Happy 100th birthday, Central Library! Los Angeles Public Library’s architectural icon marks its centennial in 2026. The year-long festivities for Central 100 include special exhibits, multiple programs and events, a family-friendly festival on July 11, online podcasts and blogs, two new books about Central Library and even an old-fashioned melodrama to close out the year.

An Art Deco masterpiece in downtown L.A., Central Library is not only a showcase for stunning art and architecture, but also a thriving community hub that welcomes thousands of visitors every week to read, research, tour its wonders and attend programs for all ages. The institution has evolved since the building, themed to the Light of Learning, first opened in 1926. The passing decades saw the Library survive calls for its demolition, recover from a disastrous fire and double its footprint and capacity during renovations that added a spectacular eight-story atrium with the Tom Bradley Wing. Central Library stands today ready to meet the needs of the city for the next 100 years.

A centerpiece of Central 100 celebrations are six new exhibits displayed throughout the building that explore the Library’s storied past — including two recently opened time capsules — as well as the services and resources on which Angelenos have relied for a century.

Visitors to Central Library or any of Los Angeles Public Library’s 72 branches can pick up one of three color-by-number sheets (each depicting a Central Library view) to participate in a reading challenge. Another hands-on activity is to collect a set of historic catalog cards that can be individually stamped at each library location or used to create a personal art project, such as a collage or paper sculpture. Feel free to request additional cards as the Library has plenty of them! 

You can also record your personal stories about Central Library with the Community Oral History project. Angel City Press, Los Angeles Public Library’s own publishing house, is releasing two new books that may be purchased at Central Library’s Library Store or through other booksellers.

Los Angeles Central Library POPS: Celebrating a Century of the Light of Learning is a unique, collectible pop-up book for adult readers. 
L is for Librarian: The ABCs of Los Angeles Central Librarian, a picture book, is the first book for children published by Angel City Press.

The Central Library Centennial Festival on July 11 will welcome visitors of all ages to a free day-long extravaganza held both inside and outside the Library. Activities will include musical and dance performances, hands-on crafts for children, author talks, presentations by artists affiliated with the Library’s art installations, book signings and more. It’s a party held only once every 100 years!

It took 50 years from the founding of Los Angeles Public Library to create a dedicated headquarters building, Central Library. A lively melodrama that charts the ups and downs, and twists and turns, that led to the building we have today will open at the end of the year for free performances on Dec. 5-6 and 12-13. Save the date so you and your family can boo the villain and cheer the heroes!

While many special activities are being held during this anniversary year, Central Library welcomes visitors year-round with story times for multiple age groups, performing arts programs, workshops, teen activities, films and a dedicated makerspace (the Octavia Lab). Plus, highly trained docents offer free tours of the building’s amazing architecture with insights into the Library’s themes and history.

Visit lapl.org to learn more and to access library resources 24/7 with a library card — perhaps even a special edition Central 100 Library Card, available while supplies last. Join the celebration and wish Central Library a very happy birthday with many amazing years to come.