For more than two decades, ALOUD has delivered year-round cultural programming to add dimension to the Library experience by connecting luminous thinkers from various backgrounds with a live public audience to exchange ideas. ALOUD gives Angelenos and other culturally curious people direct access to acclaimed writers and authors, popular public figures, scientists, artists, filmmakers, and other luminous thinkers through curated conversations, performances, panel discussions, screenings, and other experiences that connect the public to their ideas. ALOUD also seeks to build spaces for the literary community and other idealists to come together. The series has featured National Book Award winners, MacArthur Geniuses, Oscar-winning filmmakers, U.S. Poet Laureates, and hundreds of bestselling authors over the years.  The series also provides a stage for rising literary talent.

As of September 2022, ALOUD events are back in-person.  Video and audio of past ALOUD events are available from the initiative’s media archive, and podcasts are accessible from the Los Angeles Public Library’s website.

Click here to see the season’s calendar of events, make reservations, and view policies.  We also encourage you to become a Member of the Library Foundation to receive advance notification of ALOUD programs.

ALOUD at the Los Angeles Public Library is supported by the generosity of:

  • Lenore S. and Bernard A. Greenberg Fund
  • Ralph M. Parsons Foundation
  • Hollywood Foreign Press Association
  • National Endowment for the Arts
  • Sharon Oxborough
  • Donna and Martin J. Wolff
  • City National Bank