Select libraries will serve as Cooling Centers September 4 through September 9, 2024. See locations.
Copies of the current title are available at the Information Desk. New members are always welcome! For adults.
In honor of Pride Month, we're reading Small Joys: A Novel by Elvin James Mensah. Harley is a young queer black man struggling to find his way in nineties Britain. Returning home, having just dropped out of college, he is racked by feelings of failure and inadequacy. Standing in the woods one day, on the verge of doing something drastic and irreversible, Harley is held back by a stranger: a tall, husky guy who emerges from the bushes holding a pair of binoculars. Muddy is an ebullient bird-watcher whose lust for his own life makes others feel better by association. A rugby fanatic and Oasis obsessive, he quickly becomes a devoted and loyal friend to Harley, who finds his enthusiasm infectious. Moving, funny, and tender, Small Joys is an epic novel about ordinary lives that introduces the world to an unforgettable cast of characters.
AGE GROUP: | Adults |
EVENT TYPE: | History, Society, & Culture | Books, Poetry, & Writing |
TAGS: | LGBTQ+ Pride | Book Club |
San Fernando Library opened in November 1914 as a branch of the Los Angeles County Free Library. This library, the first public library in the mainly agricultural San Fernando Valley, found its home in the Industrial Arts building of the San Fernando Union High School located at 130 North Brand Blvd. In the first year, 1,849 books were circulated to 156 borrowers.
From 1925 to 1946, the library weathered the Depression and war years in three store-front locations all on North Maclay Street. Then from 1946 to 1953, the library was located at 11223 First Street.
In 1953, the library joined with city services when it became part of the civic center at 102 Macneil Street. Growth continued for the city and the library with the collection reaching a total of 27,572 volumes in 1964 for the library's 50th anniversary.
The 1970's saw the development of a strong Spanish-language collection and the creation of the community support group---the Friends of the San Fernando Library. In 1988, the library moved into a 6,000 square-foot facility located at 150 N. Library Street.
On June 20, 2001, the library moved to 217 North Maclay Ave, a brand new 8,601 square-foot leased facility. The library is the center piece of the newly constructed Library Plaza Mall. The project was a private/public partnership.
