Grand Reopening

After the Central Library burned down on April 29, 1986, it was remodeled and scheduled to reopen on October 3, 1993. Before the grand opening, volunteers helped the library unpack millions of books, place them on shelves, and organize them into their proper locations. Not only did volunteers help, but also famous companies' donations were a big factor in how the library was able to be restored. With some help from the ARCO, the administration team planned a fundraiser featuring Brazilian folk dancers, Japanese drummers, flamenco performers, West African singers, and Korean musicians. Around fifty thousand people came to support the library on the day that the library finally opened its doors again. It was a massive success, able to fundraise 10 million dollars. When the library finally opened, at least fifty thousand people danced with Barney the dinosaur, walked through the rotunda, and rode the cascading escalators to the bottom of the new Tom Bradley Wing. More than ten thousand people signed up for library cards for the first time. People were in jubilation and were ecstatic. The Los Angeles Central Library was open to the public once again.