At the heart of Central Library in Los Angeles lies a captivating canvas of digital storytelling—the Central Library Video Wall. This vibrant space showcases a fusion of commissioned and curated artwork, fascinating visitors with its ever-changing display, and is a testament to the Library’s commitment to celebrating art, culture, and community. 

Images featured include frames from “Ikebana Paradox” by Connie Bakshi (left) and “HOS Artifacts” by Dev Harlan (right)

This spring, among the notable works currently adorning the video wall are two new digital exhibitions. “Ikebana Paradox” by Connie Bakshi and “HOS Artifacts” by Dev Harlan. Bakshi, a Los Angeles-based artist, classical pianist, biomedical engineer, and digital shaman, focuses on post-colonial narratives through her exploration of the boundaries between the synthetic and organic. Meanwhile, Harlan, an artist hailing from New York working in sculpture, installation, and digital media practice, challenges conventional notions of technology and its relationship with the natural world. Their works serve as poignant reminders of the power of art to provoke thought and ignite conversation.  

In addition to these compelling pieces, this month, the video wall also pays homage to Women’s History Month with historical portraits depicting notable women from Los Angeles’ past. From Tessa Kelso to Dolores del Río, these portraits serve as a testament to the rich tapestry of female influence woven into the city’s history. 

   
Tessa Kelso, former Los Angeles Public City Librarian (left), and actress Dolores del Río (right).
Both images are part of the LAPL’s Historical Portraits project.

The video wall features a dynamic blend of precision and passion, and the selection process is a collaborative effort between the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) and Standard Vision, an architectural lighting design studio and digital media company. This partnership delivers new content quarterly and ensures a continuous flow of fresh perspectives. Each piece is meticulously chosen to resonate with the diverse audience that graces Central Library’s halls. Six to eight pieces grace the digital wall at a time and stay in rotation for a year.  

While some animations are specially commissioned for the wall, others are carefully curated, with the selection process prioritizing local artists as a focal point, to reflect the vibrant essence of the library and its surrounding communities. 

A recent example is seen in Alice Bucknell’s piece, “The Alluvials: Chapter 1.” Bucknell conducted research at Central Library’s Science department to inform this work, creating a connection between the Library’s physical space and digital art featuring figures like L.A.’s beloved mountain lion P-22.  

“The Alluvials: Chapter 1.” by Alice Bucknell. This image features beloved mountain lion P-22.

The video wall also highlights “Octavia’s Haunts” by Ainslee Alem Robson. This captivating work, inspired by Octavia Butler’s legacy, features 3D imagery of the Central Library.  

As we gaze upon the ever-changing tableau of the video wall, we are reminded of its significance in the legacy of the Central Library. Much like the iconic murals adorning its walls, the video wall stands as a modern manifestation of art, architecture, and design. Since its inception in 2018, it has continued to captivate and inspire visitors, serving as a beacon of creativity and innovation. 

“The video wall is part of Central Library’s legacy of architecture, design, and iconography, like the murals in the rotunda and the motif of the newer wing of the Library. These video exhibitions are a continuation of these ideas using modern technology,” says Neale Stokes, Senior Librarian, Digital Content Team at the Los Angeles Public Library. 

So, the next time you find yourself at the Central Library, take a moment to immerse yourself in this ever-changing canvas of creativity, noting that the Library Foundation, and Members like you, play a crucial role in funding this artistic work at the Library, ensuring a steady stream of artistic expression.

Adult learners embarking on their journey in the Adult Literacy program are presented with a valuable opportunity to improve their language skills, encompassing speaking, reading, and writing, through the establishment of clear roles and objectives. Devoted volunteer tutors provide them with tailored lesson plans and resources to assist them in attaining proficiency in English, covering elements such as punctuation, phonics, grammar, and vocabulary. It is thanks to individuals like you that the Los Angeles Public Library can extend this essential service to Angelenos in need. This month, Joni Ballou, a volunteer in the Adult Literacy Program, generously shares their experience with us.

Hello everyone, my name is Joni Ballou and I serve as an Adult Literacy Program Volunteer for the Los Angeles Public Library at Baldwin Hills Library Branch. My role is all about the adult learner. I am here to support their literacy journey. Since low literacy rates in our region are high, I find deep joy in helping adult learners to get excited about reading and writing.

My journey with the program and the Literacy Coordinator, Lisa Sprinkles, has always allowed me to watch the creative process of the learners. I can honestly say that I have gained a lot from the experience, including making new friends and acquiring effective ways to teach and reinforce grammar and punctuation with my students.

Along the way, I have also learned how to develop lesson plans, incorporate educational games and vision boarding while exploring a range of techniques for teaching grammar to ESL learners, and to examine the power of technology in education and new curricula. All of this helps adult learners become lifelong learners and strive to realize their full potential. I am originally from Florida but have decided to settle down in Los Angeles, California. I have a passion for walking and biking, so next year I plan on joining a biking expedition in Europe.

I have had the greatest time volunteering at the library and am learning my way around the area. Feel free to join me as an adult volunteer tutor at lapl.org.

