Came here with a fellow yelper after my clamorous beseeching that we go check out the library. I'd…read moreread about this amazing place but never thought I would ever get the chance to go. Which is funny because I seldom read (I lead). I was happy as a clam here. This library is so damn awesome. Truly a gem, not only from how massively huge it is and the exhibits that make it a bit of a museum on top of being a library, but also the digital resources and sewing machines people can use as part of the library's offerings. Staff were also all great. We perused the dog aisle and found books on GSDs, whippets, French bulldogs, Rottweilers, but nothing on poodles. "Man, f this place," he said lol Love love love this library - OC needs something this cool.

I came here for the 100 year anniversary festival…read more It had been a while since I had visited. The first time was because I had just moved to L.A. and based on a travel book, this was one of the must see landmarks. I had also watched an episode of Huell Howser on PBS and wanted to see the fountains up front that were featured on the show. Inside, the atrium with huge colorful chandeliers hanging from the skylights left an unforgettable memory and when I saw them again, they were still as amazing as I had remembered. What I hadn't remembered was how many levels there were. From the outside, the building doesn't look very tall in comparison to the modern skyscrapers looming above it. However, the festival encourages you to go to each level by having something to see and do on each one. There are 8 levels total with 4 of them underground. A lot of work was put into making the festival as engaging as possible. Outside there were booths with freebies, a live band, and food trucks. Inside there were guest speakers, screenings, and arts & crafts. I easily spent 6 hours at the festival. Restrooms weren't a problem since there was one on each level. The screening and speaker I went to see talked about the art and architecture of the building, like I didn't know it was built around the same time ancient tombs in Egypt were discovered, which led to the library having a pyramid on its roof and sphinxes by the stairs. One of the unfortunate experiences I had was at the information booth: Online I read the suggestion to present your library card so you can get your parking validated and you'll pay $1 instead of $10. I looked online and was pleased to find out I could apply for an electronic library card since I'm an L.A. resident. I could also pre-register for a physical card and pick it up in person. The morning of the festival I went to the info booth to pick up my card. The man was very short with me and told me to go to the line for checking books in & out. At that line I was told that since I already had an electronic card, I couldn't get the physical card, which was different from what was said online. Exasperated, I said all I wanted was to get my parking validated, so I was sent back to the info booth. At the info booth, the man from the books check in & out line got angry at the man & woman at the info booth for sending me there when all I wanted was to get my parking validated & they both yelled back "She didn't say that!" When the man from the books check in & out line left, I asked if either the electronic or physical card expired. Both do. The woman at the info booth tried to send me back to the books check in & out line to get the physical card, but I said I didn't see the point if both versions expired, showed her my electronic library card, and she quietly validated my parking, but I could sense her rage over the whole ordeal. To be clear, I came here for a good time. I tried to get my parking validated right when they opened so I could beat the crowds, and since it was so early, all 3 employees hadn't dealt with hundreds of visitors yet to be that irate and angry already. It was not a good start to the festival. Fortunately, the rest of the event went smoothly and the other employees were nice. It makes me wish they were at the front desk instead. If you're going to put people up front, they need to already be people who enjoy chatting with other people. The 3 I ended up with seemed more fitted to work in the back alphabetizing books. Overall, I had a good time. The library is as beautiful as I remembered and the activities were fun. Just beware of some of the employees at the front desks.

We, With Urban Voices Choir Sing Here, Every Monday From…read more4:00 - 5:00pm Music, Singing, Community Takes Me Higher Over Everything, Sad, Bad, Tragic, I Find I Thrive Much Love Iron Donato

Wonderful place to come here in the morning and study in quiet atmosphere. But would be nice to add…read moresome more foreign language books

A great and quiet place away from the riff raffs of the streets of Beverly Hills and the love the…read moreatmosphere so far to study.

