Access to all Library services will be unavailable on Wednesday, August 19, 2026 starting at 9 pm due to server maintenance. Services are expected to resume in the early morning hours of Thursday, August 20.
Join LA County Librarian and Director, Dr. Skye Patrick, and Long Beach Public Library Director, Cathy de Leon, in conversation with actor, author, and activist George Takei in celebration of One Book, One Coast!
The largest book club on the West Coast wraps up with a special visit from George Takei, author of They Called Us Enemy. We'll be talking to George about the experiences that led to the creation of his memoir, what it means to be a good neighbor and citizen in the face of overwhelming challenges, and how shared books and stories build stronger communities.
A book signing will follow at 3 pm. George will be signing copies of They Called Us Enemy, My Lost Freedom, and It Rhymes with Takei. He will personalize books, but will not be writing messages. Photos will be available from the line, but no posed photos. George will not be signing any Star Trek items or memorabilia.
George Takei is a renowned civil rights activist, social media icon, Grammy-nominated recording artist, New York Times bestselling author, and pioneering actor whose career has spanned over six decades. Best known for his role as Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek, Takei has appeared in more than 40 feature films and hundreds of television episodes. He has leveraged his public profile to champion social justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and marriage equality.
Takei’s advocacy is deeply personal. As a child during World War II, he and his family were among the 125,000 Japanese Americans unjustly imprisoned in U.S. incarceration camps—a formative experience that shaped his lifelong commitment to civil rights and public service.
Currently, Takei serves as chair emeritus and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Japanese American National Museum. He was appointed to the Japan-United States Friendship Commission by President Bill Clinton and, in 2004, was honored by the Emperor of Japan with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, for his significant contributions to U.S.-Japan relations.
AGE GROUP: | Teens | Older Adults | Adults |
EVENT TYPE: | Lectures & Conversations | History, Society, & Culture | Books, Poetry, & Writing |
TAGS: | One Book One Coast |
East Los Angeles Library was established on May 1, 1923, with a small collection of books in the corner of a local store. Three months later, a small building was constructed to house the collection.
In 1924, another building was constructed at Kern Avenue near Whittier Boulevard to become the new site of the public library. Then in 1932, the library moved to 679 Fetterly Avenue, where it was located for 35 years before being moved to a new building, on the corner of Third and Fetterly in 1967.
Thanks to funding from Gloria Molina, Supervisor of the First District, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the library moved into its new location in September 2004.
This brand new library building is over 26,000 square feet, nearly double the size of the old building. The library is located within the East Los Angeles Civic Center, which also includes the East Los Angeles County Hall, Courthouse, Probation Department, Sheriff's station, Edward R. Roybal Comprehensive Health Center, and Belvedere Park Lake. The library now offers expanded services and collections and an expanded Chicano Resource Center in a separate room.
Community residents requested that the new library reflect Mayan design and themes. Since many Mayan structures in southern Mexico and Central America were astronomical observatories, the designers incorporated references to the sun and the moon, both themes in Mayan art, in the pavement at the entrances and in the lobby.
The interior foyer features artist Jose Antonio Aguirre's monumental mosaic mural cycle "OUR LEGACY: Forever Presente..." which is a visual tribute to East Los Angeles' proud cultural heritage and socio-political struggle.
