Los Angeles Public Library: It’s Not Just a Library Card
Growing up, I remember bringing home a stack of books on a Friday afternoon after a trip to the library. As an avid reader, the library was my candy shop, and my library card was my “multi-pass” to a treasure trove of books. To this day, I’m still a library card holder at the Los Angeles Public Library. And who wouldn’t want to be? From a new library card design created by local artist Gajin Fujita in 2019 to access technology, activities, and books. Here are a few perks to being a LAPL card holder:
Free and Discounted Admission to LA Museums
The LAPL’s Discover & Go program offers free or discounted passes to museums and places of interest like The Broad, La Brea Tar Pits & Museum, National History Museum, the LA Zoo, and many more. This program is available to all Los Angeles residents 18 and over with an LAPL card in good standing.
Access to the Octavia Lab
The Octavia Lab is a do-it-yourself studio space at the Central Library of the Los Angeles Local Library, honoring bestselling author and acclaimed pioneer of science fiction Octavia Butler. Services offered include 3D printing, laser cutter, green screen, buff screen backdrops, and PC and Apple access to Adobe Creative Cloud, MakerBot, Print, and Silhouette Studio. They even have sewing machines and computerized embroidery machines. Call the lab at (213)228-7150 to make reservations for access.
DIY Digitation
The Memory Lab, part of the Octavia Lab, lets you digitize all your old photographs, keepsakes, journals, cassette tapes, and even those home videos on VHS. To do so, you must make a reservation, attend an hour-and-a-half orientation, and sign a release form.
Tutoring Services
Do you need a tutor for your kids or yourself but can’t afford a private one? No worries! Your library card provides free access to one-on-one online homework assistance! Tutors are available daily from 11 am to 11 pm, providing assistance in English and Spanish for various subjects. This service is available not only for students in grades K-12 but also to adult learners. They even offer 24/7 access to test prep and study resources for standardized exams.
Online Learning
Your LAPL card offers a diverse (and massive) array of online courses. Choose from more than 3,000 courses and 150,000 video tutorials from Lynda.com, a six-week interactive course from Gala Course, and a comprehensive selection of language, software, business, and career-related courses.
Digital Access to Magazines and Newspapers:
Get access to The New York Times, Vogue, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, and O (The Oprah Magazine). Press Reader gives you instant access to more than 3,000 newspapers in different countries and in about 50 languages.
Access to E-media
Enjoy access to thousands of audiobooks, ebooks, digital comics, and movies! Link your library card to the Overdrive, Libby, Hoopla, and Kanopy to get started.
All this and access to free books in the library? What are you waiting for? Apply for your LAPL card now and take advantage of all these FREE perks. With National Library Week this week, what better time to get one?
