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LA Public Library highlights archives and community programs at 'Beyond the Stacks' forum
Summary
City Librarian John Szabo and the Library Foundation discussed digital archives, outreach programs, and services including a photographer's archive accessible online and programs serving teens, immigrants, and families.
City Librarian John Szabo and the Library Foundation of Los Angeles hosted a forum at Central Library to highlight the public library's role in civic life and expand awareness of its programs and archives.
Szabo said the system is "constantly evolving," noting services such as the Tech to Go program that lends laptops and mobile Wi‑Fi, early‑childhood literacy initiatives, and exhibitions that preserve Los Angeles history. He and Library Foundation representatives said the library serves as a hub for immigration assistance, teen programs, and community outreach.
The library also emphasized photographic collections now available online. Speakers pointed listeners to an archive of a photographer named Carol, and to a public search site (tessa.lapl.org) that the foundation said hosts a growing database of digitized images — more than 135,000 photos in the wider collection, according to the program.
Foundation and library representatives said they want the public to recognize the library's work beyond physical branches, including mobile outreach such as book bikes, and partnerships that fund programs like Teens Leading Change and Read, Baby, Read.
The forum was recorded for later online viewing, and organizers encouraged Angelenos who could not attend to watch the session to learn more about library resources and upcoming exhibitions.
