PLEASE NOTE: This is a summary and analysis of the book and not the original book.
Susan Orlean weaves a beautiful and insightful tale of the history, purpose, and heart of libraries as seen through the lens of the great Los Angeles library fire of 1986.
What does this ZIP Reads Summary Include?
Synopsis of the original book
Chapter-by-chapter summaries
Key takeaways from each chapter
A history of the Los Angeles Central Library
Editorial Review
Background on Susan Orlean
About the Original Book:
Susan Orlean uses the 1986 Great Fire at the Los Angeles Central Library as the backdrop to explore the history of libraries and librarianship in the United States. In the end, there is no clear resolution about how and why the fire started. However, the author is clear that libraries have endured all types of fires, both physical and metaphorical. Orlean shows the biggest threat to the Los Angeles Library System, like other public library systems, is the threat of irrelevance. For her part, Orlean sees the library as ever-evolving and able to adapt to modern needs rather than succumb to them. Her book is both a history of libaries as well as a love letter to them.
DISCLAIMER: This book is intended as a companion to, not a replacement for, The Library BookZIP Reads is wholly responsible for this content and is not associated with the original author in any way.
