Los Angeles Central Library To Celebrate 100 Years With Festival Saturday

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles Central Library will celebrate its 100th birthday Saturday with a daylong festival featuring performances, exhibits, author talks and family activities throughout the landmark building in downtown Los Angeles.

The free Central Library Centennial Festival is scheduled to run from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the library, according to organizers.

The event will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and remarks from City Librarian John F. Szabo, followed by a reading from Los Angeles Poet Laureate Brian Sonia-Wallace.

"What a privilege it is to celebrate 100 years in this glorious building," Szabo said in a statement. "Central Library has grown and changed through the last century along with the city it serves, but our core values to serve and share the stories of all Angelenos remain unchanged."

Scheduled performances include Ashley Anne & The Carnations, L.A. Taiko Ichiza, Mariachi Lindas Mexicanas, the Urban Voices Project Choir and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz. The Linda Lindas are scheduled to perform at 3:30 p.m. in the Mark Taper Auditorium.

Author Susan Orlean will appear in conversation with Szabo to discuss her book "The Library Book" and the legacy of the 1986 Central Library fire.

The program will include the unveiling of artist Gajin Fujita's commemorative painting "100 Years L.A. Central Library" and a birthday cake celebration.

Other featured guests include Grammy Award-winning children's musician Lucy Kalantari, illustrator Leo Espinosa and author and illustrator Dan Santat.

Organizers said visitors also will be able to view "Luceros y Penumbras: The World's Largest Pop-Up Book," an exhibition in the library's Rotunda that will remain on display through mid-November.

"Central Library has always represented opportunity for our city, providing access to knowledge, creativity, and connection for everyone," Stacy Lieberman, president and CEO of the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, said in an earlier statement. "As we mark the anniversary of this storied landmark, our Centennial Celebration honors that legacy by looking decisively toward the future."

The library, which opened in 1926, is marking its centennial with the excavation and display of a time capsule placed in the building's cornerstone during construction in 1925.

Library officials encouraged visitors to use Metro service because parking at the library's garage is expected to fill early.

More information is available here.

City News Service