The Library Book

THE LIBRARY BOOK by Susan Orlean I have fond memories of weekly trips to the library when I was younger. The LA Public Library (Central Library/LA Central) was only two miles from our house. I was a voracious reader and left with at least 6 books each time. I was seven when the 1986 fire broke out at the Central Library and thus wasn’t aware of how devastating it truly was. While the author does go into detail about the fire, the suspected arsonist and the aftermath, the story often meandered and split into multiple tangents. We are given a (very) deep dive into the history of libraries, the beginnings of the LAPL, the various head librarians, library management, library patrons and so on. This could have been split up into two separate yet related books. Overall, despite it not sticking to the subject matter, I did learn a lot and I have a renewed appreciation for our public libraries and the people who keep them running. Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️

Great Historical information and the important roles a Library can have in one’s life.

I enjoyed the author's recollection of her memories of going to the library as a child. It did invoke memories of my childhood, too, and the weekly visits I made to the library. I loved the first 25% about the fire and the all the facts regarding the collections and the attempts to preserve what could be saved. I liked the last 25% about the suspected arsonist. However, the middle was a long read that i struggled to get through. When I put the book down, I did not rush to pick it up again. It was tremendously well researched but it was more than I cared to read.