LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The City Council Friday approved 87 authors to be part of the L.A. Public Library's Angel City Press, a publishing operation that was gifted to the city in December 2023.
Council members voted 12-0 to approve the list of authors who will participate in the program and publish books that will add to the more than 8 million volumes across the library's 73 branches.
Council members Nithya Raman, Heather Hutt and Monica Rodriguez were absent during the vote.
Prior to the vote, Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez, who sits on the council's Neighborhoods and Community Enrichment Committee, said this was a step that will expand the city's library system in a very "positively, aggressive way."
In 1992, Angel City Press had about 100 Southern California authors and produced more than 135 non-fiction books that celebrate different aspects of the L.A. region, according to city documents.
On Dec. 14, 2023, the city authorized a gift agreement to accept the publishing company, which was co-founded by Paddy Calistro and Scott McAuley.
"Not only are we going to have our library system have over 8 million books, but our library system is now going to be able to publish books as well," Hernandez said.
She gave a shoutout to John Szabo, the general manager of the Los Angeles Public Library, for his dedication throughout the years and being a leader on ways to expand and innovate the system.