All LA County Library locations will be closed on January 1, 2025 in observance of New Year's Day. Libraries will close at 5 pm on December 31. Our digital library is open 24/7.
The Book Club meets the third Wednesday of every month. Copies of the current title are available at the Information Desk. New members are always welcome! For adults.
For the month of October, we're reading One Day She'll Darken by Fauna Hodel.
16-year-old Tamar Hodel gives birth to a blue-eyed, white skinned baby girl. She insisted that the father was "Negro." Outraged by the stigma attached to a mixed-race child within their midst, her mother quickly arranged to have the baby permanently given away to Jimmie Lee, a black maid in a Nevada casino. Overwhelmed by the problems of raising a white-skinned baby in her black community, Jimmie spent the next 20 years struggling to secretly raise Fauna. Together they endured extreme poverty, alcoholism, abuse, pregnancy, and death, knotted together by relentless bigotry. Fauna survived this difficult world with a vow to find her biological mother. Fauna uncovers her family's notorious secret: her extraordinary grandfather and the murder of the Black Dahlia.
This event is held in-person. LA County Public Health strongly encourages masks and physical distancing indoors regardless of vaccination status. Masks will continue to be available for customers upon request.
AGE GROUP: | Adults |
EVENT TYPE: | History, Society, & Culture | Books, Poetry, & Writing |
TAGS: | 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.
