We are a branch of the Los Angeles Public Library located in Highland Park. Keep yourself updated on our doings here...
So… if I asked what’s the highest mountain on Earth you could all probably answer Everest with no thought required… let’s ask instead what’s the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere?
The Future is History by Masha Gessen was the overwhelming winner of our book selection election so it will be our August title. In this book Gessen...
charts the emergence of a new brand of autocracy in Russia today by charting the lives of four people born at the time communism fell. Entrepreneurs or intellectuals, they grew up ready to break boundaries, with big hopes and dreams that have been stripped away by the state.
Stop by the library to pick up a copy. If you prefer ebook format, you’ll find it available via Overdrive here. If you would like the audiobook, you’ll find it on Overdrive here.
We’ll be meeting, via Zoom, on August 28 at 3:00 p.m. to discuss the book. If you would like to join us for the discussion be sure to email ayosco@lapl.org so you can be added to the meeting link list.
This time we asked what is the lowest point on land on Earth? The answer? The Dead Sea. The shoreline of the Dead Sea is the lowest point on land in the world, lying 1,312 feet below sea level.
The question (and answer) was found using World Geography. This database provides authoritative content and online tools that develop global literacy, focusing on the geographic, political, social, economic, and cultural forces that are increasingly important in our globalized world. Included are references, scholarly works, primary documents and papers, photographs, audio clips, and maps. Find the database listed alphabetically under W on LAPL’s Research & Homework page and access it with your library card
Check out this 99-page booklet printed in 1950, titled “TheCity of Los Angeles: The First 100 Years..” It includes a nicely thorough essay on the history of the city to that point as
well as comparisons between the city and city services in 1950 and in
1850. There is also a nice chart showing
how much of each dollar received is spent on what department or service. I notice (partisanly) that the library
department is at the very bottom of the 1950 list receiving only 2.4 cents from
each dollar spent. I also note that one
of the Council Members has the same name as my father.
The images show an old versus a new (where 1950 is new) image of Rec & Park activity on the left and transportation on the right. The report includes numerous pictures.
Take a look at it for things that interest you.
Explore issues of the environment, share your thoughts, and learn from the thoughts of others. Watch The Human Element via Kanopy and then join us for a lively discussion centered on the ideas and issues it raises on July 20 at 6:00. The discussion will take place via Zoom.
Register for the program at: bit.ly/3sHaRAh
If you have questions email: palvarado@lapl.org
[About the film] During his four-decade career as a photographer and explorer, James Balog has focused his lens on the complex relationship between humans and nature. Human activity has now surpassed all other forces shaping our world. Balog's work has challenged us to contemplate our place in, and responsibility to, the natural world. Balog investigates how altering the elements is in turn affecting everyday Americans right now…. Balog argues that humans are part of the whole system of nature and not apart from it. Knowing this, he finds great hope that the fifth element, the human element, can bring the whole system back into balance.
This is the fourth in the NELA Summer program series. Visit [bit.ly/3t5lcq0] for information about other programs in the series.
Wrangling over the extension of the 710 freeway has been going on for a very long time as evidenced by this file of articles from 1974 about a proposed westerly extension of the 710 that would have had it join up with the 110 right around York Avenue. Take a look at the whole series for the advertisements & other articles that were included in the scanning of the principal articles on the topic of the freeway expansion. All in all, quite interesting.
This time we asked for the image that was on the front page of the local Japanese language newspaper on 11/15/1923. The image is the one you see above.
It was easy to find if you know that the local Japanese language newspaper is called Rafu Shimpo and that the library has access to its archive of issues. Rafu Shimpo is the longest running Japanese American newspaper in the United States and is based in the Little Tokyo neighborhood of Los Angeles. It began in 1903 and by the 1940s it was the most widely circulated paper in the region and included a weekly English section for second generation Japanese Americans. The Digital Archive contains all obtainable Rafu Shimpo published issues from 1914 through 2018 and includes access to rafu.com for current issues. You’ll find it listed alphabetically under R on LAPL’s Research & Homework page and can access it with your library card
In her book Inferior Angela Saini explores what science has said historically about women and what
it is saying now. She addresses the
history of science saying that women are inferior before moving on to take a
closer look at what science is starting to say about women. She breaks her look up into life stage and
addresses the question at each phase from infancy through menopause.
This is a fascinating book that attempts to take an even handed and unbiased look at women as human and women in contrast to men. I would recommend it.
Note… Venus is joined by Mars in the July twilight. Watch them come closer each evening, culminating with a super-close pairing on July 12. And 'tis the season for enjoying the Milky Way core!
This is an interesting document that lets you take a first-hand look of the impact of the Great Depression on a city institution. Take a look.