Los Angeles Public Library

I think people are overrating this library a bit as a free tourist attraction. It’s very pretty and has interesting exhibits. For use as an actual LIBRARY there’s a few significant shortcomings however.
* WiFi EXTREMELY spotty. Would connect and be OK for 10 minutes then be unusable for like 20.
* While I’m generally not a fan of the roving security guards in other places like the SF Civic Center library rousting people and such, if someone crashes out and pees their pants here, there seems to be no means of removing them.
* Only took a cursory look at the book selection but it looked just OK at best. Lot more space devoted to touristy exhibits than to actual books.
* Syringe wrappers all over the men’s room on the first floor … I’d look REAL carefully everywhere if you have to use the restroom here
I do appreciate the individual desks with outlets, however, and surprisingly the seating isn’t jammed up despite the nation’s largest homeless population being right outside … just would be nice if the wireless actually worked and you weren’t subject to random MC Pee Pants jamming up everyone’s ride.

A place I can spend endless hours roaming the book shelves and hallways, in search of something interesting to read. Look for me anywhere you can find biographies, history, religion, animals, cryptozoology or travel. And even though I no longer live in Los Angeles proper, still and always, this remains my main library of choice. Yes, I do have a card for the Santa Clarita Public Library too, but you can’t beat Central Library for browsing.
Such beautiful architecture by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue and magnificently restored after the disastrous Arson set fire in 1986, destroying some 400,000 volumes. 20 percent of the library’s holdings. Originally constructed in 1926, the Central Library Goodhue Building, now officially named The Richard Riordan Central Library, is the third largest public library in the United States in terms of book and periodical holdings, according to Wikipedia.
The building is a designated Los Angeles Historic-​Cultural Monument, and its on the National Register of Historic Places.

I work in another library district and wanted to visit this central library in the LA public library district. It is amazing! The building is huge w/​3 stories and an atrium and has beautiful murals painted on many of the ceilings, esp in the children’s department. The outside is really incredible as well; it’s architecturally very impressive and beautiful… and surrounding the building is a garden area that is really nice to walk through.
The library itself is really lovely and also old, which I appreciate, with lots of culture and art tied into the building and the rooms. The area around it has great restaurants and bars and it’s really close to the 110 freeway making it easy to get to. There is a parking structure right beneath the library that you have to pay for, but you can get your parking validated inside the library.
It is definitely a great place to be whether you live in LA or are just visiting the city.

I love this library. Huge. 3 stories. Even a nice little gift store, which I wrote a separate review about. It has way more books, in the teen section (in my opinion) than any other library I’ve been to. I tend to find books here, that are hard to find elsewhere.
HOWEVER. PARKING. IS. RIDICULOUS.
With a library card validation, it’s 6 or 9 for the first 3 hours. After that, it’s $ 3.50 EVERY TEN MINUTES. We were shocked to find our parking was $ 23. Ridiculous.

I don’t see how I’ve lived in LA my whole life and never been here. We came for a Ron Finley lecture (guerrilla gardener) and found this place to be absolutely magical. First of all the building is majestic and huge, beautifully preserved in the middle of DTLA. The insides are tricky, there’s a lot of rooms, passages, levels, etc. But it’s fun finding all the nooks and crannies of this library. They have fun sculptures hanging from the really tall ceilings, old historic picture of DT on the walls of the hallways (which I found just fascinating). Other than the homeless and the crazys wandering and kinda hanging out, making camp there, this place is a wonderful little adventure.

I don’t usually review libraries, but this is an exception. I always look forward to coming here because there is so much to see and so much to look at. They provide various events for everyone. Also my favorite is that they are open 7-​days a week! Free parking for an hour with your library card. However 1 hour free parking does not suffice here you need more time than that to fully explore the venue.

This is one of the must see places in downtown LA. I’ve spent months over the course of years reading and researching here. I worked on my MA here. The gallery space is amazing for downtown. The completeness of the technical sections is practically breathtaking. If you want a rare or obscure book or an author long forgotten, this is the place. The interior and grounds are also amazing with fountains and sculptures.
This is the best library you can get into without being in an ivy league university.

