Hollywood Library Fire of 1982
While there had been small arson fires at several branches throughout the sixties and seventies, nothing prepared the Library for the 1982 conflagration at the Hollywood Branch Library, one of the Library's most popular and storied locations. The fire devastated the collection and building, but the response from the community was as strong as it was immediate. Celebrities offered their support, whether money (Johnny Carson) or services (Orson Welles), and the overall community support led to a new Library Branch designed: by a star architect. This successful effort would provide a ready template for the recovery of Central Library after its fire just a few years later.