Valley Plaza Library Offers More Than Just Books

Rebuilt in 2004 as a part of the Library Bond Act of 2000, the in North Hollywood offers a variety of programs for children and adults.

The library is currently hosting its annual summer reading program, themed “Dream big, read.” The program is tailored to three age groups—for children under 5, children 10 and older, and middle school and high school students.

Every time kids do one of the activities on a chart—such as reading, writing or illustrating—they can fill out or color in another planet or a star. By filling out the charts, they can earn up to two free books.

“Our goal is to keep kids engaged so they keep reading and active over the summer,” said Kelly Tyler, the branch manager. "We want it to be fun for them."

The reading program isn't geared just toward kids, though.

“We really want to encourage parents to read with their children, in whatever language, to emphasize early literature with their children,” Tyler said.

For adults interested in other opportunities to read, the library holds a book club for adults on the third Tuesday of the month at 1 p.m. This month, the club is reading Shanghai Girls by Lisa See.

“The book club is open to anyone who wants to join a good group of people who like to talk about books,” Tyler said. 

The library also keeps a staff recommendation shelf.

“They can see recommendations of a huge variety, from nonfiction to mysteries to science fiction—all kinds of books,” Tyler said.

Two books Tyler and Emily Lopez, the teen librarian, suggest picking up at the library for some summer reading are “In the Woods” by Tana French and "Why We Broke Up" by Daniel Handler, also known by his penname Lemony Snicket.

"If anyone wants a good mystery, I would definitely recommend 'In the Woods,'" Tyler said. "Tana French also has a new book coming out soon called 'Broken Harbor,' which you can go online and put yourself on the waiting list now to get.”

"Why We Broke Up," Lopez said, is about a girl writing a long letter to her boyfriend about why things went wrong in their relationship.

"She’s thinking in the back of her mind, 'Why didn’t we stay together?'" Lopez said. "A lot of things were really sweet, she takes him to an old old movie — she’s a movie buff and he’s a jock, so he's not really interested — but he's crazy about her so they go and they love it. They get really interested in what happened to that woman in the movie and it becomes this mystery."

The Valley Plaza Library also offers many reading options for patrons who speak different languages. According to the Los Angeles Times Mapping Project, the two most common ancestries of residents in North Hollywood are Mexican and Armenian.

“We’re very well covered, for Spanish speakers or English learners,” Tyler said.

Two of the librarians at the Valley Plaza library are fluent in Spanish. Also, to accommodate residents who speak only Armenian, the Los Angeles Public Library system has people who will speak with them over the phone to help them find what they are looking for, Tyler said.  

There are many other activities to get involved with at the library.

The library hosts movie screenings every Saturday at 3 p.m.

“We’re showing all the big super-hero movies this summer,” Tyler said. “We’ll be showing the two Batman movies before the new one comes out, and the old Spider-Man movie before the new update comes out too.”

On Thursday afternoons, the library holds a different craft or cooking project for teens. Last week, in honor of the coming Fourth of July holiday, participants made flags.

Lopez said she loved seeing boys and girls work together on activities.

"One of our best attended programs was about making ugly monsters out of felt," Lopez said. "The boys were not at all concerned about sewing, they were just doing it and having a lot of fun."

She also said she tries to incorporate easy snacks kids can make after school into the program.

"We've made hummus in a food processor, English muffin pizzas—basically snacks that they can make for their family, fairly inexpensively, that are simple, savory and healthy," Lopez said.

Teens also have a voice in choosing the Thursday activities. The Teen Council, which meets once a month, helps suggest ideas for the Thursday projects and also helps guide purchases for the teen library.

The library also offers SAT, PSAT and ACT books, information, and a program called Student Smart hosted by the Princeton Review for students interested in college preparation.

In addition, the library holds classes for patrons to learn computer skills, such as setting up email accounts, learning how to use Facebook, and learning how to look up books using the online library catalogue.

Tyler said that she is happy the library is able to serve the community. She said that due to , the library has been able to stay open more hours to the public this year, despite the current state budget deficit.

Measure L allowed the library to restore its Monday hours. In 2013, the library will be open four nights a week again, and in 2014 regional branches will open on Sundays.

With all of the activities and resources the library offers, Tyler said she hopes that people will see the library as a community gathering place. 

"The library is a fun place," Tyler said. "It’s not just about books but also about activities and programming which reinforces different aspects of literacy. When they need help in any kind of information, the library is their place.

To learn more about the Valley Plaza Library, patrons can follow the library on Pintrest and Twitter.