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About Us

About LA County Library

Founded in 1912, LA County Library is one of the largest and most innovative library systems in the US. It provides community responsive and dynamic collections, programs, and services to meet the literacy, information, personal enrichment, and entertainment needs of all residents across Los Angeles County.
Dedicated to reducing barriers and increasing access for all, LA County Library serves 3.4 million residents across 3,000 square miles through its 86 libraries, 4 Cultural Resource Centers, and mobile fleet of 15 vehicles, including 4 Bookmobiles, 6 MākMō (maker mobiles), 3 Reading Machines (early literacy vehicles), and 2 mobile outreach vehicles.

Skye Patrick, County Librarian

LA County Librarian Skye Patrick Skye Patrick was appointed to lead LA County Library on February 1, 2016. With a career spanning leadership roles at Broward County Library, Queens Public Library in New York, and San Francisco Public Library, she oversees LA County Library’s $201 million annual budget and 86 libraries serving over 10 million residents. From the beginning of her tenure, Patrick prioritized community engagement through Visioning Sessions, inviting the public to share their ideas for local libraries. Her mission has been to break down barriers and expand access by developing programs that meet the needs of LA County’s diverse communities.

A strong advocate for library services beyond traditional walls, Patrick spearheaded the launch of a mobile fleet featuring Bookmobiles, MākMō maker mobiles, early literacy vehicles, and mobile outreach units. She also introduced initiatives to eliminate financial barriers, including Fine Forgiveness Month and The Great Read Away, allowing young patrons to reduce fees by reading. In 2021, she led the Library’s transition to a fine-free model, ensuring equitable access for all residents.

Patrick has focused on strengthening the Library’s digital infrastructure through a strategic partnership with Microsoft and securing federal funding to expand internet bandwidth across all locations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she swiftly adapted services, launching a Laptop & Hotspot Loan program, expanding Wi-Fi access through Park & Connect, and offering a wide range of virtual programs. Her leadership has positioned the Library as a vital resource for learning and connectivity.

As a 2020 Stanton Fellow, she explored ways for libraries to evolve as centers for education, culture, and community impact. Patrick serves on the Executive Board of the Urban Libraries Council and the Board of Directors for California Humanities.

Her contributions have earned national recognition, including the Library Journal’s Marketer of the Year Award in 2018, Librarian of the Year award in 2019, 2023 National Medal for Museum and Library Service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and 2025 James Irvine Leadership Award.

Patrick remains dedicated to reinforcing the Library’s role as a hub for information, literacy, civic engagement, learning, and belonging.

Click here to download official photo

Kindle Paperwhite eReader

Welcome to a New Way to Read...

Have you walked into a library and wished you could check out more books than you could possibly carry? Check out a Kindle Paperwhite at participating libraries with a collection of titles that you are sure to enjoy. Each Kindle has been loaded with expert-selected books.

You don’t need internet access - all the books are pre-loaded onto the Kindle so you are ready to read.

Three week checkout
Renew up to 3 times, as long as no one else is waiting
Must be 18 or older (or under 18 with parent permission)
eBooks cannot be added to this device by user

How do I get one?

Visit a participating library to check out or place a hold on a Kindle Paperwhite. Kindles are not sent to other libraries for pick up.
Note: Selection of genres varies per library. Click on a library below to see the list of genres.

Library Locations with eReaders

Click on the library to view list of genres available.

Laptops in this kiosk can be checked out by customers with a LA County Library card in good standing. The laptop is due back in the kiosk before the library closes on the same day it is checked out.

If you do not return the laptop to the kiosk on the same day you check it out, your library account will be charged the full replacement cost of the laptop.

When you check out a laptop from this kiosk, you agree to use it within the library only. If you remove the laptop from the library, you may held criminally responsible for theft of the laptop and/or be charged the full replacement cost of the laptop.

You are responsible for the laptop and you agree that you will reimburse the LA County Library for any damages if the laptop is damaged, lost or stolen while checked out to you.

If you check out a laptop and it is damaged, you will give it to library staff immediately.

You must save to a removable storage device (such as a USB drive) since your work will not be saved to the laptop beyond your current checkout.

LA County Library will not be held responsible for any damage or loss of data or media due to any cause while you are using a laptop from this kiosk.

By using this laptop, you must adhere to the Library’s Acceptable Use Policy. Laptops are available at the following libraries:

Consumer Health Information Program

The Consumer Health Information Program assists the public with medical research by providing information from reliable sources. Customers are invited to use the Norwalk Library collection which consists of books, magazines, videos, and online databases related to health topics. We also provide individualized research services.

Please be aware, we do not provide medical advice, nor are the materials we provide a substitute for a professional medical opinion.

What Can We Do for You?

We can provide you with information on topics such as:

Medical conditions or diseases
Prescription medications
Surgical procedures
General physician and hospital information
Book and website recommendations for further reading

How to Contact Us

Location: Norwalk Library

Phone: (562) 868-4003

Fax: (562) 868-4065

Email: chips@library.lacounty.gov

Online Resources

Health Databases *

Health & Fitness eBooks and Audiobooks *

Family Place

What is Family Place?

A Family Place Library is a center for early childhood information, parent education, emergent literacy, socialization, and family support. Family Place builds on the knowledge that good health, early learning, parent involvement, and supportive communities play a critical role in young children's growth and development. Each Family Place Library features the following core elements:

A bright, colorful, and welcoming space for young children and their parents.
A collection of books, toys, videos, music, and other materials for babies, toddlers, parents, and service providers
Access to resources that emphasize emergent literacy, reading readiness, and parent education.
Developmentally appropriate programming, such as baby and toddler storytimes for younger children and their parents.
Outreach to new and underserved populations.
The Parent-Child Workshop is a five-week workshop featuring local professionals, such as nutritionists, speech and language therapists, and child development experts, who serve as resources for parents.

The first three years of a child's life lay the foundation for learning. Get the tools and resources you need to give your child the best possible start.

Family Place Library Children playing music in Family Place Library

Citizenship-in-a-Bag contains:

Settlement information for new immigrants to the United States
Information on the U.S. naturalization process;
Study materials for the naturalization test
Reference materials on the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship
Multimedia tools including DVDs and an audio CD
Teaching guides and planning resources
flash cards and books

Checkout or place a hold on a Citizenship-in-a-Bag toolkit.

Great! Thank you for sharing your photos with Catalina PhotoShare, a community history project of LA County Library.

Your photos will be reviewed and if they meet the criteria, they will be added to the Catalina PhotoShare online collection.

If you have any questions, please contact: digitalprojects@library.lacounty.gov

LA County Library Californiana Collection

Accessing the Collection

The Californiana Collection is in closed stacks at the Norwalk Library located at 12350 Imperial Hwy, Norwalk, CA 90650.

About the Collection

The Californiana Collection consists of over 24,000 books and over 200 magazine and newspaper titles in paper and on microfilm as well as a collection of state documents including state and county budgets. The goal of this collection is to present a complete picture of the history, culture, environment and artistic expression of the people of California and to some extent, the western United States.

Collection Highlights

California Census Schedules from 1850 to 1910
Copies of The Alta California newspaper 1849-1891, as well as dozens of other 19th century newspapers from Gold Rush boomtowns, the Owens Valley and San Francisco
The Los Angeles Star newspaper 1851-1879
City directories dating from the 19th century
Official city and county histories from the 19th and 20th centuries
Materials on the Donner Party, California water projects, famous California crimes, Hollywood culture, biographies of Californians, pioneer narratives of the early days of California, and histories of the state written over the course of 150 years