Cahuenga Branch Library

Cahuenga Branch Library. . , The Patron Saint of Libraries , Born in Scotland, self-made steel magnate Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) built his fortune in America. A major philanthropist, Carnegie was dedicated to expanding educational opportunities for people around the globe. As part of this effort, he began to provide funding for free, easily-accessible public libraries. This mission has lived on long after his death in the last century, the Carnegie Corporation of New York has helped finance more than 2,500 libraries worldwide. , A Gift to the City , In 1911, the Carnegie Corporation gifted the rapidly growing city of Los Angeles $210,000 to build six new libraries , Vermont Square, Lincoln Heights, Cahuenga, Arroyo Seco (demolished), Vernon (demolished), and Boyle Heights (demolished). In 1916, the Cahuenga Branch Library in East Hollywood was the last to be constructed with Carnegie funds. The location was chosen by a "balloon survey" , a hot air balloon was flown over the city, and the visually dense clustering of buildings in East Hollywood determined the likeliest location for a library. , The new library, which contained nearly 5,000 books, was easily accessible to all Angelenos via the Red Car Line. Its festive grand opening on December 4, 1916, included speeches by Los Angeles leaders and musical numbers sung by the nearby Normal School's girls' glee club. Emphasizing the new branch's dedication to childhood literacy, city librarian Everett Perry proclaimed in the gendered language of the time: "Your boy can borrow here books on wireless telegraphy or raising rabbits; your girl, books on sewing or cooking." , A Classic Design , The Cahuenga Branch Library was designed by architect Clarence H. Russell, who was one of the designers of the Venice Canals. The layout of the brick and artificial stone building followed the progressive "butterfly plan" which allowed the entire floor, including the open-air reading room, to be supervised from a centrally located cirulation desk. There was also a dedicated children's section, overseen by librarian Gladys Glenn. The basement featured a large auditorium, with seating for 300 people. The library building shares elements at its entrance common to many Carnegie libraries: a stairway symbolizing personal elevation through learning, and lampposts at the front entrance, symbolizing enlightenment. , A Community Center , The branch quickly became an important part of East Hollywood's cultural and educational life. Fannie Dorman, its first head librarian, believed the library and auditorium should be used for community events. One of the most popular activities was the weekly community sing, where East Hollywood residents would gather in the Auditorium to sing popular songs of the day. During World War I, the auditorium became a somber place where female volunteers rolled bandages for injured soldiers. , By the mid-1920s there were dozens of monthly events at the library including meetings of the Hollywood Repertoire Company, Oral Arts Club, Boy Scouts, as well as elections, musical recitals and "Americanation" classes. As the demographics of East Hollywood shifted, the library sought new ways to serve its community, hiring multilingual librarians and offering language and job development assistance. , The Cahuenga branch is one of three surviving Carnegie libraries in Los Angeles , it has been designated a Historic-Cultural Monument and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 2016, the library celebrated 100 years of service to the East Hollywood community.