Vermont Square Branch Library
🏢 Los Angeles Public Library · South Los Angeles, California
Vermont Square Branch Library
The oldest branch library building in the Los Angeles Public Library system, Vermont Square has served its South Los Angeles neighborhood continuously since March 1, 1913 — a Carnegie-funded Italian Renaissance landmark, the first library building the City of Los Angeles ever owned, and Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #264.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 12pm–8pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–8pm |
| Thursday | 12pm–8pm |
| Friday | 9:30am–5:30pm |
| Saturday | 9:30am–5:30pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 1201 W. 48th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90037
Phone: (323) 290-7405
Website: lapl.org
Plus Code: 8553XPX3+XJ (Los Angeles, CA)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Vermont Square Branch Library
Vermont Square Branch Library opened on March 1, 1913, making it the oldest branch library building in the Los Angeles Public Library system and the first library building the City of Los Angeles ever owned, constructed on parkland donated by local developers using a $35,000 Andrew Carnegie grant — part of a $210,000 gift funding six LAPL branches. Designed by architects Sumner Hunt and Silas Reese Burns in the Italian Renaissance Revival style with Prairie School proportions, the one-story structure features cream-colored glazed brick walls, terra cotta geometric ornament at the entry, and a red tile roof with broad overhanging eaves. The building was designated Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 264 on June 7, 1983 and added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 7, 1987 (Reference No. 87001022) — one of only three surviving Carnegie libraries in Los Angeles, alongside the Cahuenga and Lincoln Heights branches. After a 1990 seismic closure that threatened the building with demolition, a community campaign secured its preservation; a comprehensive retrofit and restoration returned it to service on May 11, 1996, with permanent functional artworks by Nobuho Nagasawa woven into the interior: eleven preschool stools spelling 'IMAGINATION' in the children's room, and a glass table engraved with banned book titles in the reference area.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Oldest branch library building in the LAPL system — opened March 1, 1913, the first library building owned by the City of Los Angeles
- Built with a $35,000 Andrew Carnegie grant, part of a $210,000 Carnegie gift that funded six LAPL branches
- Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #264 (1983) and listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1987, Ref. No. 87001022)
- One of only three surviving Carnegie branch library buildings in Los Angeles, alongside Cahuenga and Lincoln Heights
- Interior artwork by Nobuho Nagasawa: preschool stools spelling 'IMAGINATION' in the children's room and a glass table engraved with banned book titles in the reference area
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
LAPL cardholders get free access to a broad digital library — stream, download, and learn from home:
📚 Services
- Public computers with internet access and free in-branch Wi-Fi
- Wireless printing
- ZoomText accessibility software for low-vision patrons
- Sensory kits for children with sensory-processing needs
- Yoto Players (screen-free audio players for children)
- Book Bundles To Go (curated children's book sets)
- Neighborhood Science Kits (STEM lending)
- Spanish-language materials collection
- Friends Group volunteer organization
- Bike rack outside the branch
🎸 Programs
- Family and toddler storytimes
- Teen craft workshops
- Adult book club
- Therapy dog reading sessions
- Folklorico cultural dance performances
- STEAM and Neighborhood Science events
📍 Nearby Libraries in Los Angeles
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Los Angeles · Browse all California libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is Vermont Square really the oldest library building in the Los Angeles Public Library system?
Vermont Square Branch is the oldest branch library building still in use in the LAPL system. It opened on March 1, 1913 — making it also the first library building the City of Los Angeles ever owned (all earlier facilities were in rented quarters). The building is Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 264 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1987, Ref. No. 87001022).
Who designed the Vermont Square Branch building and what makes it architecturally distinctive?
The branch was designed by Los Angeles architects Sumner Hunt and Silas Reese Burns in the Italian Renaissance Revival style with Prairie School proportions. Its signature features include cream-colored glazed brick walls, classical geometric terra cotta ornament at the entrance, and a red tile roof with broad overhanging eaves. The symmetrical facade is divided into three sections with a projecting center bay and high vertical windows on each side. It is one of only three surviving Carnegie branch library buildings in Los Angeles.
What special artwork is inside the library?
Following the 1996 renovation, artist Nobuho Nagasawa installed two permanent functional artworks: eleven preschool reading stools in the children's room that spell out the word 'IMAGINATION,' and a glass table in the reference area etched with the titles of books banned in libraries across the United States — a direct statement about intellectual freedom and the library's role in preserving it.
Why was the library closed, and when did it reopen?
Following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and subsequent seismic evaluations, the branch was closed in 1990 due to structural safety concerns; at one point demolition was considered. A community campaign successfully preserved the historic building, and after a comprehensive seismic retrofit and restoration, the branch reopened on May 11, 1996 — stronger than before, with Nobuho Nagasawa's artworks added to the interior.
✎ Notice something out of date? Suggest a correction and we’ll verify and update it.