The Huntington Beach Public Library system and Huntington Central Library offer a genealogy section, beautiful fountains, tables, chairs, magazines, newspapers, copy machines, an art gallery, book store, media center with computers and movie videos for check out, a 300+ seat theatre where the Huntington Beach Playhouse holds performances, and rental rooms for weddings, receptions, meetings and events.  Ideal for many functions, there's a kitchen adjacent to one of the meeting rooms. 

The Children's Wing is colorful and fun with miniature seats and a theatre for tots' weekly story hours.  Walls of glass three stories up offer a bird's eye view of baby owls sitting in eucalyptus trees.   See: Huntington Beach Events
Mary Pat Gonzalas, Children's Librarian (left) and Nanci William, Children's Coordinator are the best!

If you get a chance, be sure to donate your unwanted books to the library for their ongoing used book sales inside the lobby. You can drive your car to the back of library where there's a cement dock or platform staging area with signage indicating a book donation drop off point.   A popular annual classic car show which is the main fund raising event for the Children's Wing is the Concours d'Elegance. Held on the library grounds and in nearby Central Park, classic car owners compete for prizes with viewing of hundreds of beautiful automobiles, music, entertainment and food booths. 

Libraries are sanctuaries of silence...places to find peace amongst the bustle of our every day lives. Lose yourself in thought as the sound of water cascades over fountains. Central Library is a treasure enjoyed by all who visit. Famed architect Richard Neutra and his son, Dion, attempted to blend the library and surrounding park into a happy place for relaxation, contemplation and study when they designed Central Library on a hill in Central Park overlooking Talbert Lake nearly 30 years ago.  With invention of the cell phone, the peaceful library turned quite noisy until the Huntington Beach City Council approved an ordinance in September 2004 that brought media interest to this quiet sanction. The library system does not allow use of cell phones inside the library buildings.

"Architecture is about restoring man to his historic relationship to nature and its various elements. The philosophy of the firm is to place man in relationship to nature. Architecture is an applied art; it only works if man works better in and because of it."- From the 5 Neutra Principles

Richard Neutra's ideas about creating an environment in which man is restored and at one with nature describes Central Library perfectly.  On a practical level, maintenance engineers will tell you how the fountains have experienced ups and downs, how built-in floor lights with glass covers have cracked and worn and how a dozen little things could be better.  But a walk through the doors of Central Library just feels good. Not part of the Orange County Library System as many other cities are, the independent city system features the premier Central Library, Main Street Library which offers old-time charm, and several branches for convenience. Free to the citizens of Huntington Beach, California, out-of-town guests must purchase a library card for the privilege of checking out books. 

 

History of the Huntington Beach Library  / Main Street Branch Photo