#central-library — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #central-library, aggregated by home.social.
-
Central Library unveils a peek at the L.A. of 1925 – KCRW
Todd Lerew led the team that recovered the century-year-old time capsule. Alexandra Applegate / KCRWCentral Library unveils a peek at the L.A. of 1925
The Los Angeles Central Library’s time capsule contained a scrapbook, coins, old newspapers in multiple languages and an even older time capsule from 1881.
Three people examine some of the contents pulled from a century-old time capsule buried in the LA Central Library in 1925. Photo by Alexandra Applegate / KCRWBy Danielle Chiriguayo • Feb 2, 2026 • 4m Listen
When a time capsule was buried near the LA Central Library’s cornerstone in 1925, staff didn’t leave instructions on how to open it. More than a century later, a recovery team wasn’t even entirely sure where to find it.
But find it they did. To honor the 100-year anniversary of the Central Library, the branch kicked off a year of celebrations by unearthing that century-old time capsule buried during the building’s dedication.
The hunt for the time capsule set off what Los Angeles City Librarian John Szabo describes as “an archeological dig.” The Central Library is listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, as well as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, meaning the preservation of its art-deco design was paramount.
“Getting it through the men’s restroom turned out to be our only option,” explains Todd Lerew, director of special projects for the Library Foundation of LA and the lead on the time capsule’s recovery.
Szabo continues: “We had to take drywall. We had to take the studs out. We had to take one masonry wall out. Then, we had to very carefully go through the back wall of the cornerstone.”
It took a week for Lerew and his team to get around layers of plumbing and limestone blocks. When they finally retrieved the capsule, Szabo couldn’t wait to crack it open: “Being a complete history nerd, I literally put my head inside the time capsule and I breathed in the air, thinking that that was the air that my predecessor, Everett Robbins Perry, was breathing … from 1925.
“It was a little musty, but I didn’t keel over or anything.”
The time capsule, a sealed, custom-made copper box, provided a glimpse into life in LA more than a century ago. Inside were scrapbooks of photos, old coins, and a traffic street plan for 1924.
Todd Lerew led the team that recovered the century-year-old time capsule. Alexandra Applegate/KCRWAnd it also held something else: an additional time capsule. This one was from 1881. It was buried with the cornerstone of the State Normal School, a precursor to UCLA that was originally built where the Central Library is today.
The older capsule included books and pamphlets that provided additional glimpses of 19th century Los Angeles. It also included newspapers in English, German, and Spanish, and mementos from the funeral of U.S. President James Garfield, who was assassinated just months prior to the time capsule’s burial.
All of these recovered items are on display now at the LA Central Library. Szabo says they represent the diversity of the city that stretches back more than 150 years: “It certainly speaks to the evolution of the city, the growth of the city, but it also reminds us that the library has had this very similar, if not the same mission, which is to welcome everyone in the community.”
Continue/Read Original Article Here: Central Library unveils a peek at the L.A. of 1925 | KCRW
Tags: 1925, California, Central Library, City Librarian, Contents of Capsule, Cornerstone, Danielle Chiriguayo, February 2 2026, History, John Szabo, KCRW, Library History, Los Angeles, Los Angeles History, Time Capsule, Todd Lerew
#1925 #California #CentralLibrary #CityLibrarian #ContentsOfCapsule #Cornerstone #DanielleChiriguayo #February22026 #History #JohnSzabo #KCRW #LibraryHistory #LosAngeles #LosAngelesHistory #TimeCapsule #ToddLerew -
Librarian reminisces about old Central Library as it heads to market – Times of San Diego
The old central library in downtown San Diego. (File photo courtesy of the city)Librarian reminisces about old Central Library as it heads to market
Share this:
Overview: Old Central library
As the city announced it was seeking buyers or lessees to redevelop the 1954 building into housing, she reminisced about what the space at 820 E St. meant to her and other staff during the 59 years it stored San Diego’s main library collection.
The old central library in downtown San Diego. (File photo courtesy of the city)One of the most exciting parts of librarian Kristina Garcia’s career occurred in the old Central Library but her connection to the space started long before that.
As the city announced it was seeking buyers or lessees to redevelop the 1954 building into housing, she reminisced about what the space at 820 E St. meant to her and other staff during the 59 years it stored San Diego’s main library collection.
“Unfortunately, we did outgrow the space,” said Garcia, now the librarian for the adult high school diploma program. “And I’m very glad we have so much more space and we can offer so many great programs now in the New Central but the Old Central was a very special part of my work history and my family.”
Favorite memories
Garcia’s father, a lawyer who worked downtown, would take her on visits to the Central Library.
It reminded her of a 1950s school with a few unique features. The seal of San Diego on the floor, Donal Hord’s sculptures and classic wood features from the original San Diego Carnegie Library stood out to her as a child.
“The facade outside was always very artistic, you know, and majestic,” said Garcia. She is glad that the historic significance of these features means they will be preserved even as the building as a whole is redeveloped.
It was many years after Garcia’s childhood visits when, already well into her career as a librarian, she began working inside the Central Library in 2001.
She was located on one of the two basement floors as a second-level reference librarian for the Serra Cooperative. Eventually, she started working at reference desks on the three above-ground stories of the library.
Unlike today’s Central Library which is divided by floors, the old library was split into sections.
