Hispanic Heritage
Month

Can you tell me more about Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM)?

National Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) recognizes and celebrates the culture, contributions, and heritage of Hispanic Americans. Now observed annually from September 15 to October 15, this national observance was first established by Public Law 90-498 and approved September 17, 1968 by the 90th Congress.

Hispanic Heritage Month was originally observed as “Hispanic Heritage Week”, but it was later extended to a month in 1988. Since then, HHM has been celebrated nationwide through festivals, art shows, conferences, community gatherings, and much more.

Why does HHM start in the middle of a month? The months of September and October cover a wide range of independence days for Latin American countries. Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua all celebrate their independence on September 15. Mexico celebrates its independence on September 16, Chile on September 18, and Belize on September 21. El Día de la Raza (Columbus Day) is observed on October 12.

A Message from LA County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis

How is LA County Library commemorating Hispanic Heritage Month?

We have specially curated booklists that explore the Hispanic American experience in the US. These book titles are appropriate for all ages.

We have family-friendly events throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, and you’re invited! Create a piñata or make your own Mesoamerican inspired mask. We also have other fun activity ideas on this page as well as digital resources. Please see below for more details about how LA County Library is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month.

Take the Citizenship Reading Challenge!

Events

Chicano Resource Center

The Chicano Resource Center at East Los Angeles Library was established to serve the needs of the Mexican-American (Chicano) community and to make information about the history and culture of this group available to the general public.

Digital Collections

Tell Your True Tale
From 2014 to 2017, LA County Library hosted 8 Tell Your True Tale Writing Workshops with author Sam Quinones. Participants in the workshops wrote, edited, and published nonfiction stories as part of a short story collection edited by Mr. Quinones. Stories from all 8 workshops are available to be read on our website.

Foto East LA
Foto East LA is a project to create an online collection of images depicting the history of one of the nation’s most culturally rich communities. From everyday events to extraordinary moments, we’re gathering historical images taken by locals—just like you—who have experienced East LA firsthand. Submit a photo to the collection today.

Digital Resources

OverDrive Hispanic Heritage Month Collection – eBooks and Audiobooks
Kanopy Hispanic American Stories – Movies and TV
Mariachi Playlist on Freegal – Download and Streaming Music

Additional Resources

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino is in the process of building its home on the National Mall in Washington DC. Meanwhile they have created a wonderful website with virtual exhibitions, teaching and other learning resources that make this a must visit for anyone interested in Latin life and history.

US Census – Facts and Features, Hispanic Heritage Month 2024

Reading List

Share Hispanic Heritage Month

Share your Immigration & Citizenship Stories

Los Angeles County is a region of immigrants, and each has a unique and wonderful story to tell. We want to hear yours! Do you remember the day you left? How did you feel when you first became a naturalized citizen? No matter your country of origin or current status, consider sharing your journey with us. Submit your stories in any form such as written narratives (Doc, PDF), images, audio, or video. Submissions will be reviewed and then posted on our BiblioBoard community collections so others can learn and grow from your experiences.

Envíe su Historia

View the Collection

Submit Your Story

Activity Ideas

All About Frida
Learn about Frida Kahlo, a Mexican artist and feminist icon, best known for her portraits, self-portraits, and her nature-inspired pieces, and one of the most famous and beloved artists of the world. Then create your own artistic masterpiece in the style of Frida Kahlo!

Explore Mariachi
Come celebrate the beauty of Mariachi music, and learn of its importance in the Mexican community, with this collection of resources to help you explore the heart and soul of this cherished art form!

Papel Picado
Make your own Papel Picado, a traditional Mexican craft generally displayed for celebrations and holidays!

Videos

Artist Talk with Margaret Garcia

Chicanx Tattoo Traditions with Dr. Xuan Santos

The Bell Mural Project: A Discussion with Hector Arias aka “Tetris”

Librarians Share Book Talks: My Papi Has a Motorcycle and Alma & How She Got Her Name

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

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