I had been wanting to come to this library for a while now. As expected, this is a beautiful and…read moreclean library. You can kind of get lost in some of the hidden pockets of it. If you desire a more communal public space, there are plenty of seats in the middle of the library. But if you are looking for a more quiet, subdued, isolated experience, check the far corners of the library at the end of some of the shelves and you'll find perfectly unoccupied spaces to be in your own zone. While I don't love that you have to take a ticket to park, the first two hours here are free. Bonus perk: you don't have to be a resident of Beverly Hills to have a Beverly Hills library card. I signed up for one and I'm looking forward to using this in addition to my LAPL card. Another bonus perk: they offer passport services here.

I never knew about this place until my friends suggested it. So glad we stopped by. You don't see…read morethese old buildings much at all anymore. You can only walk the 1st floor but it's pretty cool!

Fun stop when visiting Grand Central Market. So many movies have filmed here -- Blade Runner and…read moreLethal Weapon just to name a couple. It's refreshing to see this kind of architecture in Los Angeles among endless mini malls. You can tell real pride went into the design and craftsmanship. A true historic landmark and worth taking a few minutes to appreciate while you're there.

Love this library, it is clean, beautiful, and the staff is amazing! However, I wish the following…read morethree issues could be attended to. 1. Chill with the A/C y'all! It's always too cold in here. Whether it's a heatwave outside or a monsoon, my fingers are always frozen. 2. There is no quiet. Especially the first floor is like a talk show. People are holding regular volume conversations about youtube videos and what not. You're in a library!!! It's ridiculous. 3. Sick students. I mean the person sounds like they are dying and yet they thought it was a good idea to bring their plagued self into a closed public place and spend hours coughing and sneezing without even covering their mouth. You'd think they're auditioning for a zombie movie. Their parents clearly failed, but why is the library failing? A friendly "Stay Home if You're Sick" sign would be so helpful! OR maybe a dedicated "Sick Bay" corner. I've changed rooms four times in just 2.5 hours! Come on people!

Great place to study!! Wonderful view of the entire Southbay/West-side of LA. Very quiet and…read morestudents here are respectful. Tip: if you can ride a bike here, you don't need a permit. Parking can get expensive ($5/hour? Max out at $20 I think, and free on the weekend.

My experience, arriving at the last bookstore in DTLA was one of the best experience of my solo…read moretrip in LA. Before you walk in, you are to check your bag with Lee. There's a sign that says it when you walk in and the person checking your bags will let you in and give you a numbered as binder clip. There is so many photo apps in this bookstore. It almost feels like you have to be there half a day and just sit down and enjoy everything they have to offer to read. I went to the poetry section right away, and I thought ' aw man there isn't much,' but I still got to find a book to purchase. I then had to use the bathroom, which didn't have any toilet paper in any stalls. But managed to use the seater paper. Hey whatever works. I was surprised to see that they have merchandise for sale of all kinds of T-shirts and blouses and sweaters. The value for these books are not too expensive, but there is so much to see and if you find the right thing, that's what paying for them buy it. I was also very happy to listen to music of my favorite artist being played. They had several music from Natalia Laforga to Chicano Batman many Spanish songs playing.. The universe truly brought me to this place because I've been wanting a T-shirt for a very long time, and I stumbled upon it without even looking for it.

l've been here several times already and I'm always amazed that a place like this even exists. It's…read moresuch a unique store, and I've picked up books, coffee, and other merchandise on various visits all at good price. Even when I'm not looking to buy anything, it's still worth coming just to explore. The place is unlike anything else. It's also a perfect spot for anyone creating content for a social media travel page. Upstairs you'll find an art gallery and several other shops, while downstairs has old vinyl records and CDs. If you love that classic old bookstore smell, this place has it in full. Personally it's not my favorite, but definitely worth noting for those who do. The main downsides are parking and crowds. Finding a spot by car can be a challenge, and the store draws a good number of tourists so it can get pretty packed. If you're not a fan of crowds, just keep that in mind before you go.

