Orlean was writing about the original Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL), which now has 73 branches. These centers, along with the city's many independent and Los Angeles County libraries, can provide you with ingenious items such as electric sanders, telescopes, and free zoo passes. But as any librarian will tell you in a solemn tone while you pull down your glasses, the reference books must remain on the premises. Just remember to return them in one to three weeks.
The LAPL received a great response to the recent TikTok video it posted about ukulele lending. Each instrument comes with a case, a chord book, and a tuner. They are available at 17 of the 73 LAPL locations. Are you thinking of taking a day trip to the sapphire waters of Crystal Cove (near Newport Beach)? Are you heading to Big Sur and the cliffs of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park? Your local library can facilitate both trips with a pass for “a passenger vehicle that seats nine people or less, or a motorcycle with a road license.” There's usually a waiting list for these, so plan ahead. Some state parks don't participate in this program, but the vast majority do.
Here's a complete list of both and a handy map. The LAPL and Los Angeles County Library Discover & Go program allows cardholders to make online reservations at selected museums and attractions up to three months in advance. County libraries (Compton, Lancaster, Norwalk, Rosemead, and San Fernando) offer tools “to help our customers learn new skills and complete new and existing projects. Kitchen utensils, sewing machines, garden tools, power tools, bicycle repair tools, extension cords of various lengths if you need them, they probably have them. There are more than 100 pieces available. A library spokesperson declined to comment on whether its “light bulb changer” kit is popular with politicians.
The county library offers Chromebooks and mobile Wi-Fi hotspots for payment. Each laptop is equipped with tools such as Adobe Acrobat Reader and with Google programs such as Calendar, Docs and Drive. Both libraries provide training and information on how to use computers to seek employment. The Work Ready program allows borrowers to keep devices for six weeks. For younger web browsers, the city library offers mini iPads in four locations (Chatsworth, Sylmar, Vernon, and the Boyle Heights branch of R, L.
Stevenson) that offer activities, games, and learning tools for children. Whatever device you borrow, librarians ask you to return them in person instead of putting them in the book repository. The people at the county library call it “citizenship in a bag,” and their very idea makes this stubborn believer in the American experiment a little confused. Within each kit are “a variety of educational materials to help aspiring Americans prepare for the naturalization test, including flashcards and multimedia tools.
Occasionally, you may receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. When your e-card expires, you can request a full access card at a Los Angeles public library or re-apply for a new e-card. The Los Angeles Public Library serves the largest and most diverse population of any library in the United States.
