Check It Out!
It was a warm August day. At least 90 degrees outside. However, it felt much warmer in my apartment. To beat the heat inside, I decided to take a walk outside. Taking a long walk, not only clears my mind but allows me to see what an amazing city we live in—the diversity, the buildings, the weather. I had just crossed Cherry and Third Street and saw one of those great 1920s buildings I had never seen in all my time living in Long Beach: the Alamitos Branch of the Long Beach Public Library located at 1836 E. Third Street. Being that it was so warm outside and I was curious about what it looked like inside, I decided to check it out (no pun intended).
Up until that point, I wasn't an avid reader and hadn't been to a library since my college years. Those were pre-internet days where researching for a paper took hours, so my idea of a library was not one of leisure. Walking into the building, not only was the air conditioning amazing, it was comfortable, charming and calm. I took a walk around and noticed that although somewhat small, it had many different sections catering to whatever it was one might be looking for. Being that I had been staring at a guitar that had been sitting in my room for years, waiting for me to pick up and learn how to play, I decided to check out my first book: The Beginners Guide to Playing Guitar. I walked up to the counter, filled out an application, showed my ID and checked my first book out (which started a new trend for me).
Returning the book four weeks later (I only picked up the guitar once), I checked out another book and saw on the counter a list of all the branches in Long Beach. To my surprise, there were 12!
Long Beach is the 36th largest city in the nation and the sixth largest city in California. According to Wikipedia, as of 2008, its estimated population was 492,682. It is because of our large size that we are fortunate to have so many locations. This means that a branch location is close by, no matter where you live. Below is a list of all the locations:
Main Library
101 Pacific Ave.
LB, CA 90822
562.570.7500
Free Wireless
Alamitos Neighborhood Library
1836 E. Third St.
LB, CA 90802
562.570.1037
Ruth Bach Neighborhood Library
4055 Bellflower Blvd.
LB, CA 90808
562.570.1038
Bay Shore Neighborhood Library
195 Bay Shore Ave.
LB, CA 90803
562.570.1039
Brewitt Neighborhood Library
4036 E. Anaheim St.
LB, CA 90804
562.570.1040
Burnett Neighborhood Library
560 E. Hill St.
LB, CA 90806
562.570.1041
Dana Neighborhood Library
3680 Atlantic Ave.
LB, CA 90807
562.570.1042
Free Wireless
El Dorado Neighborhood Library
2900 Studebaker Rd.
LB, CA 90815
562.570.3136
Bret Harte Neighborhood Library
1595 W. Willow St.
LB, CA 90810
562.570.1044
Free Wireless
Los Altos Neighborhood Library
5614 E. Britton Dr.
LB, CA 90815
562.570.1045
Mark Twain Neighborhood Library
1401 E. Anaheim St.
LB, CA 90813
562.570.1046
Free Wireless
North Neighborhood Library
5571 Orange Ave.
LB, CA 90805
562.570.1047
Free Wireless
The Long Beach public library is committed to meeting the information needs of our culturally diverse and dynamic population. Family learning centers are located in each neighborhood library throughout the city. These centers are due to the efforts of the Long Beach Public Library Foundation and its generous donors. These centers are designed to provide supervised homework assistance for students on a drop-in basis. A collection of homework support materials and computer-based learning opportunities help enrich student study skills and develop parent participation and support.
Seniors
The following programs and services are provided to enhance the lives of seniors in our community:
Specialized Collections
· Large Print books - fiction and non-fiction
· Media - books on tape and CD, Braille tapes, music CDs, movies (DVDs and VHS)
· Genealogy reference books located at the Main Library
Book Clubs
· Book clubs are available at most Long Beach Public Libraries
Homebound Reader Services
The Homebound Reader Services program provides customized library materials to homebound customers living in Long Beach. The service is specifically designed for those who are confined to their homes by an illness or an injury, either chronic or temporary. This service is initiated by a request to the Homebound Readers Service at (562) 570-6959, Tuesdays-Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Materials are selected for each homebound reader and mailed out every other week at no charge. The program is like a personal librarian at your service.
The Long Beach public libraries offer additional services to meet the needs of our community. For a full list and library hours, please visit their website at www.lbpl.org.
