Find links to wildfire updates and emergency resources on our homepage.
All LA County Library locations will be closed on Monday, January 20 in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Additionally, we will be performing server maintenance on January 20. My Account, the Catalog, the Mobile App, and our Digital Library will be unavailable.
The Black Resource Center (BRC) was established as a special service of LA County Library in 1978 to serve the informational and educational needs of African Americans and the larger population by supporting research and study on social, historical and cultural aspects unique to the African American experience.
The Center serves as an information and referral agency to other libraries, government agencies and the general public. It is an important link in the survival and preservation of the heritage of African Americans. The Black Resource Center provides many services and activities that include:
In-depth reference service to specialized researchers and to the general public
Cultural awareness programs such as Juneteenth, Kwanzaa and Black History Month celebrations
Promotional materials and displays for programs and activities in support of African American heritage and multiculturalism
Community outreach and networking with other organizations and institutions
Upcoming Programs
What is in the Black Resource Center Collection?
The Black Resource Center selects and collects specialized materials by and about African Americans, the African American experience and the African Diaspora.
Core Collection:
Books, magazines, scholarly journals, newspapers, theses, dissertations, government publications, microform, audiovisual materials in various formats, and posters
The Black Musical Artist Collection
Pamphlets, newspaper clippings and photographs
Documents and papers on microform include Slave Narratives, Papers of the NAACP, National Archive Slave Schedules, and other historical materials.
Local and national newspaper archives on microform include such titles as the Los Angeles Sentinel, Compton Bulletin, California Eagle, Chicago Defender, New York Amsterdam News, Afro-American (Baltimore), Muslim Journal, Pittsburgh Courier and hundreds of other titles.
African American Living Legends Series – The “African American Living Legends” Series honored leaders and visionaries from the African American community from 1980 to 2008.
African American History and Heritage Site: A CreativeFolk.com website created by Gerri Gribi, historian, educator and musician. Covers a wide range of topics on African American history and culture.
The African-American Mosaic: Library-wide resource guide to the African American collections of the Library of Congress.
African American Registry: A non-profit education organization that offers comprehensive resources on African American heritage, history and culture.
California African American Museum (CAAM): Features treasures of African American art, history and culture. Provides cultural education through public programs and events.
Juneteenth World Wide Celebration: Provides a history of Juneteenth from its beginnings in 1865 when General Gordon Granger announced the Emancipation Proclamation to the slaves in Texas, and highlights Juneteenth celebrations all over the world.
Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community, and Culture: The official Kwanzaa website, detailing the history, principles, and symbols of this African American and Pan African holiday, created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga.
The King Center: Site of the living memorial dedicated to the advancement of the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute: Housed at Stanford University, the Institute is home to a broad range of activities and resources illuminating the life of King and the movements that he inspired.
Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum: Private collection of African American history and culture, including rare and out-of-print books, manuscripts, films and more.
Pan African Film and Arts Festival: Celebration of Black filmmaking based in Los Angeles and held annually during the first two weeks of February.
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture: A national research library devoted to materials that document the history and culture of people of African descent throughout the world.
Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC): A national civil rights and human rights organization born out of the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955. Promotes programs of economic empowerment, education, conflict resolution, youth development and more.
Many of our libraries offer enhanced resources, computers, and online services to support your homework needs. Check with your local library!
Kindle Paperwhite eReader
Welcome to a New Way to Read...
Have you walked into a library and wished you could check out more books than you could possibly carry? Check out a Kindle Paperwhite at participating libraries with a collection of titles that you are sure to enjoy. Each Kindle has been loaded with expert-selected books.
You don’t need internet access - all the books are pre-loaded onto the Kindle so you are ready to read.
Three week checkout
Renew up to 3 times, as long as no one else is waiting
Must be 18 or older (or under 18 with parent permission)
eBooks cannot be added to this device by user
How do I get one?
Visit a participating library to check out or place a hold on a Kindle Paperwhite. Kindles are not sent to other libraries for pick up.
