What better way to celebrate a birthday than with a party and other free events? On Friday September 30th and Saturday October 1st there will be mix of activities including a Friday evening panel, festivities all Sunday afternoon, and the opportunity to view library artworks.
The library opened October 1st 2011, a heralded architectural structure that has become a destination renowned for its art installations, cultural programs, and events as well as providing a terrific space for reading and working. The building includes the 32,000-square-foot library itself, a strong commitment to the community’s passion for life-long learning. The structure also holds the City Council Chambers and public meeting rooms, CATV facilities, and 2.5 acres of green and open space; tennis courts and two municipal garages complete the space.
Friday at 7 p.m., there will be a panel presentation titled “Do Libraries Have a Future.” The presentation promises to be a lively discussion created by a partnership between the City of West Hollywood’s continuing literary and author series and Zócalo Public Square. Zócalo is a non-profit organization that often partners with educational, cultural, and philanthropic institutions. Topics include how librarians have enlightened generations of readers and researchers, and what purpose libraries have going forward, when so much information is available on smart phones and computers with a simple click.
Panelists include the former director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services Susan Hildreth, Director of the Center for the Future of Libraries at the American Library Association Miguel Figueroa, and UCLA Deputy Librarian Susan Parker. Together they’ll explore just how libraries can keep their mission relevant by resetting their purpose in our connected, online world. Following the panel, there will be a reception and further time for discussion with panelists. Seats can be reserved – although reservations are not required – by visiting http://www.weho.org/residents/arts-and-culture/weho-reads-2016. The event will be held in the West Hollywood Park Public Meeting Room/Council Chambers at the library.
All ages are welcome at the library’s Saturday festivities. At 11 a.m. children will enjoy a special birthday-themed reading hosted by BookPALS in the library’s Children’s Theater. BookPALS is a children’s literacy program of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) Foundation, providing gifted union performers as storytellers.
Attendees will receive free books from the West Hollywood Library – a lasting party favor indeed.
They’ll also receive books at the 12 p.m. soundSpark concert of live experimental music sure to get young hands clapping. The performance will be held in the theater as well. The concert will be presented by the Society for the Activation of Social Space through Art and Sound (SASSAS), a catalyst for the creation, presentation, and recognition of experimental art and sound practices in the Los Angeles area.
The main event: a birthday party in the library’s community meeting room from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Treats and activities include, of course, birthday cakes and refreshments, plus special giveaways. Adults and kids alike will enjoy a crafts table, a caricaturist, henna tattooing, and face painting activities. For entertainment, there will be an eclectic mix of juggler, magician and balloon artist.
Attendees can also see art works on display in the library, including Pat York’s current exhibition of photography, Worth A Thousand Words: Portraits of Artists and Writers. Also on display are Mr. Brainwash’s “Heart Sculpture;” as a part of the city’s Urban Art Program, “Peace, Freedom, and Creativity” by Shepard Fairey displayed in the Council Chambers lobby, and David Wiseman’s “Platanus biliotechalis” exhibited in the atrium staircase. Three Art in the Streets murals are on view on the sides of the library’s parking structure, installed as a part of MOCA’s Art in the Streets exhibition and created by Kenny Scharf, RETNA, and Shepard Fairey.
All this and books, too. The events take place at the library which is located at 625 N. San Vicente Blvd., in West Hollywood. Help the city celebrate!