We are so thankful for volunteers like Joni who help to keep programs like Adult Literacy thriving! Interested in becoming a volunteer? Learn how to get involved here.

Photos courtesy of Joni Ballou © 2023.

Ring in the new year with your local Los Angeles Public Library branch! Got resolutions? Check them off one-by-one by doing the following: 

1. New Year’s resolution to read more? Participate in the 150th Anniversary Challenge! The Los Angeles Public Library turned 150 on December 7, and it is celebrating this amazing milestone for 150 days. You can celebrate, too, by joining in the 150th Anniversary Challenge. 

2. Download the Libby app. If you’re an e-reader, audiobook lover, Libby gives you free access to one of the largest collections of e-resources in the country. Oh, and if you’re feeling crafty, you should also check out Craftsy through the Libby app.

3. Become the maker you always wanted to be! Visit the Octavia Lab at Central Library and learn how to print posters, start your own podcast, use embroidery sewing machines, and much more.

4. Get involved! Literacy is important to all of us. Whether as a learner or a volunteer, come learn more about Adult Literacy at the Library, today. 

5. Need a computer or a hotspot? Go to your local LAPL branch for Tech2Go bundles to help get you on good digital footing to start off the year. Need a little help learning how to use the technology, ask for a Cybernaut, who can help you navigate these new digital tools.

6. Need to keep up with the news on a digital device? Your Los Angeles Public Library card gives you free digital access to thousands of newspapers including the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Washington Post, and many more. 

7. Come see an engaging exhibition! Central Library is currently hosting exhibits in the Getty Gallery and First Floor Galleries. Current exhibitions include the inaugural Creators in Residence showcase, featuring works by Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin and River Garza, and Barrier Breakers: From Jackie to Pumpsie, 1947-1949, developed by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. 

8. Learn a new skill on Skillshare! This online resource has thousands of online classes on topics including illustration, design, photography, and more. Many of the courses are available in various languages as well. 

9. Impress your friends with your talents! Check out a ukelele and master your favorite tunes. There are ukulele kits at multiple LAPL branches that include the instrument, case, chord book, and tuner. 

10. We invite you to Join in the fun of our Stay Home and Read a Book Ball! If you prefer the warmth of your home and an excuse to spend all day reading, this is the event for you. This year, the Stay Home and Read a Book Ball Chair is Mohsin Hamid and Honorary Chairs are Alex Segura, Natalia Molina, Christina Rice, and Yesika Salgado. For 35 years, this has been the best non-event that you will ever attend in support of the Los Angeles Public Library. 

We look forward to seeing you at Library this year. Happy New Year! 

Library Foundation of Los Angeles 

P.S. Don’t forget to visit The Library Store. It has imaginative items and gifts for every budget, sourced from a variety of local artists, vendors, and cause-related organizations.  

Summer in Los Angeles means many things: trips to the beach, picnics in the park, and, most importantly, the Summer Reading Challenge at the Los Angeles Public Library.

The Summer Reading Challenge—a long-established fixture of the library’s annual array of programs and projects—invites Angelenos of all ages to track their reading between June 6 and August 6 and offers several enticing prizes just for signing up. Then, once you complete the Challenge, you can be entered to win more prizes like a custom skateboard, museum memberships, or an iPad.

As part of the yearly rollout for the challenge, LAPL librarians identify, select, and collaborate with a local artist who will shape the design and theme of the challenge. Past Summer Reading Challenge artists include illustrator Zachariah OHora and artist Jose Ramirez.

This year, the Los Angeles Public Library teamed up with local graffiti artist Man One to create the look and feel of the 2022 Summer Reading Challenge. Born and raised in Los Angeles, it was here that Man One says he “developed his love for art,” cultivating his technique and skills “as a graffiti artist on the streets of LA.”

Man One’s work—distinctive for its bold colors, vibrant affect, and dynamic form—is well-suited for one of the library’s cornerstone programs. The portraits of three local creatives who live the “Express Yourself” mantra every day, created in Man One’s unique, varicolored style, are bright and fun. Their joy invites Angelenos to register for the challenge and encourages current challenge participants to hit their goals.

While the artwork featured in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge is new, having been designed specifically for this collaboration with the library, Man One’s connection to the library runs deep. For years, he has been a participant in LA Made, a cultural programming series featuring artists, writers, and entertainers at LAPL l­­­­­­­­­­­­cations throughout the city. He has also been a guest in a Your Author Series program, a series aimed at children and teens to connect them with some of their favorite authors and illustrators. Through these programs, Man One has been able to connect with young Angelenos and help them refine their artistic talents while also introducing them to the world of graffiti art.

It is this world that Man One believes has the power to transform young artists. Reflecting on what graffiti means to him, he calls it the “ultimate self-expression.”

“You can create what you want. It’s very free. It’s very instant,” he says. “It’s not permanent, so there’s a lot of forgiveness in that, but it’s also large scale, it’s also life affirming.” It is no surprise, then, how this year’s concise yet powerful Summer Reading Challenge theme “Express Yourself” came to be.

