We are a branch of the Los Angeles Public Library located in Highland Park. Keep yourself updated on our doings here...
This is a collection of menus representing the culinary history of California and the world since the 19th Century, the Menu Collection extends beyond restaurants to include items from cruise ships, airlines, banquets, social clubs, hotels and resorts.
Today we’ll look at a menu from A. Sabella's Capri Room. This would be a menu from sometime in the 1950s. A. Sabella’s Capri Room was a San Francisco restaurant. Access the full menu here
June is a fiction month for the Arroyo Book Club. It is also the start of the library’s Summer Reading Challenge. The theme of this year’s Summer Reading Challenge is LA Dreaming. In celebration of that theme the book club will read titles set in or about Los Angeles. So… the book we will read and discuss this month is The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle. The catalog description of the book pithily says:
The lives of two different couples--wealthy Los Angeles liberals Delaney and Kyra Mossbacher, and Candido and America Rincon, a Mexican couple in the US illegally--suddenly collide, in a story that unfolds from the shifting viewpoints of the various characters.
Stop by the branch to pick up a copy to read. You will find them in the usual location, just ask if you don’t know where that is.
We will meet to discuss the book on Saturday, June 22 at 3 p.m. It will be a hybrid meeting so you have the option of attending in person or via Zoom. If you’d like to join us via Zoom let us know at ayosco@lapl.org so we can get the link to you.
This book plate collection contains over 1,400 bookplates commissioned by people who wished to identify the books in their personal libraries through a unique work of art. The collection includes a wide variety of graphic and illustrative styles, both color and black and white, ranging from the formal to the whimsical.
Today we’ll look at a book plate that features a fine feline. Find the image here
Author Erica Alfaro will be at our Branch on Saturday, May 25th at noon. She will discuss how she overcame adversity, including domestic violence, and achieved her goals through education. In 2019, Erica's graduation picture went viral and made headlines around the world. She was dressed in a graduation cap and gown, standing in a field with her farm worker mother and father. To honor her parents’ sacrifices, she took her master's degree pictures in the field where they had worked long hours to provide her with an education.
This program will be in Spanish. Free copies of the book will be available at the event.
Presented by the Latinx Affinity Group of the Los Angeles Public Library.
https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/harvesting-dreams-conversation-author-erica-alfaro
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Acompaña a la galardonada autora Erica Alfaro mientras nos cuenta de cómo superó la adversidad, incluida la violencia doméstica, y cómo logró sus objetivos a través de la educación. En 2019, la imagen de la graduación de Erica se volvió viral e hizo titulares alrededor del mundo. Estaba vestida de toga y birrete frente a un campo con su madre y padre, trabajadores agrícolas. Para honrar los sacrificios de sus padres, se tomó fotografías por su maestría en el campo donde habían trabajado largas horas para brindarle una educación.
Este programa se llevará a cabo en español. Habrá copias gratuitas del libro.
Presentado por el Grupo Latinx de la Biblioteca Pública de Los Ángeles.
This month our question was what is lutefisk. Lutefisk is often considered to be the national dish of Norway. It is made from salted cod or whitefish in a 5 day process involving soaking in water followed by soaking in lye.
Find a modified recipe for the dish in the database used to answer the question. Specifically, A to Z World Food. This database is an online resource containing traditional recipes for 174 countries of the world and a food glossary with over 800 terms. Includes articles on ingredients, food quotes, and historical timelines.
Find A to Z World Food on the library’s Research & Homework page under “A” and access it with your library card.
From the special collections of the Frances Howard Goldwyn Hollywood Regional Branch Library, this collection spans from the earliest years of the motion picture industry to the World War II era.
Today we’ll look at the poster for An International Sneak a 1917 film. Access the full image here
Penric’s Progress by Lois McMaster Bujold is a collection of the first 3 Penric novellas. Penric is a sorcerer and scholar. Penric’s world is one with 5 very present gods, demons, and magic. In Penric’s Demon we learn his origin story, what happened to change a rural, second son into a sorcerer. In Penric and the Shaman we meet him a few years later as he is conscripted to help solve a murder mystery involving shamanistic magic. In Penric’s Fox he and his comrades are faced with another murder mystery where the intended victim is not who we originally suppose.
The stories are all engaging and Bujold brings her excellent character & world building skills to them. I would highly recommend the book.
Join us for another Expedition LA program. This time around learn all about cultivating plants to attract pollinators. The Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers & Native Plants will be presenting this class which they describe here:
Delve into the art of attracting bees, butterflies, birds, and other vital pollinators by conscientiously addressing their habitat requirements through the cultivation of native plants in your home or container garden. California boasts the most diverse array of plant life in the United States by region, with over 7,000 native species, a third of which are exclusive to the state. These native plants support an equally diverse wildlife population, including native pollinators. Discover how native plant gardening can foster wildlife habitats and enhance the health of our communities. This class is suitable for both beginners and experienced individuals looking to expand their skills!
Expedition LA is a free program series bringing you closer to the beautiful nature and state parks of Los Angeles. Funding provided by the State of California.
About the Theodore Payne Foundation:
Theodore Payne Foundation (TPF) is a nonprofit organization that inspires and educates Southern Californians about the beauty and ecological benefits of California native plants.