Celebrating the Rich Contributions of Arab Americans

National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM), observed throughout April, is a time to recognize and honor the invaluable contributions of Arab Americans to the fabric of American society. What began as a grassroots initiative by Arab America and the Arab America Foundation in 2017 has blossomed into a nationwide celebration.

In April 2023, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors officially proclaimed April as National Arab American Heritage Month. LA County Library, in partnership with the Arab America Foundation, proudly joins cultural institutions, school districts, municipalities, and organizations across the United States in commemorating this significant month.

For over a century, Arab Americans have enriched virtually every aspect of American life, leaving an indelible mark on medicine, law, business, education, technology, government, military service, and culture. Since their arrival in America, individuals of Arab descent have generously shared their rich cultural heritage and traditions, while exemplifying the qualities of dedicated citizens and public servants.

Throughout April, LA County Library and communities nationwide will host special events and programs designed to celebrate the rich history, culture, and enduring contributions of Arab Americans. This month serves as an opportunity to educate and promote understanding of Arab history, religion, and culture, and to strengthen the connections within the nearly four million-strong Arab American community.

To learn more about National Arab American Heritage Month and its initiatives, including promoting Arab heritage and educating Americans about Arab history and culture, please visit the Arab America Foundation.

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:

Downloads and Streaming

Digital Media

With your LA County Library card, you can download or stream eBooks, eAudiobooks, magazines, music, and movies on your computer, tablet, or phone. It's free and you'll never have to worry about overdue fines!

You'll need a library card in good standing and a PIN to access most downloadable & streaming content.

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