William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, named for one of the most illustrious and impactful Los…read moreAngeles citizens you've never heard of, offers a look into the life and times of a truly special and important Angeleno. William A. Clark Jr. was the founder of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, a fine book collector, and philanthropist who donated this exceptional library to the University of California, Los Angeles. He was also a husband, a father, heir to a large fortune, a lover, and a fan of Oscar Wilde. His romantic partner Harrison Post was a noted transcriber of Oscar Wilde's letters; the library continues to hold significant works by this ground-breaking author. The buildings comprising the library have been beautifully preserved and expanded over the years. The library collection itself is held in temperature controlled areas, with volumes being rotated out for exhibits. Appointments are necessary to see specific volumes. The grounds themselves are open to the public during business hours; however, to see the interior of the library, you must attend a docent-guided tour. Our docent, Bailey, was truly exepctional; humorous, knoweledgable, and patient with all our questions. Please email the library to sign up for a tour. Admission is free. Parking is also free (as we were told, the *only* free parking on the UCLA campus!). Add this to your list if you're interested in Los Angeles, history, queer history, and/or Oscar Wilde. Highest recommendation.

Yesterday, I went for their annual open house and adopt-a-book fair! This library is stunning,…read morealmost like a museum. I love their ceiling artwork the most. The staff are so friendly and walk you through William Andrew Clark's life, why he wanted the high walls, and what they are working on. I hadn't known they filmed movies here! I'd recommend visiting for people who love community programs, museums, music and art, and for those eager to support their preservation efforts.

Cute little library wish there was more parking. Lots of student in there during finals and that's…read morenice

Los Feliz Library was closing early for some reason, so I decided to come and check out this…read morelibrary which I've been meaning to for quite some time. Underground parking is free, but limited spaces. Plenty of EV parking spots though. There's metered street parking. Several places to sit outside of the library which is nice. When you enter the library, you can either take the stairs or elevator. Layout of the library is nice and cozy. LOVE the computer area!! I feel the layout here is more private compared to the Los Feliz Library. There are also much more computers to use here compared to the Los Feliz Library!! Very clean. Fairly quiet except for the occasional toddler. Only two stalls in the restroom, but it's clean. Interesting that there's a mirror next to the water fountain. Interesting looking book drop. When you see it, you will know what I mean.

So far, I am impressed with this location. I booked a study room and used it yesterday. The room is…read moreample, plenty of space and it includes a white board. This will come in handy for me as I am re-learning anatomy for my upcoming nursing program. I booked it for 2 hours and that seems plentiful. You check in with the librarian and they walk you over to the study room. I believe they have three to offer. Lastly, ain't nothing better than to be at the library cooling down and avoiding the heat wave.

My eight year old son really loves this library. We closer…read moreto Glenoaks but I gladly drive here because he feels comfortable, safe and the staff is always helpful and friendly. He always comes out talking about next time :) They also have all his books of choice. Thank you to all of the staff and donors

Came in today to use their scanning machine since mine died. I have to admit I was completely lost…read morewithin the first 5 to 10 minutes-not only on where to find the machine which was right in front of me, but also to actually use it. In addition I had lost my actual LA county library card, so thanks weren't exactly after a great start. Smh The CSA (CUSTOMER SERVICE ALL STAR) of this experience was none other than Mohsen (AKA the "silver haired fox". He was "Johnny to the rescue" in both getting me up and running with a new library ID card and assisting me on my objectives for the day here. Thanks Mohsen, your a credit to the LA County Library system and the Culver City location in particular.

This place is amazing. I come here for story time with my little one and it's so much fun. The…read morelibrary itself is very clean and the staff here are great. There is so much seating area, tables so you can study and get homework done or just research. They have these cool little rooms if you needed to have a study group or small meetings as well. They do have a bigger auditorium for events or just conferences. Their bathrooms they have to buzz you in just because there are many homeless that tend to hang here. There are also other bathrooms that are kid friendly and you need a key for those. Their kid area is great and lots of fun books and areas for them to study and they also have computers you can check out for homework and fun games. I come here once a week and love it!