Library · Los Angeles
Libraries in Los Angeles
Los Angeles Public Library serves Los Angeles’s 3,814,318 residents from 73 locations. Last year it logged 5,747,048 visits, about 1.5 for every resident, and lent 26M books, movies and e-books.
IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024Main library
Central Library
630 West Fifth St., Los Angeles 90071
57 hrsopen a week
538,802sq ft
6.3Mbooks & media
Fine-freeNo late fees on books returned late
E-books & audiobooksBorrow from home with your card
Auto-renews loansBooks renew on their own if no one’s waiting
Research databasesOnline courses, journals, genealogy and more
#88
#88 of 117 · Most-used libraries in CA →Among CA towns of 2,500+ people with a library of their own#52 · Most library borrowing →#87 · Best libraries for kids →
Fiscal year 2024
A year at the library
5.7M
visits
1.5 per resident
26M
loans, print + digital
6.7 per resident
11K
programs & events
228K attended
3.2M
library cards
84% of people served
How it compares
Against libraries serving 100,000+ people
Per-resident numbers, compared only with libraries of a similar size across the country, because a tiny town’s library always looks busier per person.
Visits per resident
1.5 visits · typical 2.1
A little below typical (27th percentile)
Borrowing per resident
2.0 print items · typical 3.2
A little below typical (26th percentile)
Digital borrowing
4.7 e-items · typical 1.4
Top 10% of similar-size libraries
Kids’ borrowing
0.9 kids’ items · typical 1.6
Lower than most similar-size libraries (23th percentile)
Program attendance
0.1 attendees · typical 0.2
Lower than most similar-size libraries (4th percentile)
Cardholders
84% of residents
Top 10% of similar-size libraries
Borrowing & programs
What people use it for
What people borrow
26M loans last year
Books & media (adults)17%Kids’ books & media13%E-books, audio & streaming70%
Who the programs are for
11,135 story times, classes, clubs and events
Money
Who pays for it
$59 per resident a year
Typical for a library this size: $36. Operating budget $225M.
Local 99%State 1%
Locations
Other libraries in Los Angeles
And 61 more in Los Angeles.
About these numbers
How to read this page
Hours are an averageThe survey reports a building’s public hours for the whole year. We divide by the weeks it was open, so check the library’s own site for today’s hours.
Compared by size“Similar-size” means libraries serving about as many people, nationwide. Per-resident numbers always flatter the smallest towns, so they’re never compared with big cities.
One year, the library’s own countLibraries report their own visits, loans and programs for fiscal year 2024. A library that didn’t respond keeps its address and hours here, with no numbers.
Source: Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024. Distances are straight-line from the town center.