The Library Book

The book was meticulously researched and beautifully written. I enjoyed listening to it.

Terrific storytelling about the specifics of the investigation of the great fire with the characters and history of the LA main library.

What a wonderful story tied to the author’s own love of books. A detective novel, a journey novel, and a series of fascinating historical stories that all revolve around the Los Angeles Central Library.

It was very disorganized. I enjoyed the parts about the library fire and arson investigation. Some of the info about library inner workings was interesting, but a lot of it was straight up boring. It jumped around too much. I had to put it on 2x speed because the author/narrator sounded bored with her own book.

I really enjoyed this book. I connected with the author on the relationship of the library and her mother. I also learned a great deal about the true workings of librarians and the library system. Though an avid reader I had no idea of the complexities of the library's efforts and the amount of outreach and services that libraries perform.

A deep dive into the modern history of libraries with a special focus on the LA main library. Well written, good pace, fun read. Recommended

I never thought I would find a book about libraries so fascinating! One of the better non fiction books I've read!

This book was well written and full of history and storytelling. It was just a bit long and had some parts of it that were just not interesting.

First time I ever rested and listened to this terrific historical fact. I have been greatly educated.
Thank you,

Good book, although I felt that the reader should have researched how to pronounced words in other languages better

This is a fascinating read. I highly recommend it to book lovers and library supporters.

Wonderful. Full of information and also a mystery story. Recommended!

I'd recommend skipping the audiobook version. I think it seems too scattered on audio and I typically prefer professional narrators over authors. I'm disappointed cause I expected to live this book. I think it was "sold" as the sorry of who set the fire when it's more of a comprehensive history of the LA library.

This was an encyclopedic exploration of the Los Angeles library fire, the hapless man who was the main suspect, and anything else related to books and libraries. Orleans did a huge amount of research and shares it in a book that is terribly complex and hard to digest, which is why I gave it three stars.

Wonderful read and very informative. Never knew that the LA Library had burned...

This book is much more interesting than it sounds like it should be. It is well written and engaging. The author did a masterful job of weaving together the parts of the story. My one issue with the audio book is that the author’s breathing issue was distracting. Emphysema maybe? Her voice would catch and drop out like she had lost air. I found myself taking deep breaths for her.

This book was so SLOW! I was not a fan and it was not as mysterious and exciting as I wanted it to be.

This book has lead me to contemplate a career shift. I've always been a huge Library supporter, and considered getting my MLIS. Beautiful love letters to libraries all over, and the passionate and innovative librarians that create these magical spaces of community and collaboration.

I learned so much about libraries listening to this excellent book. The author did an amazing job of weaving together the history and evolution of libraries with the case of the 1986 fire of the LA Central library. All library lovers should read or listen to this book.

I couldn't even get through the first couple chapters because her voice was so distractingly grating. I'll have to try it in print.

I know, I know. 3 star review aren't always the best (because I'm one of those judgemental people -- sorry (o.o.)\). But it's hard to review non-fiction books, at least for me though. Anyway, I really liked the premise. It was really fascinating, a great history capsule of libraries in general. There were so many things I did not know happen, and I know in part it's because I was not alive when they happened and I'm also in a state where education isn't the most funded social issue. Susan did a great job in her research of the LAPL.

It may just have been me, but I wasn't there 100%. I did still enjoy it, just not as much as I wanted to and as much as many of my friends and co-workers. I still recommend it because I genuinely believe this is something that everyone should read and realize why libraries exists.

Over All Rating: 3 brilliant stars

This was wonderful! I NEED a copy in my hands ASAP!

I learned so much! So well researched, I loved all the directions this book went. I totally relate to the author’s love of libraries, this book is a true homage to a great institution. Highly recommend.

Publishers should NEVER EVER let the author read their work! I kept falling asleep to this nasally lady. The book could have been interesting but after 8 yes 8 chapters I could take no more. HOWEVER if you are an insomniac this is the book for you!

Good book but over detailed, felt myself zoning out at times and not worrying about what I had missed

I really enjoyed this book, especially during corona quarantine. It made me happy. I enjoyed both the mystery of the library fire, and all the tidbits of library history.