A wide lineup of programs, events, and performances will accompany the Summer Reading Challenge, including an art workshop for teens led by Man One himself. For more information on how to get in on the fun your local library has to offer, visit lapl.org/summer.

This April, the Library Foundation of Los Angeles (LFLA) announced Stacy Lieberman as the new president and CEO. A leader in Los Angeles’ local arts and culture scene, Stacy has a keen sense of the power of an institution like the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL), and what it means to Angelenos across the city.  She begins working with the Foundation June 6, 2022.

Brief Q&A

1. What drew you to the Library Foundation of Los Angeles?

I’m thrilled to lead the Library Foundation of Los Angeles to enhance its crucial work supporting and enriching the Los Angeles Public Library. I have long admired both institutions for their innovative programming and commitment to improving the lives of millions of Angelenos. Throughout my career, I have been dedicated to making knowledge, books, history, the arts, culture, stories, and ideas accessible to increasingly wider and more diverse communities. I have witnessed the transformative power of providing that access, whether watching students learn about the Mississippi Freedom Riders for the first time or ensuring apprentices have the workforce training necessary to succeed in their chosen careers. At the Foundation, there is a chance to make an impact on an enormous scale, for every Angeleno.

2. What excites you the most about this role?

Libraries are the most inclusive of institutions. With free and easy access, they serve and engage everyone from toddlers to seniors—and everyone in between. In this role, I look forward to working with the LFLA’s dedicated board and staff, the LAPL, and supporters to enhance the LAPL’s critical work to improve the lives and fuel dreams of city residents, whether it’s understanding new technology with Cybernauts, attending adult literacy classes, or seeking tutoring to perform better in school. I am eager to build an even broader network of partners and supporters across the city to enhance the LAPL’s impactful work.

3. How do you see the LFLA and the LAPL inspiring L.A. communities?

Bigger than a building and more than just books, libraries serve as essential neighborhood hubs across Los Angeles, providing education, technology, and opportunity. During an age of growing inequities, disinformation, digital divides, and book bans, the resources the LAPL provides are more crucial than ever. I look forward to sharing more stories of how individuals are using the library’s valuable resources to improve their lives, which I believe will inspire others to get involved.

4. What do you want people to know about the LFLA that they may not know?

The Library Foundation of Los Angeles is celebrating 30 years of supporting and advocating for the LAPL. I’d love every resident of Los Angeles to know about the vast resources available to them through the LAPL. I look forward to expanding our outreach to invite more people to get involved in the LFLA, whether to enjoy innovative programs and exhibitions and/or to support the essential work of the LAPL.   

5. What are you reading?

American Estrangement: Stories by Saïd Sayrafiezadeh

The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race by Walter Isaacson

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich

To learn more about Stacy’s new appointment, please see the press release about her announcement here and her bio here.

What an incredible year it has been. Through the library closing its physical doors, learning new ways to share our programming, figuring out how to engage with one another through small squares on a screen, we have successfully managed many of the obstacles in the new world we are all inhabiting. 

In the late spring of 2020 we did a soft launch of virtual programming and, as we worked through the many curves and tests of ever-changing technology, we found that we could quickly adapt and bring our award-winning public programs to the forefront. Over this past year we have presented programs of which we are very proud. A few examples include The Cost of Inequality with Reverend Dr. William Barber and Robert Reich; Ongoing Challenges of Disability Discrimination with Jasmine E. Harris, Ruth Colker, and Michele Bratcher Goodwin; and Lift Every Voice (Celebrating 250 years of African American poetry) with Kevin Young, Robin Coste Lewis, and Amanda Gorman, among others. 

During this transformative year, we learned that our supporters are stronger and more giving than ever. We saw it amid our Giving Tuesday campaign where, thanks to you, we exceeded our goals in record numbers. We saw it again with our Stay Home and Read a Book Ball supporters who came through with the memorable images of themselves (and their well-read pets) on social media. We also had the Young Literati Member Sean Hetherington and his partner Darius Wadia turn a canceled 2020 marathon into a one-of-a-kind fundraising moment for the Library. We are reminded in these moments that our efforts to generate support for the Los Angeles Public Library are in concert with our Members, library patrons, and people across all communities in Los Angeles who understand the importance of public libraries.

The most inspiring parts of this year was seeing how library patrons have exceedingly used the e-media offered by the Library including checking out e-books on social justice in record numbers last summer. Others have chosen to continue their educational progress through programs like Career Online High School, where we recently saw our 500th graduate get their High School diploma. Many branches are also participating in the LAPL’s Library To Go initiative allowing library lovers to check out books, giving them somewhat of a semblance of the library experience we had pre-COVID. 

We here at the Library Foundation have learned much about who we are in this last year and the communities we are honored to serve. We are proud that you have chosen to be part of the work that we are doing. As the world begins to open back up, we will continue to persevere and, with your help, create even more opportunities and accessible resources at the Los Angeles Public Library. 

Ken Brecher, President