The Library will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, December 24, 2024, in observance of Christmas Eve
and will be closed on Wednesday, December 25, 2024, in observance of Christmas.

holidays

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Collage of books with uncoventional Christmas themes
Christa Deitrick, December 15, 2021

If Scrooge makes you snooze and The Gift of the Magi has lost its holiday mojo, I am here to offer you some unconventional options. Our shelves are filled with seasonal fiction in a wide variety of genres, many of which you might find delightfully unexpected.


record wall with a giant Rudolph ornament in front
Daniel Tures, December 10, 2021

The temperature has plunged below 82. You’ve switched from cold brew to hot coffee and you’re thinking about putting on a sweater. Lights twinkle from the palm trees along the boulevards… the Kings are battling the Ducks out on the Staples Center ice… it’s holiday time once again in the Southland!


1935 postcard of the Los Angeles Central Library
Glen Creason, December 24, 2020

Dear History and Genealogy Department:
I am 8 years old.
Some of my little friends say there is no Central Library anymore.
Papa says, ‘If you see it in on the website it’s so.’
Please tell me the truth; is there a Central Library?


Hansen sketch of Los Angeles after statehood. A War Department publication in 1856, “Reports of Explorations and Surveys”
Glen Creason, December 24, 2020

We don’t have a typical Christmas season here in L.A., like the ones in syrupy movies with snow, ear muffs, winter coats, and people standing in a blizzard preparing to jump off a trestle.


Christmas films adapted from books
Elizabeth Graney, December 21, 2020

This difficult year is, once again, taking its toll on beloved holidays and traditions. As we find ourselves separated from family and friends during a time of celebration, we could all use some good old fashioned holiday cheer.


A santa and a ghost decoration on a porch
Daniel Tures, December 16, 2020

Ghost stories have been shared as long as we have wondered what happens to us after we die, and sought to connect with spirits of the departed. Midwinter is the perfect time for them. The nights grow long and dark, and winter weather brings us together to huddle around the fire and share tales.


A Charlie Brown Christmas album cover with tinsel decoration
Daniel Tures, December 09, 2020

The first Charlie Brown television special, A Charlie Brown Christmas, debuted on CBS on December 9, 1965.


View of the Rose Bowl entrance flanked by tall palms on either sides
Tina Lernø, December 31, 2019

Happy New Year, Happy Rose Bowl, Happy Football! Did you know that the Rose Bowl Stadium is nearing its 100th year? The story of the Rose Parade and the subsequent football games have been going on long before.


3 women eating fruitcake
Photo Friends, December 19, 2019

Ready for the holidays? Hungry?


The holiday tree in the Central Library Rotunda
Vi Thục Hà, December 03, 2019

Each December we face a design challenge of decorating a 15-foot noble fir tree in the Central Library’s rotunda.


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