In 1986, the Los Angeles Central Library caught fire and burned for seven hours. This tells the story of the library: the directors, the collections, the politics, librarians, the suspected arsonist, and of course, the books and how they worked to save them.This is a very interesting look into the library and how things were done in the past and how things have changed and libraries have adapted.To this day no one was has ever been charged with the burning of the library.

Totally loved the book (which I listened to, enjoying Orlean’s voice as she read her own book).

I’ve always loved libraries and this book really reminded me of when I worked for the Columbus OH Library system. Also the parts about Orlean going to the library as a young girl made me remember fondly bringing my kids to the local library (Robbins Library, in Arlington Mass).

The history of the LA library system was engaging, as was the inconclusive search for the arsonist responsible for the burning of the LA Central library in the 80s.

Great book for a book and library lover!

If you're an occasional reader or you've ever thought about a library, you need to read The Library Book by Susan Orlean. However, if you are an ardent reader, a person passionate about fine writing, a person captivated by a writer's ability to take dry information and turn it into magical prose, then you also need to read The Library Book. The Library Book could have been a simple and straightforward nonfiction account of a fire, possibly arson, that severely damage the Los Angeles Central Library building, the Goodhue Building, but in the hands of Susan Orlean it becomes something special.

Orlean doesn't just lay out the facts of the fire, the people and processes of the investigation, and the years long ramifications that crippled the system's operations. She delves into the history of a library system as it built through fits and starts from a system supporting a small western city of 12,000 to one of the largest library systems supporting one of the country's largest cities. Orlean introduces readers to the leaders and many of the staff who, through a myriad of duties and hearts full of empathy, support everyone from Hollywood producers, to children, to the homeless community. Orlean informs readers about library science in general and we see how it has progressed over the decades.

If you've ever wondered how librarians keep busy and how valuable their duties are to readers and the broader community, after reading The Library Book you won't fail to give every librarian you encounter a smile and a thank you. They are special people and in Susan Orlean's hands, we see why.

