A New Year Message
A message from County Librarian Skye Patrick
As we step into the new year, we take a moment to reflect on the remarkable journey LA County Library embarked on in 2024.
This past year has been filled with growth, innovation, and countless moments of connection. Together, we’ve embraced new opportunities, overcome challenges, and strengthened our commitment to serving our community.
Libraries continue to stand as vital pillars in safeguarding the public’s right to knowledge and feeling included. We remain dedicated to being a place for everyone, where all voices are welcome, and every individual—regardless of background, views, or beliefs—can find a sense of belonging. Libraries offer much more than books and resources. They are sanctuaries for personal growth, where ideas can flourish, and diverse perspectives can be shared and respected.
Our unwavering dedication to dismantling barriers, enriching lives, and bridging societal divides is reflected in the essential resources we offer to individuals and families who depend on us as a vital lifeline.
We are grateful for the opportunity to have played a crucial role in unlocking a myriad of possibilities for our neighbors.
A few highlights from the past year
Unveiling A New Strategic Plan
In 2024, we introduced our new 5-year Strategic Plan, a roadmap designed to guide the Library’s efforts in creating innovative programs and services that expand access for our diverse County community. Built upon insights gathered from our 2022 Community Feedback Sessions and informed by the evolving needs of our customers, this plan has already sparked the launch of new services and programs. Among them is our Summer Stars tutoring pilot program, which provided reading and math tutoring in the summer of 2024 to students in grades 1-6 at more than 30 locations. The program received overwhelmingly positive feedback and participation as we enrolled 2,711 students and provided 13,789 tutoring sessions.
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We also introduced Connect & Go, a service that enables customers to borrow portable Wi-Fi hotspots for up to six weeks, ensuring they have access to reliable internet access whenever and wherever. In addition, our wildly popular Tool Lending Library expanded to include a 6th site located at Malibu Library.
Notable Visits
In 2024, we had the honor of hosting President Biden and White House staff at Culver City Julian Dixon Library for a historic policy announcement on student loan forgiveness. We also hosted a special Juneteenth-inspired storytime featuring Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove.
Health and Wellness Resources
In addition to our flu shot, vaccine, COVID-19, and antigen test clinics, the Library introduced fentanyl test strips in its Naloxone Kits, which can be picked up at one of our several Naloxone Clinics. We also partnered with the Los Angeles County Office of Violence Prevention to distribute free Gun Safety Locks. Since its launch, the Library has distributed more than 500 gun locks across its Tool Lending Library locations. Our Diaper and Hygiene Kits, which offer free diapers, wipes, and menstrual hygiene products to customers, was awarded a 2024 Productivity & Quality Award from LA County. Customers also continued to enjoy other critical resources, including our free summer lunches for school-age kids.
To address some of our customers’ mental health needs, we partnered with the LA County Department of Mental Health to launch a series of Mental Health Promoter workshops and Healing Library Kits, which provide evidence-based materials that can support families navigating difficult experiences such as separation, divorce, and loss.
Refreshed Spaces
This year, we proudly reopened West Covina Library and Paramount Library, both of which underwent extensive multimillion-dollar renovations to meet the evolving needs of our communities. These revitalized spaces are now poised to inspire and serve our customers for years to come and were made possible through the generous support and partnership of the LA County Board of Supervisors’ Chair Pro Tem and 1st District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, and 4th District Supervisor Janice Hahn.
The Library also reopened George Nye, Jr. Library in LA County’s 4th District, showcasing refreshed paint, new flooring, and updated furniture, all designed to enhance our customers’ experience.
Community-Focused Programming
In addition to a robust lineup of in-person and virtual programs, we launched our inaugural One Book, One County Community Reading program. This program was the largest book club in LA, co-hosted with Los Angeles Public Library and 16 other library systems in the County from June 1 to July 28. One Book, One County featured book club events, special programs, and activities inspired by our selected book, L.A. Weather by María Amparo Escandón. The program culminated in a vibrant author talk celebration at Gloria Molina Grand Park on July 27, featuring author María Amparo Escandón and Sonia Bautista, Library Director of Commerce Public Library.
At Malibu Library, we had the pleasure of co-hosting a full year of author talks with the City of Malibu that drew impressive attendance and interest. We also had the privilege of launching our new Manhattan Beach Library Speaker Series with the City of Manhattan Beach, which kicked off with a sold-out event. We look forward to delivering more high-quality author talks at these libraries and other locations across our system in the new year.
Supporting the Freedom to Read
Reading is among our greatest freedoms and provides endless opportunities for people to learn about different life experiences, cultures, and the world. As you may recall, we initially launched our Books Unbanned digital library card in 2023, which provides California teens ages 13-18 free and unrestricted access to our entire digital eBook and audiobook collection on Libby, by OverDrive.
In 2024, we further demonstrated our support for the freedom to read by developing a series of activities and programs as part of Banned Books Week and a Freedom to Read Community Day of Action. Exciting programs included a series of Student Summits with PEN America, made possible by the generous support of LA County’s 2nd District Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell and 3rd District Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath. Our Student Summits brought high school students together for a series of dialogue sessions about the growing threat to society’s freedom to read. We also hosted virtual author talks featuring banned authors while our libraries showcased Freedom to Read-inspired interactive displays.
What to Expect in 2025
We have an exciting and action-packed year ahead as we prepare for the launch of our Reading Stars tutoring program, which will provide reading support from credentialed professionals at 30 libraries for students in grades 1-6. Much like our Summer Stars program, Reading Stars will feature paid, hands-on work experience opportunities for LA County residents ages 14-24 through the Youth@Work program by the Department of Economic Opportunity.
We’re also gearing up for the next installment of our signature Library Fest events this Spring, where visitors can enjoy a full day of family-friendly activities, performances, books, and giveaways at select libraries. This Fall, we are celebrating Banned Books Week and will debut our inaugural Writers Festival at West Hollywood Library. This landmark event will honor and amplify the voices of known and aspiring writers through author talks, panel discussions, workshops, and more. Stay tuned for further details on our 2025 lineup of events!
We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to you, our cherished neighbors, for your steadfast support and engagement. Our commitment to you remains unwavering. As we step into 2025, we invite you to visit us, both in person and online, and if time permits, explore our staff-recommended books for 2024 and recommend a title so that we can continue to stock our libraries with materials that meet your needs.
We look forward to unlocking new doors of opportunity and transformation with you. Here’s to the exciting possibilities that await us!
From our hearts to yours, we wish you a safe, joyful, and prosperous new year.