Note: Selection of genres varies per library. Click on a library below to see the list of genres.
Library Locations with eReaders
Click on the library to view list of genres available.
Terms of Service and Laptop Library Locations
Laptops in this kiosk can be checked out by customers with a LA County Library card in good standing. The laptop is due back in the kiosk before the library closes on the same day it is checked out.
If you do not return the laptop to the kiosk on the same day you check it out, your library account will be charged the full replacement cost of the laptop.
When you check out a laptop from this kiosk, you agree to use it within the library only. If you remove the laptop from the library, you may held criminally responsible for theft of the laptop and/or be charged the full replacement cost of the laptop.
You are responsible for the laptop and you agree that you will reimburse the LA County Library for any damages if the laptop is damaged, lost or stolen while checked out to you.
If you check out a laptop and it is damaged, you will give it to library staff immediately.
You must save to a removable storage device (such as a USB drive) since your work will not be saved to the laptop beyond your current checkout.
LA County Library will not be held responsible for any damage or loss of data or media due to any cause while you are using a laptop from this kiosk.
By using this laptop, you must adhere to the Library’s Acceptable Use Policy. Laptops are available at the following libraries:
With your LA County Library card, you can download or stream eBooks, eAudiobooks, magazines, music, and movies on your computer, tablet, or phone. It's free and you'll never have to worry about overdue fines!
You'll need a library card in good standing and a PIN to access most downloadable & streaming content.
Consumer Health Information Program
The Consumer Health Information Program assists the public with medical research by providing information from reliable sources. Customers are invited to use the Norwalk Library collection which consists of books, magazines, videos, and online databases related to health topics. We also provide individualized research services.
Please be aware, we do not provide medical advice, nor are the materials we provide a substitute for a professional medical opinion.
What Can We Do for You?
We can provide you with information on topics such as:
Medical conditions or diseases
Prescription medications
Surgical procedures
General physician and hospital information
Book and website recommendations for further reading
A Family Place Library is a center for early childhood information, parent education, emergent literacy, socialization, and family support. Family Place builds on the knowledge that good health, early learning, parent involvement, and supportive communities play a critical role in young children's growth and development. Each Family Place Library features the following core elements:
A bright, colorful, and welcoming space for young children and their parents.
A collection of books, toys, videos, music, and other materials for babies, toddlers, parents, and service providers
Access to resources that emphasize emergent literacy, reading readiness, and parent education.
Developmentally appropriate programming, such as baby and toddler storytimes for younger children and their parents.
Outreach to new and underserved populations.
The Parent-Child Workshop is a five-week workshop featuring local professionals, such as nutritionists, speech and language therapists, and child development experts, who serve as resources for parents.
The first three years of a child's life lay the foundation for learning. Get the tools and resources you need to give your child the best possible start.
Great! Thank you for sharing your photos with Catalina PhotoShare, a community history project of LA County Library.
Your photos will be reviewed and if they meet the criteria, they will be added to the Catalina PhotoShare online collection.
If you have any questions, please contact: digitalprojects@library.lacounty.gov
LA County Library Californiana Collection
Accessing the Collection
The Californiana Collection is in closed stacks at the Norwalk Library located at 12350 Imperial Hwy, Norwalk, CA 90650.
About the Collection
The Californiana Collection consists of over 24,000 books and over 200 magazine and newspaper titles in paper and on microfilm as well as a collection of state documents including state and county budgets. The goal of this collection is to present a complete picture of the history, culture, environment and artistic expression of the people of California and to some extent, the western United States.
Collection Highlights
California Census Schedules from 1850 to 1910
Copies of The Alta California newspaper 1849-1891, as well as dozens of other 19th century newspapers from Gold Rush boomtowns, the Owens Valley and San Francisco
Official city and county histories from the 19th and 20th centuries
Materials on the Donner Party, California water projects, famous California crimes, Hollywood culture, biographies of Californians, pioneer narratives of the early days of California, and histories of the state written over the course of 150 years
