Random Observations and Factoids
- Most branches devote at least half their resources (floor space, collections, programming) to children and teens.
- Given the long, sad history of library fires, it’s strange that so many early branches were built with fireplaces. Very cozy though. A few still exist but are no longer used. I’m not sure I caught all of them but I noted fireplaces at North Hollywood Amelia Earhart, Wilshire, Malabar, Robert Louis Stevenson, John C. Fremont, Jefferson – Vassie D. Wright, and Memorial.
- I witnessed LAPL computers being used to peruse pornography at two locations. This was far less than I expected.
- It’s far too easy to mistype “pubic library” and even easier not to catch it.
- Several LAPL branches originated as Los Angeles County libraries (LAPL serves the City of Los Angeles) or were administered by municipalities that were later incorporated into the City of Los Angeles. Some of these include Sunland-Tujunga, Eagle Rock, Atwater Village, San Pedro, and Harbor City-Harbor Gateway.
- LAPL used to name branches after people, often moneyed people, but the practice was abandoned in 2005. See Board of Library Commissioners Policies, section 1:310. I’ve prepared a list of LAPL branches named after people and classified by the namesake’s Dungeons and Dragons alignment. Note: Several branches are named for their geographical location and the location may be named after a person, e.g. Pico Union. Those branches are not included on this list.
LAPL Namesake Alignment
| Branch | Alignment |
| Benjamin Franklin Branch Library | chaotic neutral |
| North Hollywood Amelia Earhart Regional Library | chaotic good |
| Junipero Serra Branch Library | chaotic evil |
| John Muir Branch Library | lawful neutral |
| Mark Twain Branch Library | chaotic good |
| Felipe de Neve Branch Library | lawful neutral |
| Pio Pico – Koreatown Branch Library | chaotic neutral |
| Sherman Oaks Martin Pollard Branch Library | neutral evil |
| Will & Ariel Durant Branch Library | neutral good |
| Frances Howard Goldwyn – Hollywood Regional Library | neutral |
| Vernon – Leon H. Washington Jr. Memorial Branch Library | lawful good |
| Exposition Park – Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Regional Library | lawful good |
| Hyde Park Miriam Matthews Branch Library | lawful good |
| Venice – Abbot Kinney Memorial Branch Library | chaotic neutral |
| Robert Louis Stevenson Branch Library | chaotic good |
| Alma Reaves Woods – Watts Branch Library | lawful good |
| John C. Fremont Branch Library | chaotic neutral |
| Donald Bruce Kaufman – Brentwood Branch Library | neutral |
| Jefferson – Vassie D. Wright Memorial Branch Library | lawful good |
| Washington Irving Branch Library | neutral |
Outstanding Questions
I perhaps naively assumed that after visiting 73 libraries, most of my questions would be answered. While many were, knowledge tends to beget curiosity and I still have SO MANY QUESTIONS. As specified in the methodology, I made a point of not interrupting library staff preoccupied with patrons or responsibilities. The library staff I spoke with were nearly always helpful and friendly. Some were very candid and forthcoming. Others were a bit more reserved. The latter group were gracious and entertained my questions and commentary. But they seemed hesitant to share their personal opinions, which is a totally reasonable response to a random person without credentials asking pointed questions about your job and employer at your place of work.
I’ve captured some of my outstanding questions below and I’d love LAPL insider insights and/or feedback. Please reach out via this contact form. Your response will not be published without consent and you may choose to remain anonymous if published.
Circulation Reports
I’m not sure if this is true but this was my experience at one LAPL branch. I tried to obtain a report of everything I checked out over the year and the librarian said they don’t do that. She reasonably assumed that it’s too much data to store but my guess is that they do maintain that data and that there’s actually a policy in place that restricts the distribution of this data to internal use. Public libraries rely on circulation information to inform collection development, budgets, etc. so I’m reasonably certain that they would have this information for all patrons for at least a year but probably longer in accordance with city data retention policies. I would love clarity on this if anyone has some anonymous insider info.
Corrections
- The Platt branch opened on April 22, 19951. My original post stated 1994.
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