Central Library Opens Its Doors Again to L.A.
For those looking up, the circle of colored neon topping downtown L.A. skyscrapers was the view as more than 1,300 guests clustered in the middle of Fifth Street Saturday evening for the Library Foundation’s $500-a-ticket gala dinner celebrating the opening of the newly restored Central Library.
“Give yourselves a round of applause. You’re an elegant group,” said blue-ribbon fund-raiser and gala chair Lodwrick Cook from the stage.
The night, he said, would net nearly $500,000. This adds to the $160 million the private sector has raised toward the more than $214-million edifice designed by architect Norman Pfeiffer.
Said Cook, “This is one of the best investments we can make. This is the crown jewel of any city in this country. And I hope your support doesn’t stop with tonight; we’re going to need you in the future.”
Many described the library as a Phoenix rising from the ashes, referring to the disastrous library fires seven years ago. Tributes were flashy: Author Dominick Dunne called the restored library “incredible.” Tom Techentin said, “Amazing.”
Mayor Richard Riordan, escorting Nancy Daly, who wore a long black dress by Karl Lagerfeld (black was the predominant fashion choice), recalled spending time in the Central Library as a young lawyer “three or four hours a month getting lost here--from the stress of practicing law.” Councilwoman Rita Walters recalled, “This library was my first friend in Los Angeles.”
Trumpets heralded arriving guests as party-goers with flutes of Champagne mingled on the new westside Maguire Gardens. Then everyone got lost in the opening glow, trying elevators (wallpapered with the old card catalogue files) and swarming up and down escalators like so-many black-tied ants in the four-story atrium with its whimsical chandeliers.
The Gala Committee had the inside track: Robin and Peter Barker, Speedy and Walter Beran, Lod and Carole Cook and the other Cooks (Diane and John), Lois and Bob Erburu, Kathy and Jose Lozano, Marjorie and Fred Lyte, Rob Maguire, Yukiko and Steve Matsuura, Jane and Bruce McNall, Debbie Allen and Norm Nixon, Cindy and Doug Ring, and Marge and Dick Stegemeier.
During the program, former Ambassador to Mexico John Gavin recalled seeing smoke pouring from the library and hearing Cook, who heads ARCO, say: “We’ll have to do something about this.” Said Gavin, “He’s put new luster on the term ‘good neighbor.’ ” The library rotunda has been named for Cook.
Cook had special praise for many, including choreographer/dancer Debbie Allen who became “a literary activist” raising $900,000 after the John Muir and Junipero Serra branch libraries were burned in the 1992 riots. She used her entertainment connections to put Vanessa Williams and Brian McKnight on the stage. She and Lod Cook cut a rug with their down-to-the-floor rock ‘n’ roll shimmying.
City Librarian Elizabeth Martinez said the new library brings “hope” to Los Angeles. New Library Commission president Gary Ross observed, “Now that we’ve built this place, we have to use it.”
As a gift, first nighters received proxies for VIP library cards.