Surprisingly huge and lovely inside. Also — not that I am encouraging this, because the library is reason enough to go — but if for some reason you happen to end up in the underground parking lot for lunch one day because all the other lots you try are full… and you don’t want to pay $ 35 or whatever the obscene downtown maximum is… you might apply for a library card right here and get your parking validated… (although I didn’t tell you that…)

Yes, I visited a library while I was in LA. It was near our hotel, so why not? We had time to kill. The library is on the National Register of Historic Places. If you’re a fan of architecture, then check it out. Checking out a book doesn’t hurt either. My friend and I just walked around a bit. I thought the rotunda with the globe chandelier and murals was the best part of the library. There’s a garden too, but we didn’t really walk around it due to homeless people hanging out. If you’re interested, they give tours of the library.

One of the best two library in L.A. My favorite is the East L.A. County library. In the heart of downtown.

To Live & Dine in LA is an exhibit in the Los Angeles Central Library & is a retrospective of dining from the early days of Los Angeles dating back to 1875 w/​Don Mateo Keller’s on Alameda Street which is no longer extant. As an interesting aside, there was even a section devoted to food served at Tehachapi State Prison with a sample recipe for «Fat Soft Burrito Tacos» hand written by a hunky, humpy prison chef who would probably know how to properly flame a piece of hot, juicy prime beef.
There are menus from Clifton’s which has just undergone renovation; Nikodell on 5511 Melrose dating to 1961; Bit O’ Tokyo on 314 E. 1^st; Bob’s Big Boy still on Riverside Dr. in Toluca Lake; Atomic Café in Little Tokyo famous for the after hours Punk Rock scene of the early 1980’s where Blondie dined; Don the Beachcomber; Taix’s when it was in DTLA before the construction of the Hollywood Frwy closed it down; Kelbo’s «Tiki Bar» featuring Polynesian” cuisine; Brown Derby on Vine.
There was a video playing a tantalizing place for some amazing looking burgers made w/​loving care called Hawkins House of Burgers. Better starve yourself & have a big appetite to kill one of their king sized burgers. It may not be in the best of neighborhoods, but the siren call of this burger will make me go there.
With this great exhibit, there is an accompanying book, «To Live & Dine in L.A. Menus & the Making of the Modern City from the Collection of the Los Angeles Public Library» by Josh Kun. My only wish is that this exhibit had more menus from restaurants that have endured the test of time & have continued to this day such as El Cholo, Musso & Frank, Pete’s, Cole’s, Tam O’Shanter, Canter’s, Original Pantry, Pig ‘n Whistle, Formosa, Philippe, etc. It would be interesting to have seen the possible evolution of their food from its early inception to the menus of today.
The Central Library is an architectural jewel. Just going around the grounds & looking at the interior décor & architectural features convinces me that people in the early twentieth century had a sophistication that would be hard to duplicate today. 5 Unilocal stars
PS Ends November 13, 2015 So Hurry.

Well, one of the still standing Libraries in the Los Angeles area (its not going anywhere ever).
Located in the heart of downtown LA this library provides many that still enjoy a good read with great book options. But not only carries books but DVDs, music, and many other items to check out.
There are two entrances to this library, one on 5^th street and the other from Hope st. Just be aware that its a dead end on Hope and you have to walk up stairs to enter. This library has a few floors but its really nicely set up with signs to assist you to head to the right direction. It also has two food options on its street level. A cafeteria and Panda Express which has plenty of seating for all.
The shelves and books here are well taken care of and nicely maintained. Not too difficult to find what you are looking if you know where to look. Staff here at times is real friendly and helpful.
I would definitely recommend this library to all, you can walk in here for hours and search tons and tons of books until you find the one for you. Keep in mind there is no parking around here (cheap parking) so make sure you come with a plan.
There are a few parking structures and open space parking on 5^th and Olive which is just a block from the library.
Enjoy and read on!

Central Library is MASSIVE and pretty nice to look at. I’ve been coming here off and on for probably ½ my life and now that I work nearby, I’ve been frequenting it more often.
HUGE selection. Fiction, reference, books in foreign languages, books on tape, etc., they’re all here.
There used to be a ton of homelesses hanging out back in the day (I’d see them looking at porn pics on the 15 minute or whatever time it is now computers) but it seems like their numbers are lower now.
I don’t know about parking because I walk here but the bus will drop you off close by and the Red Line stops at Pershing Square.
Restroom is sorta… eh.
Anyway, the Central Library is a nice gem in downtown LA!

This is quite the library. Exceptional clean for how big it is and the amount of traffic it gets. All books are neatly categorized and easy to find. Artwork and exhibits pepper the corridors and there’s even a Getty room full of interactive exhibits. And don’t forget to look up — even the ceilings are adorned with murals and installation pieces.
It’s a huge building, yet cozy as various areas are split off into their own little rooms. There’s even a café and gift shop. I could probably hang out here all day.

