Power another century of inspiration. creativity. connection. possibility.
For 100 years, the Richard J. Riordan Central Library has been more than a building.
As the heart of the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL), it’s a beacon of knowledge, a sanctuary for stories, and a catalyst for possibility. The Library Foundation of Los Angeles invites you to join a once-in-a-century celebration to honor our shared past, celebrate the stories that define us, and build a future as limitless as Los Angeles itself.
Centennial Honorary Committee*
An extraordinary group of storytellers and cultural leaders joins us in championing the power of libraries.
*Confirmed as of 3/31/26
LeVar Burton
Actor, director, and lifelong literacy champion
Shepard Fairey
Artist and activist
Dolores Huerta
Labor leader and Civil Rights activist
Jimmy Kimmel
Television host, comedian, and producer
Kevin Kwan
Bestselling novelist
Cheech Marin
Actor, writer, director, comedian
Susan Orlean
Bestselling author and acclaimed journalist
Ed Ruscha
Artist
Photo credit: Greg Gorman
Lisa See
Bestselling novelist
Colm Toíbín
Renowned novelist and essayist
Henry Winkler
Award-winning actor, director, producer, author
Charles Yu
Award-winning novelist and screenwriter
Be part of the next chapter.
Boldly investing in the future that Angelenos deserve
Your generosity ensures LAPL remains a catalyst for possibility in every neighborhood.
Through the Centennial Campaign, we aim to raise $25 million to expand vital library programs, seed innovation in new technologies, revitalize library spaces, and strengthen civic engagement across Los Angeles. As the city prepares to welcome the world for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, your support will help position the library as a cornerstone of opportunity, learning, and community for generations to come.
Reimagine library spaces
Invest in 21st-century technology and spaces that invite curiosity and creativity.
Empowering the
Library of the Future
Your gift to the Light of Learning Fund helps expand access to knowledge, invest in innovation, and ensure the Library continues to serve Los Angeles for the next 100 years.
Centennial Experiences
A year of innovation and inspiration
Join us! We’re marking this milestone with events and experiences that will surprise, delight, and inspire.
JANUARY
100 Year-old Time Capsule
MARCH 14
TasteBound: Speakeasy
100 Years of Cookbooking in LA
Transport back in time for an evening of iconic drinks through the decades, inspired by the LAPL’s extensive cookbook archives. Enjoy a festive atmosphere complete with 1920s-inspired spirits tastings, prohibition-era music, themed bites, dancing, and more.
APRIL 12
Stay Home and Read a Book Ball
Centennial Edition
Our beloved signature fundraiser invites you to sink into a great story from wherever you are—curled up at home, at a favorite library branch, or in a cozy café. With new opportunities to create personal fundraising pages, this year’s Ball turns a shared love of books into meaningful impact for communities across the city.
APRIL 23
Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America
MAY 2
Night at the Library:
A Century of Light
This immersive after-hours festival features over 200 performers, artists, and storytellers. Filled with interactive art, surprise performances, conversations with creators, live music, and dancing in the stacks, Night at the Library brings the Central Library to vibrant life after dark.
MAY 20
100 Years of Architecture in
Los Angeles
See Los Angeles through the eyes of our city’s most talented architects and designers and discover the influences that have shaped this vast cityscape. ALOUD presents an all-star panel discussion featuring Barbara Bestor, Leo Marmol, and Pamela Shamshiri, moderated by Frances Anderton. Journey through LA’s architectural legacy over the last 100 years of design innovation.
JULY 11
World’s Largest Pop-up Book
OCTOBER 28
Built for the Future—Saved for the Next Century
Central Library stands as an architectural icon and a cornerstone of civic life—but its future was once uncertain. In 1978, a powerful preservation effort saved the historic building from demolition, securing its place at the heart of the city. Join ALOUD and the Los Angeles Conservancy for a dynamic conversation on the Library’s past, present, and bold look ahead at the next one hundred years.
NOVEMBER 12
A Century of Humanity: Jazz in Los Angeles
Explore a century of an American art form that continues to shape our world. Jazz is more than music—it is a living record and an ongoing inquiry into the essence of movement and art. Through an immersive blend of poetry, live performance, and storytelling, ALOUD presents a deep dive into the rich history of how jazz shaped Los Angeles—and how LA shaped jazz right back. Come reflect on jazz as a mirror of human experience: resilient, true, and forever evolving.
NOVEMBER 14
Centennial Gala
As the signature event of our Centennial Celebration, the Library Foundation of Los Angeles is proud to host its first-ever gala—an unforgettable, star-studded evening celebrating the enduring power of literature, creativity, and community.
The Gala will recognize visionary leaders who have shaped culture, expanded opportunity, and inspired generations, while celebrating storytelling’s power and libraries’ vital role in imagination, learning, and connection. Save the date, and join us as we help power the next 100 years for our beloved Los Angeles Public Library.
Central 100
Join the Los Angeles Public Library for the centennial celebration!
Explore Central 100 for a calendar of events, a history podcast, special blog posts, and information about exhibitions on view at Central Library.
Shop the Centennial at
The Library Store
Stay tuned for more newly commissioned artworks, limited-edition keepsakes and exclusives created with world-class artists, honoring the library’s design legacy and cultural impact.
Lead the Centennial Moment
Major gifts to the Centennial Campaign fuel ambitious programs, landmark exhibitions, and enduring investments that will serve Los Angeles for generations to come. For those inspired to play a deeper role, there are opportunities to align your values with meaningful and lasting impact, including:
- Lead sponsorship of Centennial events and exhibitions
- Prominent recognition at Central Library and select branches across LAPL’s 73 libraries
- Capital investments to prepare Central Library for the next century
- Naming opportunities for iconic spaces, collections, and initiatives at Central Library
- Legacy giving opportunities, including endowed funds, passion assets, and estate gifts
- Exclusive donor experiences, including private tours and behind-the-scenes access
Contact Alex Nguyen, Director of Major and Planned Giving at alexnguyen@lfla.org to learn more about leadership giving opportunities.
Thank you to our Centennial Supporters
100 for 100
The following leaders have made the extraordinary commitment of $100,000 or more* to celebrate 100 years of creativity, connection, and possibility at the Library.
$1,000,000+
The Riordan Foundation
$500,000+
Ann and Dick Costello
Dean Hansell
Judith and Steve Krantz Foundation
Steinlauf-Schriger Foundation
$200,000+
BMO
Linda Duttenhaver
The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation
Hearst Foundations
$100,000+
Kelly Anderson
Maxwell Anderson / June Street Charitable Foundation
Anonymous (2)
Betsy Applebaum
Debi and Norris Bishton
Champions of Ability
Nancy and Donald de Brier
The Geiser Schweers Family Foundation
Michael B. Keegan
Susan Frances Moley / Moley Family Foundation
The Muriel Pollia Foundation
Ed Ruscha
Rosalind Jarrett and Lamar Sepulveda
Aviva Weiner
*includes gifts, grants, pledges, in-kind support, and planned gifts
$50,000+
Anonymous (2)
Philip and Muriel Berman Foundation
Flora L. Thornton Foundation
Christy McAvoy
Maria Seferian
$25,000+
Anonymous
Hyundai Motor America
Ela and Nikhil Jhaveri
The Mark E Pollack Foundation
Abby Sher
$10,000+
The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts
Berger Family Foundation
Christine Bloom
Citibank
Patty Elias and Michael Rosenfeld
Johnny Carson Foundation
Kathryn Porter
Maggy Simon
William H. Hannon Foundation
