Bexley Public Library

Displaying 1 of 1

2018

Title:	The library book / Susan Orlean.
Author:	Orlean, Susan, author.
Format:	Book
Edition:	First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition. First Simon & Schuster trade paperback edition.
Publisher, Date:	New York : Simon and Schuster, 2018.
Description:	319 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
Summary:	The author reopens the unsolved mystery of the most catastrophic library fire in American history. This book chronicles the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) fire, and its aftermath, to showcase the crucial role that libraries play in our lives. The author delves into the evolution of libraries around the world, from their humble beginnings to their status as a cornerstone of the community; brings the departments of the library to life through on-the-ground reporting; reflects on her own experiences in libraries; and reexamines the case of Harry Peak, the actor long suspected of setting fire to the LAPL. The fire was disastrous: it reached 2000 degrees and burned for more than seven hours. By the time it was extinguished, it had consumed four hundred thousand books and damaged seven hundred thousand more. Investigators descended on the scene, but more than thirty years later, the mystery remains: Did someone purposefully set fire to the library? In addition to examining the circumstances of the fire, the author delves into the history of the LAPL. The book introduces us to a cast of characters from libraries past and present - from Mary Foy; who in 1880 at eighteen years old was named the head of the LAPL at a time when men still dominated the role, to Dr. C.J.K. Jones, "The Human Encyclopedia," who roamed the library dispensing information. The book introduces readers to Charles Lummis, an eccentric journalist and adventurer who was determined to make the L.A. library one of the best in the world, and to the staff in the twenty-first century, who work every day to ensure that their institution remains a vital part of the city it serves.--adapted from publisher's description and end-papers
Series:	Hello Sunshine Book Club
Subjects:	Los Angeles Public Library. Central Library -- Fire, 1986. Los Angeles Public Library. Central Library -- History. Public libraries -- California -- Los Angeles -- History. Arson investigation. Books. Library materials. Libraries -- Social aspects. Fires -- California -- Los Angeles.
Genre:	True crime stories.
Notes:	Added to Reese Witherspoon's book club Hello Sunshine after publication. Includes bibliographical references (pages 317-319). Some CLC copies may be variant printings with identical content.
ISBN:	9781476740188 1476740186 9781476740195 1476740194(trade paperback) 9781782392262 1782392262
System Availability:	76
Current Holds:	0
# Local items:	2
# Local items in:	1
# System items in:	60

Reserve

Please select and request a specific volume by clicking one of the icons in the 'Availability' section below.

Expand All | Collapse All

Availability

Suggestions and more

Author Biography

Susan Orlean has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1992. She is the author of seven books, including Rin Tin Tin, Saturday Night, and The Orchid Thief, which was made into the Academy Award'winning film Adaptation. She lives with her family and her animals in Los Angeles and may be reached at SusanOrlean.com and Twitter.com/SusanOrlean. - (Simon and Schuster)

Susan Orlean has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1992. She is the New York Times bestselling author of seven books, including The Library Book, Rin Tin Tin, Saturday Night, and The Orchid Thief, which was made into the Academy Award–winning film Adaptation. She lives with her family and her animals in Los Angeles and may be reached at SusanOrlean.com and on Twitter @SusanOrlean. - (Simon and Schuster)

Large Cover Image

Librarian's View

Map It

Displaying 1 of 1