Los Angeles Public Library Institutional Collection
History
After the 1986 fire that destroyed part of Central Library, a group of dedicated individuals came together to create the Save the Books campaign. From a Save the Books telethon to the Stay Home and Read a Book Ball, the Los Angeles community came together to rebuild one of the city’s most precious resources. Many developments resulted from the Save the Books campaign, one of the most enduring being the Library Foundation of Los Angeles. This year, the Foundation will celebrate 30 years since its founding in February 1992. For three decades, this organization has stood as a pillar of L.A.’s literary community, serving the needs and interests of the Los Angeles Public Library and its patrons.
The Library Foundation of Los Angeles, also known as LFLA, has been a vital partner for all the library’s seventy-three locations, raising over $150 million to sustain many of the programs and services offered through the Los Angeles Public Library. Funds raised by LFLA create programs that promote literacy and help students succeed, equip libraries with updated technology, and support life-long learning through backing programs like “Read, Baby, Read” and Career Online High School.
February 2022 kicks off the Foundation’s year-long celebration with events, offers, and ways to not only celebrate the Library Foundation of Los Angeles but also engage with your local LAPL branch. These offers include unique monthly promotions on merchandise at The Library Store and the 30th Anniversary Passport Challenge. For more information on what the LFLA funds and how you can support the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, please visit LFLA.org.
30th Anniversary Passport Challenge
To celebrate 30 years of extraordinary partnership with the Los Angeles Public Library, LFLA invites all Angelenos to take on the 30th Anniversary Passport Challenge by visiting 30 LAPL branches by December 2022. You can earn incentives upon reaching the 10-branch and 20-branch milestones. For visits of 30+ branches by December 31, 2022, you will be entered to win a grand prize!
The 30th Anniversary Passport Challenge is officially live! Pick up a passport at your local LAPL branch library, or download a PDF version here!
Get Involved
We’d love for you to celebrate our birthday with us! Here are some ways you can participate wherever you are:
- Become a Member of the Library Foundation of Los Angeles! Learn more about how to become a Member.
- Participate in our Stay Home and Read a Book Ball on March 6!
- Attend an ALOUD program. Check out our calendar and RSVP to one of our free upcoming ALOUD events.
- Join a Friends of the Library group. Friends of the Library (FOTL) are groups of committed volunteers at neighborhood library branches. Though not directly affiliated with the LFLA, FOTL volunteers share our common goal in supporting the Library by engaging in activities that increase awareness of the library, providing program support, and raising funds to enhance library services, often for a specific branch. Most branches have a FOTL Group. Contact your local branch or email [email protected] to learn more.
Learn More
Listen to some of the incredible guests that have come through to the Library Foundation over the last three decades by heading to the Media Archive.