Each section had a reference desk where the librarians stationed there would be subject matter experts on the section’s topic, like history, sciences, literature, etc. Garcia started in the art, music and recreation area.
She stayed at the library until it closed in 2013, working with librarians to meet the needs of over a thousand daily visitors.
Then, the Central Library at 330 Park Blvd. in East Village opened.
Get Downtown News in your inbox – community news that connects and informs.
One of Garcia’s most exciting opportunities occurred during the move from old to new when she packed up The Wangenheim Collection, which includes rare books, manuscripts, rugs and other artifacts that chronicle the development of books through the ages.
She calls it “a really special thing that I got to do.”
Leaving the building she remembered from her childhood, one that also housed much of her career was difficult, as much as the new space was needed. “The staff did find it hard to say goodbye to that old building,” Garcia said.
Unique features
With three stories above ground and two below, the 144,524-square-foot old Central Library offered a unique visitor experience.
The collection was largely housed in the two basement floors, which was not open to the public. They were only allowed on the above ground floors where a spiraling brass handrail adorned the stairs.
Since the public needed access to the collections, staff members took on the role of runners. Visitors would fill out hold cards of what book they wanted and a runner would use a service elevator down to the basement to find it and bring it up.
There were so many shelves in the basement it was a maze. Reflective dots and arrows marked paths to the exit in case staff got lost amid a power outage.
Editor’s Note: Below is a KPBS NPR video from 12 years ago. It shows some of the treasures. When I worked at Central Library, I loved going into the basement. I somewhere have my “parting” images which I will try and dig out and add later. See also the original article that included the video: https://www.kpbs.org/news/evening-edition/2013/06/28/central-library-moves-hidden-treasures-out-public
-DrWebhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHUOtQeUH94
Editor’s Note: Read the rest of the story, at the below link.
Continue/Read Original Article Here: Librarian reminisces about old Central Library as it heads to market
#1954 #2025 #59Years #America #Basement #Books #CentralLibrary #CityOfSanDiego #Downtown #Education #FiveFloors #History #KristinaGarcia #Librarian #Libraries #Library #NPR #Reading #SanDiego #Television #UnitedStates
-
"From the library, Monday vibes"
#aftertherain☔️ #rainy #rainyday #rainyweather #undecided #weather #vista #vistalinda #view #throughthelens #throughthewindow #library #librarylife #grandparade #centrallibrary #biblioteca #studyarea #streetviews #cloudy #cork #corkcity #ireland #monday #mondayvibes #happy
-
Minneapolis Central Library Winter Evening Christmas Minneapolis Minnesota
On a crisp winter evening in downtown Minneapolis, I captured this scene featuring the striking architecture of the Minneapolis Central Library. The modern design—with its dramatic lines, glass walls, and bold geometric forms.
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/minneapolis-skyline-photography-central-library-wayne-moran.html
#Mineapols #minnesota #centrallibrary #architecture #night #Landscape #photography #travel #travelphotography
-
2/3
Chuck Schumer should resign.
But no, he's going to start his book tour ...
Great timing. I guess he will be getting a warm welcome everywhere ...
(But the coward will probably use the back door.)#ChuckSchumer #BookTour #CentralLibrary #Baltimore #Sixth_&_I #Washington #Philly #SanFrancisco #SantaMonica #Atlanta
https://calendar.prattlibrary.org/event/senator-chuck-schumer-antisemitism-in-america-a-warning
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/senator-chuck-schumer-tickets-1203633844229
https://www.reddit.com/r/protest/comments/1jb3wd9/protest_schumers_book_tour_dates_in_baltimore_nyc/
-
Milwaukee Central Library architectural details. Photos from the grand rotunda entrance. See more: https://bit.ly/4dmwhKk
#Milwaukee #CentralLibrary #architecturaldetails #photography #blackandwhitephotography
Copyright 2024 Scott Norris Creative
scottnorrisphotography.com
scott-norris.pixels.com
www.etsy.com/shop/ScottNorrisCreative
buymeacoffee.com/scottnorris -
Next up, in the brilliantly renovated #CentralLibrary we have #JamesJoyce
-
Great news! The recording studios at the Central Library Inspiration Lab are now open 🎙️📹
For more information and to reserve a studio:
https://www.vpl.ca/space/central-library-inspiration-lab#Vancouver #VPL #VancouverPublicLibrary #InspirationLab #CentralLibrary
-
The sculptured facade of Bristol's Central Library.
The panel on the left contains Chaucer, and representations of his characters.
The middle panel represents a bunch of saints.
The right-hand panel has King Alfred & several early medieval figures.(Don't forget to look up)
#photography #Bristol #CentralLibrary #Chaucer #saints #Alfred #sculpture -
#Families attend #Dragqueen #StoryHour at #DesMoines Public #Library
Drag queens #RobinGraves and #VanaB attracted a #standingroomonly #crowd to the #DesMoines #CentralLibrary. The #performers read three #books written for young #children: #IntroducingTeddy, And #TangoMakesThree, and #MorrisMicklewhiteandtheTangerineDress.
#Women #Transgender #LGBTQ #Iowa #Entertainment #Drag #DragQueens #TheArts #Literature #Books #Representation #Culture
https://who13.com/news/metro-news/families-attend-drag-story-time-at-des-moines-public-library/
-
@Bristol247 this is very unnerving when I agree with the views of a Conservative leader #borrownotbuy #bristollibraries #centrallibrary
