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BEST Friends of LAPL sponsors several programs each year as a perk for members and a thank-you for supporting the Business & Economics and Science & Technology & Patents departments. Below you can find information about the most recent member events we've hosted.
BEST Friends of LAPL sponsors several programs each year as a perk for members and a thank-you for supporting the Business & Economics and Science & Technology & Patents departments. Below you can find information about the most recent member events we've hosted.
We'd love to see you at the next one – join BEST Friends and you'll automatically receive an invitation!
We'd love to see you at the next one – join BEST Friends and you'll automatically receive an invitation!
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness Meditation
We're excited to announce that in 2024, we brought Central Library's longest-running weekly program back!
Relax, recharge, and reset during Mindful Meditation with the leaders of UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center, thanks to funding from BEST Friends of LAPL for the instructors' honoraria.
We meet for a half-hour meditation in Meeting Room B every Thursday at 12:30 pm.
Private Tour of the Rare Books Dept.
Private Tour of the Rare Books Dept.
In March 2024, BEST Friends members, along with some favorite LAPL staff and librarians, enjoyed a private tour of the incredible Rare Books Department. Librarians Sung Kim, Ryan Peña, and Lucia Odono selected and brought out rare items for us to view, including a copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland that was illustrated and autographed by Salvador Dali; fabulous menus from the library's extensive collection of vintage Los Angeles restaurant menus; and a booklet from the dedication of the Central Library itself in 1926. The next table had a selection of Japanese Prints culled from the library's 287 prints available for viewing, and specimen pages of Korean movable type. Sung, Ryan, and Lucia provided fascinating education around these rare items and it was a highlight of our recent BEST Friends event lineup.
BEST Friends Central Library Tour
BEST Friends Central Library Tour
In November 2023, BEST Friends hosted a private tour of the library's fascinating architecture and history. It was led by the President of LAPL Docents, who gave us a special tour with "easter eggs" curated just for us!
We welcomed current members as well as those interested in membership.
Fall 2023
"Hollywood Forever? Experts Discuss the Future of TV, Film, and Technology."
BEST Friends had the honor of hosting a virtual panel featuring Inkoo Kang of The New Yorker and Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter, both television critics who write about TV shows across broadcast and streaming platforms. They spoke with us about our ever-globalizing entertainment industry – a very timely topic as the SAG-AFTRA strike had ended just 1 day prior.
The video recording of this fascinating conversation is available on YouTube HERE.
Summer 2023
Our first Members Open House, "VIEW L.A. FROM CITY HALL with BEST FRIENDS of LAPL," was held on 6/6/23. We welcomed members, Library staff and interested friends to experience the Central Library's new telescopes from the 26th-floor observation deck at City Hall!
(Telescopes are available in the Octavia Lab to LAPL card holders for six-week checkouts.)
Spring 2023
On 5/18/23, we hosted a special lecture on The Science of Palomar Observatory, 1936 to the Present, presented by Steven Flanders, the Outreach and Event Coordinator of this important facility located in the Palomar Mountain Range of San Diego County.
He discussed Palomar's 200-inch Hale Telescope and the history of Palomar’s contributions to—among other things—our current ideas of cosmic expansion and planetary systems through the development of digital imaging, time-domain astronomy, and multi-messenger astronomy!
The recording of this virtual event is available on the LAPL's YouTube channel HERE.
Winter 2022
On 12/1/22, writer and historian Carolyn Purnell, author of the new book Blue Jeans, shared a fascinating exploration of the history of this iconic garment. In this discussion with BEST Friends, she investigates what makes denim a universal signifier, ready to fit any context, meaning, and body.
The “Blue Jeans: The Invisible Garment” recording is available on YouTube HERE. Copies of the book are available now at Central – reserve yours here.
Spring 2022
On 4/28/22, Mandy Aftel – writer, historian and perfumer – spoke about the science and business of her independent perfume practice, Aftelier, and gave viewers a live tour of her studio/museum. View the recording of the conversation on the LAPL's YouTube channel HERE.
Winter 2021
You can access the recording of BEST Friends' 12/6/21 virtual seminar with Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster's Editor-at-Large, who discussed exploring the changing world of language and lexicography, HERE.
Spring 2021
As wine historian and Emeritus Professor of English Thomas Pinney put it, "The most striking fact about the history of winemaking in Los Angeles, city and county, is the completeness with which it has been forgotten."
On 5/6/21, BEST Friends hosted a virtual event with Amy Luftig Viste and Jasper Dickson of Angeleno Wine Co. who gave a presentation about their 21st-century winemaking and business practices. Since launching their social-media-driven Kickstarter campaign in 2018, Angeleno Wine Co. has worked to educate its audience about the beauty and balance of locally grown grape varieties, its use of traditional and modern technologies, and a forgotten part of Los Angeles history through their wines. Learn more about Angeleno Cine Co. HERE
Fall 2020
11/20/2020, BEST Friends hosted the premiere of the documentary, "Too Quiet: Library Workers in a Pandemic" a.k.a. "Making Face Shields: Octavia Lab's Persistence in a Pandemic".
Watch the trailer for the documentary HERE and the full documentary HERE!
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