The Lynwood Library has reopened after its first major renovation in almost 50 years. New skylights brighten the space and there are dedicated areas for teens, kids, studying and community meetings.
“It does give you a feeling that our community matters,” said Danielle Trujillo, who grew up nearby and visited the library often. “That we deserve new books, that we deserve new furniture, that we deserve to be in a space that’s welcoming, spacious, and inviting.”
The $8 million project began in 2024 and closed the library for about two years. The branch reopened Aug. 20 and celebrated with a ribbon-cutting Thursday.
“ I’m so happy to have this open, and a place for our community to gather, to connect,” said Lynwood Mayor Gabriela Camacho, who also brought her twins to the library.
Gabrielle Fata and her 3-year-old son Zennett can walk to the library from their home.
“ I just try to get him interested in loving books at a young age, so I just like him being around all the books and all the letters and everything,” Fata said.
Local leaders, including Lynwood Mayor Gabriela Camacho, Assemblymember José Luis Solache, Supervisor Janice Hahn and LA County Library Director Skye Patrick cut the ribbon to celebrate the completion of the Lynwood Library renovation.
How the funding came together
Supervisor Janice Hahn said she advocated for part of L.A. County’s federal COVID-19 pandemic relief dollars to fund five library renovations in District 4, including the Lynwood Library. The southeast L.A. County city is home to about 64,000 people.
“I still believe that libraries are a real treasure for communities and schools,” Hahn said. “I know a lot of young people get their information online and are on the internet, but I really believe libraries are still an important part of the fabric of a community.”
The 12,000-square-foot Lynwood Library renovation includes a new area for teens.
The renovations were originally planned to be completed by November 2025. Hahn said she wasn’t sure what caused the delay.
“Wish it could’ve been open earlier, but [there] are always construction issues and problems that I think we face with almost everything we try to do in the county of Los Angeles,” Hahn said.
‘A library for the people’
LA County Library Director Skye Patrick said when the Lynwood Library was first built in 1977, the idea was to keep the space dark to preserve the books inside.
“The library is … no longer just about the books. It’s about the people.” Patrick said. “We want the space to be welcoming, we want it to be open, we want it to have a lot of airflow through it.”
”I like how there’s separate sections for different people to do things,” said Jennifer Estrada, an eighth grader at a nearby middle school. “There’s the study rooms, you could go with your friends or if you just wanna be alone.”
Jennifer Estrada is an eighth grader at Hosler Middle School, less than a mile away from the library, and has started visiting twice a week to study and hang out with friends since it reopened.
“ I feel like it’s very open. You could be you in here,” Estrada said.
Trujillo, who is now the adult teen librarian here, said she’s excited to see the next generation embrace the library.
“ I try not to show it as much ’cause I don’t wanna scare them away,” Trujillo said. “But I’m really excited that the teens are coming into the space and that they’re happy with it.”
“Libraries have transformed from just checking out books,” said librarian Danielle Trujillo. “People come in and they hang out with their friends, or they’re studying for school.”
Trujillo said in addition to the teen space, the Spanish language and manga collections are also popular.
She said the library also welcomes feedback.
“If anyone ever wants to come talk to us and share some ideas that they have for the library, we’re completely open to that,” Trujillo said.
Fata said her son Zennett’s favorite books skew spooky, including Aaron Reynolds’ “Creepy” series and Rhode Montijo’s Skeletown series.
Visit the Lynwood Library
Address: 11320 Bullis Road, Lynwood
Hours:
Tuesday- Wednesday: 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.Thursday- Saturday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.Sunday- Monday: Closed
Learn more: Website