Susan Orlean
The Library Book by Susan Orlean tells the story of the 1986 fire that devastated the Los Angeles Public Library. Burning for seven hours before it was finally extinguished, the fire consumed 400,000 books, damaged 700,000 others, and destroyed the interior of the library.
Orlean chronicles the investigation of the fire and the man suspected of starting it. Along the way, she includes personal anecdotes about her first experiences with a library; the history of the Los Angeles Public Library from its humble beginnings; its expansions in size and services; its various locations; its increasing number of patrons; its sequence of directors; and its role as a center providing valuable services for the community.
Orlean provides a cinematic description of the destruction caused by the fire. She walks the reader through the ash and debris and water and burned-out book shelves and damaged books. She describes in detail the impact of the fire on library employees and the surrounding community. She also describes a heart-warming picture of the community’s love for the library. When the appeal for help was made to rescue books, community members came out in droves, forming a human chain to pass one book after another down the line to be packaged and stored in a freezer until restoration work could begin.
Unfortunately, what started out as a strong book seemed to lose focus about half-way through by meandering through irrelevant material that detracted from the main story line. Orlean expands her scope by including chapters that are unrelated to the Los Angeles library fire. There is a chapter briefly surveying book burnings throughout history; several chapters in which she delves into the personal lives of the various directors, some of whom were flamboyant while others were sedate and bookish; and chapters detailing the vision of various architects. While these chapters may be interesting, they did little to add to the story of the Los Angeles Library fire or to the story of libraries in general. They felt like fillers.
Orlean is strong when her focus is on the library. She writes in immersive detail about walking through the library, what she sees and hears, the staff and patrons she talks to, the different sections of the library, the questions patrons ask the staff, the services it offers, and the general flurry of activity inside the library. Her diction, full of delightfully vivid detail, skillfully captures a library’s ambience—the comforting, welcoming, home-away-from home feeling as soon as you step through its doors; the walls saturated with a wealth of knowledge; the shelves laden with books on every topic imaginable; the palpable anticipation of browsing through book shelves; and the knowledgeable staff committed to serving its patrons.
What is true of one library is true of all. As Orlean aptly demonstrates, the library continues to adapt to changing times. It has evolved into more than just a place to house books. It serves as a community center by providing invaluable programs and workshops designed to assist its patrons in every way imaginable.
Recommended for its celebration of libraries, the staff who work in them, the patrons who frequent them, and book lovers everywhere.