The Library Foundation of Los Angeles

Investing in lifelong learning:the Foundation is committed to breaking cycles of low literacy in its multitude of forms. The adult literacy initiative offers one-on-one tutoring to adults reading below The sixth-grade equivalency. The initiative also provides coaching to help adults who struggle with literacy support their children's early literacy development. Additional adult literacy components include drop-in tutoring, topical seminars and classes, and english-as-another-language services to help adults increase english-language fluency or become literate in their native language. Career online high school gives adults another chance to earn an accredited high-school diploma. Cybernauts at 37 libraries and also through remote service, promotes digital literacy to help patrons use computers to find information and complete tasks. The Foundation supports lapl's efforts to address digital equity citywide by circulating high-speed mobile hotspots and laptops at no cost to those who need digital access. Also, lapl's full steam ahead initiative promotes science literacy by offering children, adults, and families with activities to inspire their creativity, explore neighborhood science, and problem solve.

Helping students succeed:the Foundation helps lapl present a range of public services and programs to support early literacy and social development for children ages 0-5, academic support for children and teens, civic learning and experiences for teens, and college preparatory resources for youth and their families. Lapl's we read together initiative provides information, resources, and activities for parents and caregivers to learn and practice early literacy techniques with children ages 0-5. With The Foundation's support, lapl offers daily story times where librarians model how to read aloud, workshops that help parents integrate early literacy into their children's daily lives, and an outreach service called read baby read that delivers critical information and resources to new and expectant parents on The importance of literacy from birth. The Foundation supports school-age youth in multiple ways, including helping lapl deliver expert online private tutoring to all k-12 youth with a Library card between 11 am and 11 pm, daily, student zones that provide dedicated and direct access to computers and in-person homework at 38 local libraries in low-income communities, and college-prep services to help youth and families prepare for college. The teens leading change program provides lfla-funded mini-grants to groups of youth and librarians to research and pilot strategies to address social issues in their communities.

Engaging The imagination:through its acclaimed aloud cultural programming series, lfla brings renowned and emerging literary artists, filmmakers, scientists, musicians, policymakers, and other luminous minds in direct conversation with Library patrons. The Foundation supports lapl's l.a. made series that delivers humanities programming, performances, and activities to The city's diverse communities. The Foundation and lapl's exhibitions highlight lapl's historic collections, The diverse stories and people of l.a., and contemporary issues that resonate with our lives. From may to november 2022, The Foundation presented an exhibition at The la central Library entitled, "something in common". Through an eclectic and wide range of stories about local clubs and community groups, this exhibition examined The things that bring people together and celebrated The public Library's role as a safe space of connection for all. In 2022-2023, The Foundation and lapl launched creators in residence. The fellowship program engaged two creative practitioners, kwasi boyd-boulding (a photographer), and river garza (a mixed-media visual artist), who produced unique new work informed by lapl's collection and services. The next cohort of The city of l. A. 's residents began their projects in november 2023. The Foundation also supports digitization projects at lapl that archive and preserve collections of photos, ephemera, maps, and other items so that they can be accessed online by researchers, students, and any other curious minds. Finally, The Foundation helps lapl develop new spaces to help The city of l.a.'s residents make and create using state-of-the-art modeling and fabrication tools and audio/visual recording equipment in areas like The octavia lab at The downtown central Library.