The library book, Susan Orlean, author and narratorThe Central Library in Los Angeles was built in the first quarter of the 20th century. The original design was Bertram Goodhue’s, but he never lived to see it completed. His associate, Carlton Winslow, saw to its completion in the mid 1920‘s. However, on April 29th,1986, the magnificent building, that had been the home to hundreds of thousands of books, magazines, newsreels and other records, suffered the worst possible event for a library. Suddenly, without warning, a fire suddenly raged through its stacks. There were no fire sprinklers in libraries because water was considered a greater danger than fire. There were no fire doors to prevent the spread of flames. The building was vulnerable; the loss was incalculable, but the event went largely unnoticed by the press. In 1986, greater tragedies overshadowed the library fire. The Challenger spaceship exploded killing all on board. The melt-down at the nuclear plant in Chernobyl threatened life as we know it. So, the library fire receded in our collective memory.The author does an excellent job tracing the history of the building of this library and the changes that have taken place regarding its purpose and use. She investigates the cause of the fire. Was it an accident caused by carelessness, or an electrical failure or spontaneous combustion? Although she does not discover any major unknown piece of information, she reveals information that had not been general knowledge, previously. In the course of her extensive and lengthy research, she spoke to many who witnessed the fire, many fire experts, and those who knew the man accused of setting it, Harry Peak. The cause was never discovered and Peak was never charged or punished for setting the fire. He was described as just a man with a flair for telling stories, a man who was unhappy because he was gay, a man who desired his time in the spotlight, a frustrated actor.As she unearths facts about the library fire, she exposes the total lack of women’s rights in the early days of the 20th century. Even after a very valiant effort, that dragged through the court system, women were not able to prove that the woman who had held the job of City Librarian, Mary Jones, was the more deserving and should not be fired from her position. Instead, she was unceremoniously dismissed. It was not for incompetence, but because she was a woman. She had to be replaced to make way for a man, a man who although not as well trained, or trained at all, was still deemed more reliable, more knowledgeable, and more capable to hold her job. That period of time was known as The Great Library War, which I had never heard of before. For approximately the next three decades, only a man would hold the position of the City Librarian. The rich and famous, the educated and those who wanted to be educated, dignitaries and the homeless, and people from all walks of life visited the library and used its resources for research and meetings. Card catalogues were in use, since there was no technology available, until the late 20th century, that would put the information online and enable it to be stored in the memory of a computer. In 2015, the last library catalogue card was printed, officially ending the use of the card printed Dewey decimal system. Until then, the work of the librarian was very labor intensive and the librarian was counted on to do research for any and all who asked. I can remember calling the library with questions about subjects I knew nothing about, and the librarian happily explained how to go about discovering information, and actually did some of the searching for me, often inadvertently solving my problem. I can remember searching through card catalogues and looking at microfiche for information that I needed in order to satisfy requirements for my classes in college. It was time consuming and painstaking. I can remember looking at old newspapers and newsreels in the library, listening to speeches from the past by the likes of Winston Churchill and FDR, and studying for exams in the quiet, peaceful solitude of the space that was designed for and intentionally meant to provide exactly that atmosphere.The description of the outstanding rescue and salvage effort that saved and restored so many books that could have been lost, was fascinating, as I learned that wet books were frozen to prevent mold spores and were kept that way for a couple of years until they could even be safely handled to see if they could be restored. Could they actually return to the library shelves? Would the Central Library ever reopen? As each of the chapters begins, the author reads from a sample of the cards in the catalogue, using the call numbers that referenced each book. She uses books that promote the themes in the book. For example, she happily referenced Oprah’s book selections and Obama’s memoir. She also referenced the McCarthy era, President Reagan and some right-wing justices in a decidedly different manner, and even joked about there ever being a Conservative librarian, exposing her own political viewpoint. As a conservative, I must object to that subtle affront, since I love libraries and books, especially for the purpose they were originally intended, to educate and entertain the public, to preserve and introduce ideas.However, as the economy and social atmosphere in the country have changed, the library’s purpose has grown. It has become more of an arm of the government, as the need to promote and solve certain social issues turned into an organized effort. The library turned out to be the perfect venue for outreach programs and many were introduced. Today, there are programs to help immigrants to learn English, to adjust to life in their new home, and to find employment. Safe spaces exist for the homeless who use the bathrooms and space to keep warm and clean. There are rooms to register citizens to vote as well as rooms to hold meetings of all kinds to promote ideas of every kind. Are libraries and librarians still the great research tool and fount of knowledge that they once were, or have they gone the way the experts in bookstores have gone, to the computer for the answers, rather than having them stored in their heads. Once, there was no question that a librarian could nor or would not try to answer. Today, instead, it seems to be there is no social program and need that a library does not attempt to serve and fulfill. Most of the shelves of books have gone to make room for other things, and most of the information is online and available for easier access, even without the library. Thus, today, the librarian seems more like a part-time social worker. I appreciated the idea that Orlean presented about authors writing books so as not to be forgotten. It was something she realized as she witnessed her own mother’s suffering with dementia. I was reminded of the last conversation I had with a dying friend. She was so sad because she did not want to disappear and was afraid that she would, when she died, because essentially, she would cease to exist. The book was very nostalgic for me. I always loved and still do love the library. As a student, I loved studying there, meeting friends to work together there, doing research always learning new things there. It was a place in which to grow. Today, it is a wonderful resource for me, as my bookshelves overflow and online books are more and more available. Still, the printed book will always be the magic of my life. The book made me wonder why people, especially those on the left and in the Democrat Party, who presume that they are the ones who love libraries and are against censorship, who are promoting the preservation of our history, are also the very same people who are supporting the cancel culture and the removal of statues in our present day. It seems like a contradiction of beliefs. Books are not enemies if they express conflicting ideas, and statues are not dangerous. They are tools with which to expand our knowledge, and we should use them to learn from our mistakes as well as our successes.The book is filled with a great many tidbits about libraries, firefighting and arson, but it also exposed the many new uses of the library as they promote social programs. Libraries are no longer repositories of books and written material, but are now the home for innovative ideas and those who need to make use of them. In the library, the child hears inspiring stories, the homeless find sanctuary, the immigrant learns English, the high school dropout earns a diploma and more. Let’s hope, together, that neither fire nor politics will destroy books and our pursuit of knowledge.