The Library Book

Locations
Call Number: 027.479 Or, Adult Book / Nonfiction / History / United States / General / Orlean, Susan
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Malletts Creek Branch, Traverwood Branch, Westgate Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	027.479 Or	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	027.479 Or	4-week checkout	Due 05-17-2024
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / History / United States / General / Orlean, Susan	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Traverwood Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / History / United States / General / Orlean, Susan	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / History / United States / General / Orlean, Susan	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / History / United States / General / Orlean, Susan	4-week checkout	Due 05-11-2024

"Susan Orlean reopens the unsolved mystery of the most catastrophic library fire in American history, and delivers a dazzling love letter to a beloved institution--our libraries"-- Provided by publisher.
"Orlean chronicles the LAPL fire and its aftermath to showcase the larger, crucial role that libraries play in our lives; delves into the evolution of libraries across the country and around the world, from their humble beginnings as a metropolitan charitable initiative to their current status as a cornerstone of national identity; brings each department of the library to vivid life through on-the-ground reporting; studies arson attempts to burn a copy of a book herself; reflects on her own experiences in libraries; and reexamines the case of Harry Peak, the blond-haired actor long suspected of setting fire to the LAPL more than thirty years ago"-- Provided by publisher.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Library Journal Review
Booklist Review
Publishers Weekly Review
Summary / Annotation
Fiction Profile
Excerpt
Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

please buy submitted by prueheikkinen on October 15, 2018, 11:23am please buy

Would make a better article submitted by fernzo on April 19, 2019, 10:37pm This one was not worth the time. Meandering and unsatisfying, The Library Book should have been an article. The author stated, at least twice, her initial resistance to making it a book, but finding the subject so compelling as to merit the commitment and labor. Why?! Having read it, I am genuinely mystified by this choice. The potential arsonist is not remotely interesting, and it is only in the moments she touches on the meaning and impact of books that Susan Orlean holds the reader's attention. I was disappointed, though it was clear to me in brief flashes, that this author potentially had more to offer in terms of interest than she provided here. I love my library, but this book? Meh.

Are You Interested in L.A., Libraries, or Arson? submitted by sdunav on July 11, 2019, 5:31pm Then this nonfiction book might be for you. I enjoyed most of this memoir and history (including the parts on the fire that would have been an important news story, if not for Chernobyl), but I can see where others would find it a bit meandering or scattered if they're not particularly interested in Los Angeles or what brings someone to start fires or to be a librarian.

Recent history woven with significance of libraries submitted by psgriffi on June 20, 2020, 10:11pm I didn't know anything about the LA Public Library fire prior to reading this book. The book told the story of a suspected arsonist setting the library on fire in 1986. Having never been to the LA Central Library, I will make a point to visit the building next time I'm in LA, just to see the architecture, art, and sniff the inside of a book to see if I can smell any smoke. More than the arsonist's story, I enjoyed learning about libraries and their significance in history. This book made me stop to ponder whether I'd enjoy being a librarian as a profession or not.

Library Lovers Rejoice submitted by granumm on July 15, 2020, 10:31am This is part true crime, part love letter to the institution of public libraries. This is filled with history on the Los Angeles Public Library, from its founding to the present, with (of course) special attention to how the Central Branch's structure and community experienced the fire and its aftermath. If you love libraries, then you will know and appreciate the magic of a day at the public library.

Mildly Interesting submitted by Princess Cimorene on July 19, 2020, 1:14pm I was very interested in the discussion of library innovation and historical figures (particularly women) in the library world, like Tessa Kelso, but found the inconclusive discussion of the whole fire and suspected arsonist a bit disappointing. I wish the book focused much less on the fire and more on the people who made the library what it was. I think the book could be cut in half without losing much.

SO COOL!! submitted by jaromatorio on July 24, 2020, 11:23am ‘The Library Book’ is a must-read for every book lover and public library enthusiast!

Though a little slow at times, ‘The Library Book’ tells the surprisingly fascinating story of the growth and development of the Los Angeles Public Library and of the massive fire that took place there in 1986 (which destroyed over 400,000 volumes!). I really enjoyed reading about the various characters who made the library what it is today and about the mystery surrounding this huge fire, but honestly I think my favorite part of ‘The Library Book’ was learning more about the day-to-day functioning of a public library and gaining a greater appreciation of how much libraries contribute to the civic life of a city.

Library submitted by nesma on July 27, 2020, 11:00pm The library book

Did not like the style, though the content was good submitted by Susan4Pax -prev. sueij- on June 12, 2021, 9:29pm 3.5/5 stars. I really have to break apart the content of this book from the author’s writing style choices.

On the content, which was about the history of libraries in the US and the Los Angeles library in particular, with a focus on the 1986 fire and its aftermath: an solidly good book that was fun, informative, and well-researched. There was a lot of great information, well-balanced between big-picture overview and individual people’s stories (especially librarians, but also the suspected arsonist and some patrons).

On Orlean’s writing style: She has chosen using the conceit of “me and my personal journey to research a thing/ person/ event,” and it does not interest me. The researcher/author is not the reason I am reading the book. If they want to write a memoir, then do so. If they want to write a research book, then do *that*. Their part of the story (why they were interested or how they were involved) belongs in a foreword and/or afterword. David Grann inserted himself into _The Lost City of Z_ for no apparent reason, and Matthew Desmond left himself out of _Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, for two examples of authors that I think did this poorly or well. In _The Library Book_, I find it utterly irrelevant to the central part of the book itself that Orleans loved libraries as a child, that she finds homeless people unpredictable and scary, or that she personally changed her opinion of whether Harry Peak was the arsonist. These things *thoroughly* detracted from the history of libraries, the LA library system, and the LA library fire story for me. I also occasionally found her time-jumping to be hard to follow.

So, overall worth the read, but never held my interest as much as it might have, had it been written differently.

Thrilling non-fiction submitted by avandeusen on July 17, 2021, 10:33am I learned so much about libraries, especially the LA library system, and got a riveting tale to go along with it. I love libraries and I love this book!

Nice submitted by Ilovetoeat on August 2, 2021, 12:44pm Nice funny Book

Loved submitted by bcartm01 on June 21, 2022, 8:58pm I loved this book and learning about the history of libraries, fires, etc, etc. This was a great read for me.