For 100 years, Los Angeles Central Library has been an architectural icon and a cornerstone of civic life—but its future was once uncertain. In 1978, a powerful preservation effort led by community advocates and the Los Angeles Conservancy saved the historic building from demolition, securing its place at the heart of the city.
Join us for a dynamic conversation on the Library’s past, present, and bold look ahead at the next one hundred years. Moderated by Madeleine Brand, broadcast journalist and host of KCRW’s Press Play, the conversation will examine the legacy of the historic Central Library and what it means to preserve, steward, and reimagine the role of this civic monument in Los Angeles’ future.
Panelists include Adrian Scott Fine, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Conservancy, Susan Orlean, bestselling author of The Library Book, and John Welborne, attorney and preservation leader whose work with the Los Angeles Conservancy and Citizens’ Task Force helped secure the preservation and expansion of the Central Library.
