This is a sad but fascinating topic for a book. The 1986 fire at the main branch of the Los Angeles Public Library. Books burnt, books waterlogged and so much knowledge lost. Thankfully Susan Orlean is more than up to the task with The Library Book.
The book toggles from Orlean’s library memories, to the possible culprit of the fire, to the City of Los Angeles library history and to the fire itself. The book is nimble and still easy to follow. I found the roster of head librarians to be the most fascinating section of the story followed by how the main branch recovered to become the low slung showplace that it is today which I still try to walk through whenever I am close enough to it.
Since we didn’t really have a brewery downtown in the time frame that the fire occurred, I will have to pick from current spots.
First up is the close by Karl Straus DTLA outpost. Wreck Alley Imperial Stout. The stacks of books had to be sent to industrial food warehouses and kept cold to keep mold out. I can imagine aisles of wrecked biographies and mysteries.
There are beers named Library. Such as Hopworks Urban Brewery and their Library Lager, or The Local Library German Pils from Books & Brews in Indiana. But maybe, and not to be morbid, you should find a smoke beer to sip while reading this fascinating slice of Los Angeles history.
