Westwood Branch Library 20th Anniversary Celebration!
Words. Wisdom. Wonder.
Saturday, May 10, 2025
9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
With the theme “Words. Wisdom. Wonder.” the Friends of Westwood Library invite you, your family, friends, and neighbors to celebrate the milestone 20th Anniversary of the Westwood Branch Library on Saturday, May 10, with a fun-filled, fascinating, and fantastic day. This extraordinary all-day party is jam-packed with excitement, energy, and entertainment for the entire family, and celebrates one of the most heavily used libraries among the 72 branches of the sprawling Los Angeles Public Library system.
There will be lizards, snakes, tarantulas, LAFD Firefighters, dancing Chinese Lions, a Mariachi Band, Zine-making, delicious food, Anniversary Cake, LAPL Book Bike, free books and library swag, historic photos, City Librarian John Szabo, a stunning Yamaha C3 Baby Grand Piano, a dazzling keyboard concert with the brilliantly talented Three Yoder Brothers of UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music, and much more!
Join the Friends of Westwood Library, Westwood neighbors, UCLA students and faculty, and library lovers citywide for this day-long library love-fest, filled with magical moments, thrilling programs, and iconic experiences as the Westwood community celebrates its beloved Westwood Library’s first 20 years and beyond. This is truly an event not to be missed! A day of PURE JOY!
Highlights include:
10:00 a.m. – Thor’s Reptile Family “Library Safari” (for Kids, Teens and Families)
Snakes! Lizards! Tarantulas! OH MY! Meet animal expert Thorsten Pape and his exotic “family” of friendly, fascinating reptiles for a thrilling, exciting, and safe hands-on experience!
11:00 a.m. – L.A. Zine Fest’s “Zine-Making Workshop” (for Teens, Kids and Adults)
Ready. Set. Create! Learn all about the world of Zines! L.A.Z.F. will provide pens, paper, collage materials, scissors, glue sticks, zine instruction sheets, pizza…and FUN. By the end of the workshop, you should have your very own 8-page zine!
11:30 a.m. – UCLA Jade Lotus Lion Dance Troupe (for Kids, Teens and Families)
Meet Ketchup, Mustard & Sriracha! Three giant, colorful dancing lions will perform in the playful Hok San style of lion dancing, presented by UCLA’s acclaimed student dance team that celebrates the art and culture of Vietnamese-Chinese style of lion dancing.
12:00 noon – Celebration & Ceremony & Cupcakes Too (for Everyone)
Fiesta Fun! Mariachi Band, LAFD Firefighters, Hook & Ladder Truck from Westwood Fire Station 37, LAPL Book Bike, Free Books and Swag, Anniversary Book Bags, Giant Anniversary Card, Historic Photo Exhibit, City Librarian John Szabo, Dignitaries, Special Presentations, 20th Anniversary Cake & Surprises.
2:00 p.m. – The Virtuoso Piano: The Three Yoder Brothers (for Adults)
A Triple Treat! Brothers Łucasz, Kasper and Dominik Yoder of UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music dazzle with a breathtaking program of Chopin, Liszt, Mozart, Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Rossini, and more – including solo, 4-hand, and even a unique 6-hand collaboration arranged by Dominik just for this Concert. The Friends will debut their newly acquired Yamaha C3 Baby Grand Piano, a gift to the Westwood Library, and end with a reception for Concert guests hosted by Delphi Greek Restaurant.
“We will celebrate our Westwood Library as one of Westwood’s most treasured centerpieces,” said 20th Anniversary Chairman and 20-year Friends Board member Steven Sann. “This is our biggest and grandest celebration in 20 years. Our Friends of Westwood Library have planned many ‘wow’ moments for May 10th. We can’t wait to share it all with our Westwood and UCLA neighbors, and our many Westwood library patrons: a joyous celebration of ‘Words. Wisdom. Wonder.’,” he added.
Dedicated May 7, 2005, the Westwood Branch Library today is one of the busiest branches in the LAPL system, with consistently high circulation and patronage that ranks the Westwood Library in the Top Ten to Top Fifteen in circulation citywide among 72 branch libraries in the LAPL system.
The Friends of Westwood Library is one of the most active such support groups in the city. It is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that raises additional funds to enhance and support the Westwood Library and LAPL, including its book collection, media collection, enriching programs, services, equipment, furnishings, and enhanced maintenance. The Friends also fund a “Cybernaut” computer aide for 15 hours each week at the Westwood Library, to provide one-on-one training and computer support to the library public. Since its establishment in October 2004, the Friends of Westwood Library have raised more than $1.2 million in support of the Westwood Branch.
One of the Friends of Westwood Library’s marquee programs is its monthly free Concert Series @ Westwood Library, co-sponsored with the Los Angeles Musical Salon. Since its launch in 2014, this free Concert Series has grown from a quarterly program to a monthly calendar of 12 free concerts annually that now draw 125 to 200 audience members every month, making the free Concert Series @ Westwood Library its best attended program. As part of the 20th Anniversary Celebration, the Friends have gifted a magnificent $25,000 Yamaha C3 professional series Baby Grand Piano to the Westwood Branch and LAPL, in honor of the Westwood Library’s milestone anniversary. This stunning instrument will debut on Saturday, May 10th with an extraordinary piano concert by the Three Yoder Brothers of the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, featuring solo, 4-hand, and even a unique 6-hand piano collaboration.
The 20th Anniversary Celebration takes place at the Westwood Branch Library, 1246 Glendon Avenue. Admission is free, and space is limited. There is 90 minutes free validated parking for library patrons in the Library Garage. Overflow parking is available for a $3 all-day flat rate at the 10866 Wilshire Garage, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with that garage entrance on Glendon Avenue, immediately north of the Library.
The Friends of Westwood Library thank their generous 20th Anniversary Gold Sponsors: Belmont Village Senior Living Westwood, Comstock Hills Homeowners Association, The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation, Los Angeles Musical Salon, and Westwood Homeowners Association; and their wonderful Silver Sponsors: Delphi Greek Restaurant, Industry Security Services, Westwood Village Rotary Club, Office of 5th District Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, and the Los Angeles Public Library.
