The Library Book by Susan Orlean is a nonfiction account. It details the 1986 library fire at the Los Angeles Central Library. But the book is more than that. We get the history of the Los Angeles library system. We learn about the history of the libraries’ architecture. We also discover the history of book burning and understand how the current day Los Angeles library works. The fire and the investigation into whether it was arson or not are the hook. But what Orlean does masterfully is make me care. I got so involved in the case and the library’s history. The book jumps around from the past to the present. We will get some chapters on the fire interspersed with chapters on the history of the central library. The fire was tragic, with over how many items burned and were water damaged when putting the fire out. The library is located right in the center of L.A., right off the famous Sunset Strip. The alleged culprit of arson will have you scratching your head until the end, whether he did it or not. The guy is super interesting; he reminded me of Matt Damon’s character in the movie The Informant. If you know, you know. The book brings up great facts about the library system that I never thought of and takes advantage of. Years ago, I was a screenwriter. Those who have followed my blog for a while know that I lived in L.A. for 7 years. The library system and bus system were two of the best things about living there. The Library Book was first published on October 16, 2018.

Why did I read The Library Book by Susan Orlean? This book has been a long holdout on my ever growing TBR. I love all things libraries. I was in the Library Club in middle school. My wedding was library-themed. So I had to read this book.

What I Learned:

-The Los Angeles library was one of the first libraries to put “property of” on the book. This action caused a huge outrage at the time. Since it ruins the book.

-Children were not permitted in the first libraries; they amended it to 12, then eventually to 10. After finally getting rid of the age limit. It took 50 years of the Los Angeles library system for this to happen.

-The first libraries were more of a social club; they had a fee that only a few could afford. The librarians were the deciders of chess games and would handle bets. Once the fee was dropped, the library went from servicing 400 to 10,000 within a year.

-In the early days of libraries, it was rare to have a female librarian.

-An early idea for the library was to rent out sports equipment as well as books.

-Porn is allowed on library computers, since they lend out sex books with pictures.

-Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451 in a library. The book was his response to Nazi book burning.

What I Liked: I found the library history fascinating. The politics were wild for a time. There’s some big drama with librarians versus Library boards. The history of the book mobile was enlightening. I would have loved to see a horse-drawn carriage bookmobile. The head librarian, Charles Lummis, who partied and was a vagabond poet, deserves his own book. Harry Peak, the alleged arsonist, had the craziest story. He was such a wild guy. He could teach how to lie and be personable. Orlean has a good voice. She is a great observer. She lets the people speak and doesn’t insert herself into the story too much. I did like her touching tribute to her mom, who passed away while writing this book. I also appreciated the memory she shared about taking her to the library as a young girl. Orlean has passed this tradition down to her kids. I was satisfied with how the case of the library fire ended. I can see how not everybody liked it.

What I Disliked: There is some fluff, but those scenes enforce the dedication to current librarians. I would have cut the story of the photo longer. But it was funny how seriously she takes the job and only logs 3 pictures an hour. The book is set up like a library reference. It is not always relevant. However, it is used well in the end. But when it is random, I feel what is the point?

Recommendation: The Library Book provides a fascinating look at a fire that took knowledge away. This event led Orlean to write this book about the history and knowledge of libraries. The book captivated me from the start as the library fire from 1986 is broken down. I clamored for the knowledge of who was responsible. You should read this book if you want to learn about the history of libraries in the West. Their history began slowly and adapted over time. I recommend my followers to check out The Library Book.

Rating: The Library Book by Susan Orlean. I rated 4.5 out of 5 stars.