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Discuss February 13, 2020 at 1:00 p.m.
Discussing February 26, 2020 at 5:30 p.m.
Discussion on November 14th, 2019 12 p.m.
Author Author Series. Discussing on Thursday, February 13th, 12:00 P.M.
What happens when you set a book on fire? Susan Orlean tested it out in her California backyard. First it smokes, then flares, and then in a poof the book is gone enveloped in seconds leaving sooty ashes floating through the air.
On April 28th, 1986 the main branch of the Los Angeles Public Lib... Read More »
You don't need to take a book off a shelf to know there is a voice inside that is waiting to speak to you, and behind that was someone who truly believed that if he or she spoke, someone would listen. It was that affirmation that always amazed me. Even the oddest, most particular book was written with that kind of crazy courage--the writer's belief that someone would find his or her book important to read. I was struck by how precious and foolish and brave that belief is, and how necessary, and how full of hope it is to collect these books and manuscripts and preserve them. It declares that all these stories matter, and so does every effort to create something that connects us to one another, and to our past and to what is still to come.
The idea of being forgotten is terrifying... Writing a book, just like building a library, is an act of sheer defiance. It is a declaration that you believe in the persistence of memory.
Any book accidentally shelved in the sections that burned; we will never know what they were, so we cannot know what we are missing.
It wasn't that time stopped in the library. It was as if it were captured here, collected here, and in all libraries--and not only my time, my life, but all human time as well. In the library, time is dammed up--not just stopped but saved. The library is a gathering pool of narratives and of the people who come to find them. It is where we can glimpse immortality; in the library, we can live forever.
"In Senegal, the polite expression for saying someone died is to say his or her library has burned....our minds and souls contain volumes inscribed by our experiences and emotions; each individual's consciousness is a collection of memories we've cataloged and stored inside us, a private library of a life lived. It is something that no one else can entirely share; one that burns down and disappears when we die. But if you can take something from that internal collection and share it--with one person or with the larger world, on the page or in a story recited - it takes on a life of its own."
“Sometimes it's harder to notice a place you think you know well; your eyes glide over it, seeing it but not seeing it at all. It's almost as if familiarity gives you a kind of temporary blindness. I had to force myself to look harder and try to see beyond the concept of library that was so latent in my brain.”
"When I first learned that the library had a shipping department ... I couldn't think of anything a library needed to ship. I came to learn that what gets shipped ... [are] books traveling from one branch to another. The shipping department at Central moves thirty-two thousand books - the equivalent of an entire branch library - around the city of Los Angeles five days a week. It is as if the city has a bloodstream flowing through it, oxygenated by books." (p. 61)
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Add a CommentThis book was an absolute delight! I love libraries, and I learned so much from this engaging book about libraries past and present. Now I feel even more excited for the day when I can sit and read in the library again like normal.
Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Part true-crime, part colourful history of the LA Central Library and all love story for libraries and the unique people who visit and work in them. Recommend!
Absolutely loved this book. Loved the various stories that were told.
A love letter to all libraries and the wonderful people who work in them.
One cannot overestimate their value to the community.
Very enjoyable read. Orlean is a great storyteller, and I liked how the story expanded to explore interesting asides about the history of libraries and the people who appreciate them. I couldn't stop telling people around me cool tidbits I learned from this book!
I love how Orlean's conversational voice draws the reader in. Her love for libraries and stories and history is compelling, and a reflection of my own love. It's a strange main tale to be sure, of a devastating library fire and the enigmatic compulsive liar who possibly set it, woven around a series of vignettes about the many aspects of library service. Some of Orlean's musings felt like a strike to my heart; others felt a little flat or unfinished. Overall, I think Orlean did a lovely job of conveying the power of libraries and how they'll be around for as long as people wish to hold onto stories.
What a treat! Have been able to spend the time at home with "The Library Book". Have been following up on Charles F. Lummis one of the more colorful librarians. Reading his "A Tramp across the Continent" . He walked for 143 days from Cincinnati to Los Angeles starting in sept 11, 1884. Hope the book and I survive the corona virus.
A book to read while I was missing the library during the shutdown. Lots of different threads here and they didn't all tie up at the end and, while I don't care as much about the LA library as someone living there, I appreciated the general reflection on the history and value of libraries in society.
For December 17, Tri Delta
I listened to the audiobook on RB Digital. The use of the Los Angelos Central Library fire was a great way to tell the story of libraries and their role in communities. Interspersed between the fire, arson investigation, and trial, are stories about how a book burns, how a library is created, the library as a community hub, the future of libraries, and other stories.
I enjoyed it. It was a good choice while waiting for our library to reopen during this CoVid pandemic.