The pyramid atop the Los Angeles Central Library in DTLA. Photo by Jim Winstead, via Flickr creative commons.

It’s National Library Week!

Did you know that the city of Los Angeles has 72 branches and the county of Los Angeles operates 86 branches? The city serves the largest population of any publicly funded library system in the United States and San Pedro librarian Ednita Kelly won the Mayor’s Civic Innovation Award in 2015 for her ‘Book Bike.’ L.A. County has the sixth largest public library system in country, including three bike mobiles.

What better way to celebrate National Library Week 2016 than taking Metro Rail and biking to your local branch?

We suggest bicycle directions to a selection of branches from Metro Rail stops and note nearby bicycle-friendly streets. A full list and map of all branches is provided by Los Angeles Public Library System and The County of Los Angeles Public Library System.

Los Angeles Central Library

Metro Bike Share is launching this summer in Downtown Los Angeles and a Metro Bike Share station is planned to be located next to the central library branch

• Metro Rail Station: 7th/Metro (Red, Purple, Blue and Expo Lines)
• Directions by bike:

• Nearby bicycle friendly streets:
  • 7th Street running east-west
  • S. Figueroa Street running north-south

Alma Reaves Woods – Watts Branch

• Metro Rail Station: 103rd Street / Watts Towers Station (Blue Line)
• Directions by bike:

• Nearby bicycle friendly streets:
  • S. Centreal Avenue running north-south
  • E. 108th Street running east-west

Compton Library

• Metro Rail Station: Compton Station (Blue Line)
• Directions by bike:

• Nearby bicycle friendly streets:
  • E. Alondra Boulevard and W. Greenleaf Boulevard both running east-eest
  • N. Santa Fe Avenue and Compton Creek Bikeway running north-south

Baldwin Hills Branch

• Metro Rail Station: La Brea / Exposition Station (Expo Line)
• Directions by bike:

• Nearby bicycle friendly streets:
  • W. Jefferson Boulevard from the west
  • Expo Bike Path from the east

Exposition Park Regional Library

• Metro Rail Station: Expo/ Western Station (Expo Line)
• Directions by bike:

• Nearby bicycle friendly streets:
  • Exposition Boulevard and W. 39th Street both running east-west

Pío Pico-Koreatown Branch

• Metro Rail Station: Wilshire / Western Station (Purple Line)
• Directions by bike:

• Nearby bicycle friendly streets:
  • S. Oxford Avenue from the north
  • S. Harvard Boulevard from the south
  • 7th Street from the east
  • James Wood Boulevard and W. 4th St both running east-west

Pico Union Branch

• Metro Rail Station: Westlake / MacArthur Park Station (Purple and Red Lines)
• Directions by bike:

• Nearby bicycle friendly streets:
  • 7th Street and James Wood Boulevard both running East-West
  • Hoover Street running north-south

Cahuenga Branch

• Metro Rail Station: Vermont / Santa Monica Station (Red Line)
• Directions by bike:

• Nearby bicycle friendly streets:
  • Fountain Avenue running east-west
  • N. Edgemont Street and N. Hoover Street both running north-south
  • N. Virgil Avenue from the south

North Hollywood Regional Library

• Metro Rail Station: North Hollywood Station (Red and Orange Lines)
• Directions by bike:

• Nearby bicycle friendly streets:
  • Chandler Blvd running east-west
  • Tujunga Avenue and Colfax Avenue both from the south
  • Lankershim Boulevard from the north

Van Nuys Branch

• Metro Rail Station: Van Nuys Station (Orange Line)
• Directions by bike:

• Nearby bicycle friendly streets:
  • Orange Line Busway Bike Path running east-west
  • Van Nuys Boulevard from the south
  • Woodman Avenue running north-south

Chanuga Park Branch

• Metro Rail Station: De Soto Station (Orange Line)
• Directions by bike:

• Nearby bicycle friendly streets:
  • Los Angeles River Greenway running east-west
  • Orange Line Busway  Bike Path running east-west
  • Sherman Way from the west
  • De Soto Avenue from the south
  • Winnetka Avenue from the north
  • Orange Line Pedestrian and Bicycle Path

Arroyo Seco Regional Branch

• Metro Rail Station: Highland Park Station (Gold Line)
• Directions by bike:

• Nearby bicycle friendly streets:
  • N. Figueroa Street from the south

Duarte Library

• Metro Rail Station: Duarte/City Of Hope Station (Gold Line)
• Directions by bike:

• Nearby bicycle friendly streets:
  • San Gabriel River Trail running north-south
  • Duarte Bike Trail from the east

Lennox Library

• Metro Rail Station: Hawthrone/Lennox Station (Green Line)
• Directions by bike:

• Nearby bicycle friendly streets:
  • Hawthorne Blvd running north-south

Manhattan Beach Library

• Metro Rail Station: Douglas Station (Green Line)
• Directions by bike:

• Nearby bicycle friendly streets:
  • Ardmore Avenue going south
  • N. Valley Drive going north
  • The Strand Bike Trail running north-south

How to carry your books home:

Here are some companies that sell baskets, racks, panniers or other bike carrying devices and explain how to choose which type is right for you:

REI

Amazon

Big Bag Shop

Bike Pretty

Basil Bags

All bicycle directions are for planning purposes only and riders should consult a map and all relevant safety rules here before travel.