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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.
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.
See:
Huntington Beach Events. 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. What you will find inside the
library: - 300-Seat
Theater - Genealogy Library - Magazine and News Section - Art Gallery - Gift Shop - Media Center - Computer stations - Sound Booths, Meeting Rooms - Children's Wing - Food Court - Concours
d'Elegance Car Show
History of the Huntington Beach Library
/ Main Street Branch
Photo
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"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.
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