Photo by Sarah Shmerling
By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor
One of the longtime institutions lost to the Palisades fire was Palisades Branch Library, located at 861 Alma Real Drive.
“Those of us from Pacific Palisades are still attempting to fathom the tremendous destruction that’s occurred in our beloved hometown,” President of Friends of the Palisades Library Laura Schneider wrote to community members on Wednesday, January 15. “The loss of so many homes, businesses and community institutions, such as our beautiful branch library, is nearly beyond our ability to comprehend. But as we deal with the shock of losing so much, we will move forward with the confidence that we will rebuild our lives and our community for the better.”
The board of the Friends of Palisades Library—also known as Pacific Palisades Library Association—met on January 14.
“The board of the all-volunteer Pacific Palisades Library Association—half of whom have lost their own homes in the fires—met yesterday and agreed that given the enormity of the loss our patrons have suffered, now is not the time to be asking you to contribute to our Pacific Palisades Library Association,” Schneider wrote. “However, since so many of you have asked, please know that the best way to keep your resources in our community is to visit our website. But please know that while your support is appreciated, right now our highest priority is your safety and well-being.”
Schneider reported that longtime Senior Librarian Mary Hopf is currently working from the West Los Angeles Regional Branch and can be reached at mhopf@lapl.org, as she is “ready to continue to serve as a trusted and kind informational resource for Palisadians.”
“We will rebuild our beloved library and we will work with every organization that we can—the Los Angeles Public Library, the Library Foundation and our local community stakeholders—to help restore the heart of our community,” Schneider continued.
The history of the Palisades library dates back to 1929, when Los Angeles Public Library established limited library services in the Palisades, with a deposit station on Antioch Street, before establishing a public branch library in 1952.
“The community embraced this extraordinary addition, but the popularity of the library created a need for an even larger facility,” LAPL wrote in a post shared across social media. “In the 1990s, the Pacific Palisades community launched a fundraising campaign in addition to supporting a citywide library bond … which led to the expansion of the Palisades Branch Library.”
In 1963, Palisades Branch Library opened its Alma Real Drive doors. LAPL established a larger, and new library building in the Palisades in 2003—a home to several books, media and special collections sprawled across 11,500 square feet.
Palisades Branch Library often hosts community events and workshops, inviting Palisadians to book discussions, movie screenings, meditation practices and more.
“The Palisades Library is at the very heart of our community,” according to the Friends, “and the Friends of the Library has been the primary means of support for the programs that have added so much to the civic life of Pacific Palisades.”
For more information and to stay up to date with the library, visit friendsofpalilibrary.org/Join-Friends.htm. Donations are being accepted for the future of the library and can be made online at friendsofpalilibrary.org/library-Gifts.htm. Checks can be mailed to West Los Angeles Regional Branch Library, 11360 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90025, c/o Mary Hopf or Laura Schneider. After sending, email mhopf@lapl.org to confirm receipt.
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