I had the opportunity to visit 10 out of the 12 locations, with the main library being the biggest and providing resources to include DVDs and CDs. You can return books at any location, and the catalog system shows you exactly at which location your item is located. The staff is friendly and helpful and willing to help with any questions you may have.
The Long Beach Public Library system is just one the many great services offered to our community. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to go check it out (pun intended)!
Up until that point, I wasn't an avid reader and hadn't been to a library since my college years. Those were pre-internet days where researching for a paper took hours, so my idea of a library was not one of leisure. Walking into the building, not only was the air conditioning amazing, it was comfortable, charming and calm. I took a walk around and noticed that although somewhat small, it had many different sections catering to whatever it was one might be looking for. Being that I had been staring at a guitar that had been sitting in my room for years, waiting for me to pick up and learn how to play, I decided to check out my first book: The Beginners Guide to Playing Guitar. I walked up to the counter, filled out an application, showed my ID and checked my first book out (which started a new trend for me).
Returning the book four weeks later (I only picked up the guitar once), I checked out another book and saw on the counter a list of all the branches in Long Beach. To my surprise, there were 12!
Long Beach is the 36th largest city in the nation and the sixth largest city in California. According to Wikipedia, as of 2008, its estimated population was 492,682. It is because of our large size that we are fortunate to have so many locations. This means that a branch location is close by, no matter where you live. Below is a list of all the locations:
Main Library
101 Pacific Ave.
LB, CA 90822
562.570.7500
Free Wireless
Alamitos Neighborhood Library
1836 E. Third St.
LB, CA 90802
562.570.1037
Ruth Bach Neighborhood Library
4055 Bellflower Blvd.
LB, CA 90808
562.570.1038
Bay Shore Neighborhood Library
195 Bay Shore Ave.
LB, CA 90803
562.570.1039
Brewitt Neighborhood Library
4036 E. Anaheim St.
LB, CA 90804
562.570.1040
Burnett Neighborhood Library
560 E. Hill St.
LB, CA 90806
562.570.1041
Dana Neighborhood Library
3680 Atlantic Ave.
LB, CA 90807
562.570.1042
Free Wireless
El Dorado Neighborhood Library
2900 Studebaker Rd.
LB, CA 90815
562.570.3136
Bret Harte Neighborhood Library
1595 W. Willow St.
LB, CA 90810
562.570.1044
Free Wireless
Los Altos Neighborhood Library
5614 E. Britton Dr.
LB, CA 90815
562.570.1045
Mark Twain Neighborhood Library
1401 E. Anaheim St.
LB, CA 90813
562.570.1046
Free Wireless
North Neighborhood Library
5571 Orange Ave.
LB, CA 90805
562.570.1047
Free Wireless
The Long Beach public library is committed to meeting the information needs of our culturally diverse and dynamic population. Family learning centers are located in each neighborhood library throughout the city. These centers are due to the efforts of the Long Beach Public Library Foundation and its generous donors. These centers are designed to provide supervised homework assistance for students on a drop-in basis. A collection of homework support materials and computer-based learning opportunities help enrich student study skills and develop parent participation and support.
Seniors
The following programs and services are provided to enhance the lives of seniors in our community:
Specialized Collections
· Large Print books - fiction and non-fiction
· Media - books on tape and CD, Braille tapes, music CDs, movies (DVDs and VHS)
· Genealogy reference books located at the Main Library
Book Clubs
· Book clubs are available at most Long Beach Public Libraries
Homebound Reader Services
The Homebound Reader Services program provides customized library materials to homebound customers living in Long Beach. The service is specifically designed for those who are confined to their homes by an illness or an injury, either chronic or temporary. This service is initiated by a request to the Homebound Readers Service at (562) 570-6959, Tuesdays-Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Materials are selected for each homebound reader and mailed out every other week at no charge. The program is like a personal librarian at your service.
The Long Beach public libraries offer additional services to meet the needs of our community. For a full list and library hours, please visit their website at www.lbpl.org.
I had the opportunity to visit 10 out of the 12 locations, with the main library being the biggest and providing resources to include DVDs and CDs. You can return books at any location, and the catalog system shows you exactly at which location your item is located. The staff is friendly and helpful and willing to help with any questions you may have.
The Long Beach Public Library system is just one the many great services offered to our community. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to go check it out (pun intended)!
