All LA County Library locations will be closed on Wednesday, January 1, 2025 in observance of New Year's Day. Libraries will close at 5 pm on December 31. Our digital library is open 24/7.
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I never lived in the same home as my father. Or at least, when I did, I was too young to remember. My mom removed my siblings and me from his home when I was 10 months old. What remains of my life with him are bizarre moments.
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The search, the trip, the obsession with finding some knowledge – these themes have provided fodder for wonderful stories through history – from the Odyssey to Star Wars, Sherlock Holmes to Frozen.
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Don Luis tucked his work contract into a small bag and boarded a bus at the U.S-Mexico border near Texas. It would be a long trip to Nebraska – a place closer to the Canadian border, a rancher’s representative warned the men on board. But to Don Luis, distance didn’t matter.
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In the 1920’s, Luz Solís was living in San Diego with her husband and their two young children. Luz was raised in Tijuana and had crossed the U.S. – Mexico border daily to attend grade school in San Ysidro.
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In 1984 I returned to L.A., my hometown, after being away for almost 17 years. With my 3-month old son Tomás in tow, I arrived from Mallorca, Spain with the clothes on my back, and a few battle scars from a tumultuous relationship with his father.
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One day, when I was in second grade at Brooklyn Avenue School, I was at lunch, which they called nutrition. I happened to put back a cookie that I didn’t want and decided to get another one. Before I knew it, my teacher, Ms. Childs grabbed me by my shirt, threw me against the wall, and called me a dirty Mexican.
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During the summer of 1997, Timothy McVeigh was tried on television for killing people in Oklahoma. The English stood along the streets outside Westminster Abbey to bid farewell to Princess Diana. And in Los Angeles, our closest thing to Sears – the Woolworth’s on Broadway and 8th — closed its doors after years of declining business.
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I lay in bed early one Friday morning as the radio crackled with the voice of Liberian President Samuel Doe. “This is your President speaking. Anyone caught on the streets after 7:00pm will be executed, ” he said. “Do not challenge me. There will be consequences.”
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In 1973, I was a single mother of three small children. I was working in a wig distribution warehouse in downtown LA packing wigs in boxes that were sold at major department stores. I was always looking for a better paying job.
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When I was in the third grade, I was chosen to be the announcer at my school’s spring assembly, which meant I would go on stage and announce each class as they came up to perform.
Many of our libraries offer enhanced resources, computers, and online services to support your homework needs. Check with your local library!
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.
Terms of Service and Laptop Library Locations
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:
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
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.
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
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
