Join us Saturday, October 11, 10 am – 1 pm

for a conversation on censorship, book bans, and the freedom to read

Teens Unite!

teen reading a book Join LA County Library for our inaugural Teen Symposium. This year’s theme is on the Freedom to Read, where we explore why intellectual freedom matters. Take part in in-person activities and participate in a virtual event with author A.S. King, two-time winner of the American Library Association’s Michael L. Printz Award and teens nationwide in conversation about censorship, book bans, and the freedom to read.

Where & When

Saturday, October 11, 2025
From 10 am to 1 pm

In-person Event and Activities
Culver City, Florence, La Crescenta, Lancaster, Norwalk, Rowland Heights, San Fernando, South Whittier, West Covina, West Hollywood

Virtual Event
A.S. King in conversation with teens from Brooklyn, Boston, and San Diego on the Freedom to Read

Why Your Freedom to Read Matters

Why the Freedom to Read Matters: In 2024, the American Library Association (ALA) documented 2,452 demands to censor books, the third highest numbered ever documented by the ALA.

Your Right to Explore: Reading is more than an activity. It’s a gateway to exploring different life experiences, diverse cultures, and the vast expanse of our world. It enriches minds and broadens perspectives, making it essential for personal growth and societal advancement.
Empowering Communities: Libraries are at the heart of this freedom. We are committed to providing access to a wide range of books, materials, research databases, and digital tools that support your right to read and learn. By offering these resources, we help ensure that everyone has the opportunity to explore new ideas and information.

About the Author

Author A.S. King A.S. King has been called “One of the best Y.A. writers working today” by The New York Times Book Review and is one of YA fiction’s most decorated. She is the only two-time winner of the American Library Association’s Michael L. Printz Award (2020 for Dig and 2024 for The Collectors) and has won the LA Times Book Prize for Ask the Passengers. In 2022, King received the ALA’s Margaret A. Edwards Award for her lifetime achievement to YA literature and 2023, she accepted the ALAN Award for “artistry, courage and outstanding contributions to YA literature.” In 2024, she released highly-anticipated Pick the Lock–described as “a punk opera, a primal scream, and a portrait of a family buried in lies.”

She also writes middle grade fiction as Amy Sarig King, including bestselling Attack of the Black Rectangles, which Kirkus Reviews called “a searingly relevant opus to intellectual freedom,” The Year We Fell from Space, and Me and Marvin Gardens.

King started her writing journey in Ireland while working as an adult literacy teacher, has taught for a decade in MFA programs. She co-founded the University of San Francisco’s Low Residency MFA in Writing for Young Readers, and is the founder of Gracie’s House, a charity that funds and provides safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth in rural areas. She spends many months of the year traveling the world speaking to high school and university students, educators, and humans who care about literacy and the mental health of young people.

In 2025, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters by the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design.

More Ways to Learn and Participate

teen section of a library Visit a Library and share how you celebrate your freedom to read

Participate in the Books Unbanned Reading Challenge for Teens

Celebrate the Freedom to Read

Participate in ALA’s Banned Books Week Oct 5 – 11

Get Involved in the Let Freedom Read Day of Action October 11

Explore Anti-Censorship Resources

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.

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

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 *

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