L.A.’s Libraries Are Lookers

Even If You’re Not a Bibliophile, You Might Just Fall for the Mid-Century Modern Architecture, Card Catalogue Art, Stunning Murals, and Art Deco Details

by Jennifer Chen

When I was a kid, I read so voraciously my mom found it hard to keep up with my demand for new books. Her solution: Drop me off at the Monmouth County Library branch in Shrewsbury, New Jersey. I roamed through the children’s section, grabbing every Baby-Sitters Club book I could find. I spent most of my free time at this library, learning about dogs and, later, Emily Dickinson. I often pretended that the big gray building was my home.

As an adult, I’m still excited when I walk …

My Superhero’s Got a Green Card

Why I Created El Verde, a Factory Worker Who Moonlights as a Crusader

My childhood revolved around two things: television and superheroes. I always looked forward to coming home from school to watch reruns of Gilligan’s Island, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and …

Stacks by Tiffany

Pratt Institute’s Brooklyn Library

The Pratt Institute’s library is one of my favorite places in Brooklyn and one of the quietest I know. Pratt is an art school, and sometimes I attribute its almost …

A Piece of Home in a Lost Mural

Last summer I went on a bit of fact-finding mission to little National City, just across the municipal border from San Diego’s south side. Every summer and school break when …