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Please join us for this look into the important history of libraries.
"On the morning of April 29, 1986, a fire alarm sounded in the Los Angeles Public Library. As the moments passed, the patrons and staff who had been cleared out of the building realized this was not the usual false alarm. As one fireman recounted later, "Once that first stack got going, it was Goodbye, Charlie." The fire was disastrous: It reached 2,000 degrees and burned for more than seven hours. By the time it was extinguished, it had consumed 400,000 books and damaged 700,000 more. Investigators descended on the scene, but over thirty years later, the mystery remains: Did someone purposefully set fire to the library--and if so, who? Susan Orlean investigates the legendary Los Angeles Public Library fire to showcase the larger, crucial role that libraries play in our lives. To truly understand what happens behind the stacks, Orlean visits the different departments of the LAPL, encountering an engaging cast of employees and patrons and experiencing alongside them the victories and struggles they face in today's climate. She also delves into the evolution of libraries across the country and around the world, from a metropolitan charitable initiative to a cornerstone of national identity. She reflects on her childhood experiences in libraries; studies arson and the long history of library fires; attempts to burn a copy of a book herself; and she re-examines the case of Harry Peak, the blond-haired actor long suspected of setting fire to the library over thirty years ago. Along the way, she reveals how these buildings provide much more than just books--and that they are needed now more than ever."
—From Catalog.
Borrow the book from PGCMLS: Print | eAudiobook
Mon, Nov 11 | Closed |
Tue, Nov 12 | 12:00PM to 8:00PM |
Wed, Nov 13 | 12:00PM to 8:00PM |
Thu, Nov 14 | 10:00AM to 6:00PM |
Fri, Nov 15 | 10:00AM to 6:00PM |
Sat, Nov 16 | 10:00AM to 5:00PM |
Sun, Nov 17 | Closed |
Mon, Nov 11 | Closed |
Tue, Nov 12 | 12:00PM to 8:00PM |
Wed, Nov 13 | 12:00PM to 8:00PM |
Thu, Nov 14 | 10:00AM to 6:00PM |
Fri, Nov 15 | 10:00AM to 6:00PM |
Sat, Nov 16 | 10:00AM to 5:00PM |
Sun, Nov 17 | Closed |
Ask a Librarian Telephone Reference - (240) 455-5451
Dial 7-1-1 to place a call through Maryland Relay
Administrative Office
Prince George's County Memorial Library System
9601 Capital Lane, Largo, MD 20774
Tel: (301) 699-3500
TTY: Dial 7-1-1 to place a call through Maryland Relay
Administrative Office Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm
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