The North Hollywood Amelia Earhart Regional Library, formerly known as the Sidney Lanier Branch Library, is also called the North Hollywood Branch and North Hollywood Library. It is a branch library in the Los Angeles Public Library system, located at 5211 N. Tujunga Avenue in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. The library opened in 1929. In 1986, the building was declared a Los Angeles Cultural-Historic Monument. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
History
The North Hollywood Amelia Earhart Regional Library started as two bookcases in a corner of a post office in the City of Lankershim. As the library grew, it moved to a special area in a feed store at the corner of Lankershim Boulevard and Margate Street. Later, it moved to its own building on Margate Street.
In 1923, Lankershim became part of the City of Los Angeles. Four years later, the neighborhood was renamed North Hollywood. At the same time, the library was renamed the Sidney Lanier Branch, following a tradition of naming Los Angeles libraries after famous writers. In 1927, the library moved to a larger space on Bakman Street. It moved to its current location on July 29, 1929. This building was designed by Weston & Weston, the same architects who created American Legion Post 43. The building cost about $25,000, which would be around $468,750 in 2025.
The library’s growth and its role as a regional branch for the San Fernando Valley required more space. In 1956, architect John James Landon designed an addition that nearly tripled the library’s size. This addition, costing $183,000 (about $2.17 million in 2025), was completed on June 22, 1956.
In 1980, community members asked to rename the library to honor Amelia Earhart, who had lived nearby and often used the library. The name change was approved the next year. A statue of Earhart also stands in the park next to the library.
The library was damaged during the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Most of the repairs were paid for by MCA/Universal through the "Adopt-a-Branch" program. The library reopened on April 17, 1995, and was the last damaged branch to reopen.
By 2002, the library needed more repairs and space. A new plaza, parking lot, and 1,400 square feet (130 m²) of interior space were added, increasing the total area to 15,150 square feet (1,407 m²). M2A Architects and ARK Construction completed the restoration.
Architecture and design
North Hollywood Amelia Earhart Regional Library is a one-story building designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival Mission style. It is made of stucco and red brick and has a roof covered with Spanish tile. The upper roof has a shallow hip shape and extends over a clerestory, which includes seven recessed windows with multiple panes. These windows are surrounded by two large, colorful terra cotta coat of arms, which are centered above the building's entrance.
The lower roof, located on the south and east sides below the clerestory windows, covers offices and a porch that spans three-quarters of the building's front. This roof is supported by a row of concrete columns and capitals resting on a two-foot-high concrete wall. The wall is topped with a brick layer, and the underside of the porch roof shows exposed rafters.
Entry to the building is through decorative wrought iron gates. These gates are flanked by Mexican tile window grilles with green antique glass and lead to a small rectangular vestibule. Inside, the building has an open beam ceiling and a fireplace on the south end. Quotes from Sidney Lanier are displayed above the fireplace and charging desk.
The library's 1956 addition matches the original building in its use of brick, roof design, and exterior details.
Historic designations and awards
This branch was given the title Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #302 in 1986. In 1987, it and several other Los Angeles Public Library branches were added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Los Angeles Branch Library System.
In 2003 and 2004, the library won the State of California Governor's Design Award, the Los Angeles Conservancy Preservation Award, and the California Preservation Foundation Design Award. These awards were given for the repairs completed in 2002.