Title supplied by cataloger. Central Library, located at 630 W. 5th Street in downtown Los Angeles, was designed by architects Bertram G. Goodhue and Carlton M. Winslow. Constructed between 1922-1926, it was designed to mimic the architecture of ancient Egypt, complete with a tiled mosaic pyramid tower and many beautiful murals throughout. Tragic fires in 1986 destroyed part of the building along with 20 percent of the library's collection, prompting a closure for 6 years while restoration took place. The renovation was completed in 1993, and the library reopened on October 3, 1993. The Los Angeles Public Library is the third largest public library in the United States in terms of books and periodical holdings, boasting over 6 million volumes. It was added to the National Register of Historical Places in 1970 - Building #70000136. Foreign Languages Department interior, it was later renamed the International Languages Department. Shelving units are visible along the perimeter of the department, neatly housing hundreds of books. All of the wooden tables and chairs are empty, indicating that the photograph was possibly taken before or after the library opened to the public. Today, the International Languages Department is one of the largest and finest multi-language resource centers in a North American public library. Its collection is comprised of 170,000 cataloged books, 250 magazines and newspapers in print and microform, 2,500 language learning audio and videocassettes and microcomputer programs and 1,000 travel posters. The core of the department's materials includes literature, poetry, drama, history, biography and fiction in 28 different languages. In addition, dictionaries, phrase books and easy readers are available in over 500 languages and dialects of the world.
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;17 x 24 cm. on board 21 x 26 cm. Photographic prints
Los Angeles Public Library Los Angeles Public Library.--Foreign Dept Library buildings--California--Los Angeles Library shelving--California--Los Angeles Libraries--California--Los Angeles Goodhue, Bertram Grosvenor,1869-1924 Winslow, Carleton M.,1919-
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