Los Angeles is no stranger to fires. In fact, you can say there are four things you become accustomed to in LA: traffic, earthquakes, drought, and fires. Wildfires are so ubiquitous in LA that when Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) and Los Angeles County Library (LACPL) collaborated in 2024 for their “One Book, One County” program, the book chosen was LA Weather by Maria Amparo Escandon, in which both drought and fires are central to the plot.
However, being used to wildfires doesn’t make things any less devastating. For the purpose of staying relevant to Library and Information Science, I want to focus on libraries in LA County, how they were affected and how they are supporting the community. For information regarding the fires, how they started and how much of them are contained, I have linked to a few news sources with pertinent information.
During the wildfires, libraries in and near the affected areas had to close. While the Eaton fire avoided the libraries in Pasadena and Altadena, however, the Palisades Branch Library (part of LAPL) was lost to the fire.
According to an instagram post dated January 11th, the Altadena Libraries will continue to be closed until the end of January. As for Pasadena Libraries, they seem to have several, but not all of their branches open for their regular hours.
It is during these difficult times that you can really see how the community can rely on their local library. LAPL, LACPL, Altadena and Pasadena Libraries all have prominently displayed information regarding resources for those affected by the wildfires on their websites. (insert screenshots from main webpages). This includes their coordinated efforts with FEMA to provide assistance and compiling lists of reliable resources and sources of information. Many libraries across Los Angeles County are also providing free N95 masks, while supplies last.
I work in a library located nearby the Eaton Fire. Thankfully, it is located far enough away that we were able to remain open during the fires. I have seen and heard firsthand about the losses people have experienced. The first few days after the fires started, I was caught off guard by the amount of people who were inside the library, but thinking about it I realized that it must be because their local libraries were closed and we were one of the closest libraries with free wi-fi. These fires have forced us all to adapt quickly, to make new procedures for helping our patrons who have lost everything, to make sure that we were also sharing relevant information.
Growing up in Los Angeles, you can get a bit spoiled. The gorgeous temperate weather, the ability to go to the beach one day, the desert the next day, and the mountains the day after that or if you are really committed, all three in one day. Hearing about your hometown from other people’s point of view is always interesting, but hearing about Los Angeles from people who have never been, or from recent transplants I can’t help but think they went to an alternate reality. So it did not come as a surprise to me to see how Los Angeles came together to support one another during the catastrophic fires.
If you or someone you know is in need of assistance due to the wildfires, here are a list of resources:
- https://www.disasterassistance.gov/
- https://www.lahsa.org/newsArticle/resources-to-support-those-during-the-la-fires
If you would like to assist monetarily or volunteer, here is a list of resources:
- Mutual Aid Los Angeles
- Help rebuild the Palisades Library
- Connected Wellness
- LA FireAid Benefit Concerts
