Your money is no good at the Long Beach Public Library—It’s free!

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES

Imagine, if you will, a greaser winning a lifetime of free tattoos or a drunk finding a bar that’s never closed; that’s how I feel about the Long Beach Public Library (LBPL), which combines two of my favorite things: literature and free stuff. Passing through the library’s sliding glass doors, there’s a rush—I’m entering a world where books and words take precedence over tabloid headlines and rising gas prices. A library is the only place I can think of that proves cities, counties, states, universities and our federal government can actually do something right—when they want to. Not to mention being on the receiving end of city services—and not getting gouged for it—helps deter the urge to piss on the steps of City Hall each time I’m awarded a parking ticket.

For the most part, the depth of available reading material at LBPL is pretty stellar. Rows of books by must-read authors like Jack Kerouac, Kurt Vonnegut and John Steinbeck fill the room, while the reference books, how-to manuals and biographies are equally impressive. The best cards in the catalog belong to author John Fante, a writer whose works should be in every library worldwide but are not. (Fante lived for a brief period in Long Beach, though, so his presence here isn’t surprising. Those willing to drive across town to LBPL’s many branches will be able to read his entire output with minimal effort.) Unfortunately, however, Charles Bukowski is missing from the shelves. (A plausible reason for this: Many of his works are listed as lost, which makes me think the library was smart enough to obtain his books and then some jerks stole them.)

But it’s not all about books. The LBPL also hosts rotating art shows and houses a secluded children’s area along with the Miller Special Collections Room, full of Asian antiques, impressive woodworking and rare items donated from Acres of Books. Then there’s the ample magazine selection, free Internet access, and a catalog of DVDs and CDs that’s much more interesting than one would expect from a book dispensary. At $.25 for three weeks, members can test drive discs and then buy the real deal later. You can dig into the world of jazz and blues—artists I’ve checked out include John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley, Sun Ra, Charles Mingus, John Lee Hooker, BB King and Muddy Waters—or discover Long Beach musicians, or find your favorites from pop, rock, world, hip-hop, classical, opera and country. Not bad for a place known for syntax and syllables, not Sonic Youth.

The library offers free 30-minute parking in an adjacent structure and partially validates for those who stay longer. And lest you be turned off by some of the library’s more disheveled visitors—good for stories but often asleep, anyway—chalk them up as yet another element of the LBPL experience: education, for the people, by the people, for free.

LONG BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY MAIN BRANCH 101 PACIFIC AVE | LONG BEACH 90822 | 562.570.7500 | LBPL.ORG | OPEN MON & WED 10AM-6PM | TUES & THURS 10AM-8PM | FRI-SAT 10AM-5PM | SUN NOON-5PM