This is a stunning library. The magnificent yet understated art deco exterior architecture is classy and timeless. Unlike the quirky and ill-​conceived architecture of the egg-​shaped library in my home town of San Diego, the L.A. Central Library is perfectly suited to its surroundings. And yet, the classic exterior does not prepare you for the pleasantly modern and efficient multi-​level interior design.
At the information desk, a very helpful library employee clued us into two ongoing exhibits, «Made In L.A.», and «Bunker Hill». The L.A. exhibit was a colorful multi-​media presentation, with subjects ranging from Marilyn Monroe to Bob’s Big Boy to Lockheed Aircraft. Now that’s diversity ! The Bunker Hill exhibit, a history of a nearby section of L.A. which as been alternatively built up, and torn down over the decades is a bittersweet history of L.A.-style progress. Ultimately, Bunker Hill was shorn of its traditional gorgeous classic homes and even shaved off to lower it. One of its current occupants is now the famous Disney Concert Hall.
An amenity of this library is the very nicely staffed and equipped café. Several chain food purveyors have small stores there, and it seems like a very popular place to eat and relax. There is also a very lush outdoor garden area that is well-​populated with trees, shrubbery and yes, park benches. Shade is a bit limited when the sun is high, but it is beautiful out there. The library gift store is incredibly well-​organized and well-​stocked with interesting items ranging from used books to T-​shirts. jewelry, and more.
As with most, if not all public libraries, there is a certain number of homeless and transient people lurking within. However, that issue seemed to be controlled well by library security personnel.
We did not have the time to fully explore this priceless asset, but the areas we visited within the library were excellent experiences. Libraries can’t get any better than this one.

Where to start? From the free and low-​cost workshops, to author readings, art exhibits, book and music selection — you can even borrow a laptop here — the Central Library is what all other libraries should aspire to be.
However, my review hones in on the kid-​centric areas that make up the library. The Children’s department is wonderful in it’s selection and architecture, much like the rest of the building. They offer books, cds, and dvds in English, and other languages too, but mostly in Spanish.
About every day of the week, they offer children’s programs to promote literacy. However they save their bigger events for Saturday afternoons where they offer, among other things, puppet shows — which my kids love — in the theater.
But there’s more! Their connections to the community and budget allow for even cooler programs, which are held in a bigger auditorium on the main floor. My kids have participated in science festivals, seen music performances about the history of the US, listened to wonderful storytellers, danced with African performers, and the list goes on.
In a couple of weeks, they’ll kick off their Summer Reading program:
My only suggestion would be to expand the limited collection of kids audiobooks — the picture books with cds. The Santa Monica branches in our neighborhood have more in this regard, but I’ll let that slide… for now :)
Whenever we’re in DTLA, we stop by and visit for a while. Our entire family treasures it here.

Such grandeur and magnificence.
The art, the garden, and the structure are simply amazing.
This library is well organized and the staff was so helpful; they genuinely showed a concern for assisting guests in finding what they need.

Humongous Central Library! I have never been throughout the library yet. Probably the biggest and best in Los Angeles. 8 stories of books is incredible.
I have been here for many events, meetings, seminars, internet access, simple readings and checking out books. So much to see and read here. They have a cool little gift store and café inside the library.
Parking is only $ 1.00 all day on Saturday and Sunday or 1^st hour on weekdays. Otherwise parking might be pricey. Across from Westin Bonaventure and City National Bank.
As many patrons have stated, there is a few areas with foul odors that can be very undesirable, but a well maintained facility as a whole.

I never expected to give review of the LA Library, but the collection here is worth mention.
On the outside, the Library looks like a oldish 1930s building. On the inside, it is quite a surprise.
Organized by across several floors of collections, the Library is jammed with a huge array of books & collections. Better still, the Library is well appointed with many tables to read, study and chill.
It may not be a destination in itself, but on a day you find some inclement weather, it is a cool place to enjoy some quiet surroundings and book exploration.
Meets & exceeds (for a library!). 5 Stars.

It was a nice experience and fun place to spend an hour when you have extra time. I’d go back. You either appreciate libraries or don’t so it’s not a place for everyone. The LA Live and Dine experience is great. A lot of work, research, and thought went into this room. Thanks L.A.