WELCOME TO THE COMMUNITY
Thank you for your patience as we renovate the Benjamin Franklin Branch Library to better serve the Boyle Heights community. Together, we're investing $5.5 million in this historic building to add modern upgrades and sustainable resources, creating a beautiful, restored space for the next generation to learn and grow.
GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY!!!
The City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering, Los Angeles Public Library and Council District 14 will hold a celebration to mark the beginning of construction. Please join us Saturday Nov. 8th at 10 a.m. All are welcome! There will be a resource fair and much more to enjoy. 2200 E. 1st Street, Boyle Heights.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Benjamin Franklin Branch in Boyle Heights is located at 2200 E. 1st Street Los Angeles, CA 90033 in Boyle Heights. Located in Council District 14, the library is undergoing a major renovation, with improvements including updated program spaces, structural upgrades, and enhanced electrical systems that will meet the City’s clean energy goals and bring sustainable resources to the community. Site improvements also include a new demonstration garden for the public including shade trees and outdoor seating.
PROJECT TIMELINE/ UPDATES
Final pre-construction phase/ preparation: Fall 2025
Groundbreaking Ceremony - November 8, 2025
Construction begins: November 2025
Construction completed: Fall/Winter 2026
PROJECT DESIGN
The renovations will include:
- Design and construction of new tenant improvements
- Space for new programs such as Adult Literacy & New Americans Centers
- Structural upgrades for known structural deficiencies
- Adjustments to the building egress - A new emergency egress door will be added to the main reading room of the library, and a new egress path from the egress door to the public right-of-way (sidewalk).
- Electric Vehicle charging stations
- Cool pavement in the parking lot and landscaping
COMMUNITY AMENITIES DURING CLOSURE
The Benjamin Franklin Branch Library is currently closed for renovation. However, we are presenting library programs across the street at the Boyle Heights City Hall in partnership with Council District 14. For a schedule of library events, please go to: https://lapl.org/branches/benjamin-franklin
NOTE: these events will NOT take place at the library, but will be held in the community room at the Boyle Heights City Hall at 2130 E 1st St.
Nearby branches include:
Robert Louis Stevenson Branch Library
Also, Libros Schmibros, the community lending library across from Mariachi Plaza, has expanded its hours to six days a week. The nonprofit, which began in 2010, now opens Tuesday through Sunday, filling a gap in local library access following the closure of a temporary Benjamin Franklin Library site.
HISTORY OF LIBRARY
Library service in Boyle Heights began in 1889 with the formation of the Boyle Heights Library Association, which offered a free reading room and books at a small rental fee. By 1914, the Boyle Heights Branch Library had a card catalog and a shelf list, featuring a collection of standard titles, as well as books in at least five languages, including Polish, Russian, Spanish, and Yiddish. It was the first of six Los Angeles libraries funded by philanthropist and industrialist Andrew Carnegie, with the original building completed in 1916.
The library was damaged in the 1971 earthquake and was demolished to be rebuilt. It reopened in 1976, making the current library about 50 years old.
Here are some pictures of the library over the years: https://photos.app.goo.gl/gFMdogAM1F3PS1nv8
For more history about the Benjamin Franklin Library please go to: https://lapl.org/branches/benjamin-franklin/history
Excited to learn more? Read about how Ben Franklin started the modern library system in 1731: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-ben-franklin-invented-library-as-we-know-it-180983983
FAQs
Why did the library close in 2020?
The library closed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, the building’s new HVAC unit was vandalized and rendered unusable. The entire unit was replaced along with additional improvements to the building’s mechanical area to prevent future vandalism. In 2021, while the library was still closed due to the pandemic, a water leak in the roof caused structural damage to the wall of the main reading room, bowing the wall inwards and creating a life safety hazard and rendering the building unsafe for occupancy.
Why has the library been closed for so long?
A number of unforeseen factors contributed to the library renovation being delayed.
The Los Angeles Public Library requested engineering and design services from the Bureau of Engineering to repair the major damage to the building and renovate the interior. The renovation project was delayed due to several factors as the design developed, including the building being designated as having a historical cultural significance and needing to comply with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, while also complying with major energy improvements and upgrades as part of the City's decarbonization program.
Originally, $2.2 million for the project’s decarbonization and energy improvements was to be drawn from the city’s decarbonization program. However, those funds were eliminated due to budget cuts under Mayor Karen Bass. The project then needed to go through a “value engineering” process to remain within the reduced budget.
What will be different when the library reopens?
The renovated library will feature a new entry plaza from the parking lot area and street entrance. Inside, patrons will find a new Check-out and Reference Desk, all new interior finishes, new bookstacks and furnishings for the Children’s Area, Young Adult Area and Adult Reading Room. There will be a New Americans and Adult Literacy Center, as well as a new study room for patrons’ use. The Children’s Area will be able to connect to the Community Room both visually and physically with the addition of new sliding glass doors that can open to create a larger combined space for the community’s use. The restrooms will also be updated with new fixtures and finishes, including baby changing stations. The library will feature new energy efficient lighting and conveniency outlets throughout the building for use with personal devices and studying.
PROGRESS PHOTOS
Coming soon!
CONTACTS
https://lapl.org/branches/benjamin-franklin
For information about library services, please email bnfrnk@lapl.org
The Library is always open at lapl.org, where you can explore e-books, audiobooks, music, movies, podcasts, classes, newspapers, magazines and more online.
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