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LAPL Blog

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Author Kim Michele Richardson and her latest novel, The Mountains We Call Home
Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch Library, May 14, 2026

A native-born Kentuckian, Kim Michele Richardson is a New York Times,...

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Looking northeast towards Brighton Beach

Brighton Beach Memoir: A Look at a Lost Los Angeles Community

Nicholas Beyelia, Librarian, History and Genealogy Department, Friday, May 25, 2018

At some point in 1889 the president and (later) chairman of the board of the Farmers and Merchants National Bank of Los Angeles, Jackson A. Graves, decided that his Alhambra residence simply wasn’t as relaxing for his family as he would like.


Photographer Rolland J. Curtis and his mother, Mathilda Curtis. They are standing near a Delta Airlines plane, and she is wearing a corsage.

Speedy and His Camera: The Rolland J. Curtis Collection of Negatives and Photographs

Photo Friends, Thursday, May 24, 2018

Born in Louisiana in 1922, Rolland J. Curtis came to Los Angeles with his wife in 1946 after serving in the Marines during WWII.


Mrs. Elwood Berney lying in bed with her children

What Mother's Day Looked Like in Vintage Los Angeles

Tina Lernø, Librarian, Digital Content Team, Saturday, 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.


Teens crowned prom king and queen, 1961

Will You Go To Prom With Me?

Tina Lernø, Librarian, Digital Content Team, Friday, 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.


John Kessel and his book Pride and Prometheus

Interview With an Author: John Kessel

Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch Library, Wednesday, May 9, 2018

John Kessel holds a B.A. in Physics and English and a Ph.D. in American Literature. He helped found and served as the first director of the MFA program in creative writing at North Carolina State University, where he has taught since 1982. He is also an award-winning author.


Claire Evans author photo

Interview With an Author: Claire Evans

Angi Brzycki, Senior Librarian, Digitization & Special Collections, Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Claire L. Evans is a writer and musician.


Cinco de Mayo plus colorful banners

What Cinco de Mayo Looked Like in Vintage Los Angeles

Tina Lernø, Librarian, Digital Content Team, Friday, May 4, 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.


lots of star wars book covers

Star Wars Books to Share With Your Children

Lauren Kratz, Librarian III, Octavia Lab, Thursday, May 3, 2018

“Where are your Star Wars books?” This is a very popular question librarians receive from children and their caregivers at the library.


Sandy Koufax at the pitch

Dodger Thoughts and Beyond: An Interview With Author Jon Weisman

Mary McCoy, Senior Librarian, History & Genealogy, Tuesday, May 1, 2018

If you're an Angeleno with even a casual interest in the Dodgers, you've probably heard of veteran baseball writer Jon Weisman.


Young Japanese girls brave the early morning rain to bid farewell to friends leaving for Manzanar relocation camp

There and Back: Los Angeles Japanese and Executive Order 9066

Photo Friends, Tuesday, May 1, 2018

In the spring of 1942, the City of Los Angeles experienced a population exodus triggered by a presidential executive order. Images in the Los Angeles Public Library's Herald Examiner Collection and Shades of L.A.


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