beach Looked Like in Vintage Los Angeles

July 13, 2018

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 boards and blankets? Do you know how you'll get there?


Decoration Day parade in Pasadena, 1891

What Memorial Day Looked Like in Vintage Los Angeles

May 26, 2018

Memorial Day is officially observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who lost their lives while serving in the U.S. military. It was originally known as Decoration Day because families would decorate the graves of those who had fallen in the Civil War.


Teens crowned prom king and queen, 1961

Will You Go To Prom With Me?

May 11, 2018

The prom in all its drama has been around a lot longer than I thought. Originating somewhere in the1870s as a college tradition called the Promenade, it was a debutante coming out kind of thing.


Mrs. Elwood Berney lying in bed with her children

What Mother's Day Looked Like in Vintage Los Angeles

May 12, 2018

In the United States, Mother's Day is always celebrated on the second Sunday of May. In some countries, it was changed to dates that were significant to the majority religion, or to historical dates.


Cinco de Mayo plus colorful banners

What Cinco de Mayo Looked Like in Vintage Los Angeles

May 04, 2018

Cinco de Mayo is a holiday commemorating just one event: The Battle of Puebla, which was a day of victory for the Mexican army against the French in 1862. Over 150 years later, people still mistake the holiday for Mexican Independence Day which is September 16.


Oil painting of the Brontë Sisters

The Brontë Bunch

April 10, 2018

The Brontë sisters are some of the most famous siblings in literature.


Martin Luther King and Governor Edmund G. Brown during a Freedom Rally at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

Los Angeles Remembers MLK

April 04, 2018

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. He was 39 years old when he was shot to death at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968.


Photo of Cesar Chavez and his quote: If you want to remember me, organize!

Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Cesar Chavez

March 25, 2018

Why are the libraries closed on Monday? The answer is Cesar Chavez Day. The holiday celebrates the birthday and legacy of the civil rights and labor movement activist Cesar Chavez.


Kosher Murphy's with green clover

Where Did People Go to Find Irish Bacon and Cabbage in Los Angeles?

March 16, 2018

Los Angeles isn't the usual place you think of for wearing of the green, (we're still brown from the drought), but nevertheless, St. Patrick's Day is Saturday, March 17.


3 comic book covers featuring women

Strong Female Protagonist: Women in Comics

March 09, 2018

The comic book world has long been the domain of men. Both in readers and writers. That is slowly changing, and it’s good news!


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