{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/tm71v5dq6t/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Central 100 Oral History - Victoria Bernal"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/200/original/lapl_logo.png?1628076950","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Agent"]},"value":{"en":["Victoria Bernal"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["2026-01-21"]}},{"label":{"en":["Format"]},"value":{"en":["MPEG-4"]}},{"label":{"en":["Keyword"]},"value":{"en":["Tessa Kelso","Miriam Matthews","Mary Foy"]}},{"label":{"en":["Type"]},"value":{"en":["TheirStory"]}}],"provider":[{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["Los Angeles Public Library"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["Los Angeles Public Library"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/200/original/lapl_logo.png?1628076950","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/311/829/small/Victoria_Bernal_-_first_library_card_image.png?1780497639","type":"Image","format":"image/png"}],"items":[{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - open-uri20260603-4144056-tdfodt.mp4"]},"duration":302.03733,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/311/829/small/Victoria_Bernal_-_first_library_card_image.png?1780497639","type":"Image","format":"image/png"}],"items":[{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-lapl.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/311/829/original/open-uri20260603-4144056-tdfodt.mp4?1780496977","type":"Audio","format":"audio/mp3","duration":302.03733,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/transcript/94345","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["TheirStory Transcript (Paragraphs with Speakers) [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/transcript/94345/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eVICTORIA BERNAL:\u003c/strong\u003e My name is Victoria Bernal, and I'm a writer, researcher, and public historian specializing in Southern California history, as my family has been in Los Angeles for over 120 years. I actually don't remember the first time I was at the Central Library because I was only four. That's when my mom took me to get my very first LA library card. I still proudly have that plain looking library card in our family collection.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829#t=1.0,24.76"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/transcript/94345/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBERNAL:\u003c/strong\u003e My first adult memory of the Central Library took place in 1995. As a summer intern, I coordinated art workshops for kids of migrant workers. This was part of LA County's Migrant Education Program, and the Central Library hosted these workshops in various meeting rooms. Then the students all performed on the Mark Taper Auditorium stage for their parents. It was all very inspiring. The power of the arts. Seeing the kids and parents marvel at this amazing building.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829#t=25.28,50.52"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/transcript/94345/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBERNAL:\u003c/strong\u003e The Tom Bradley Wing was only two years old at the time, so this project included library tours for the parents. I organized this project for three years, so I took this tour many times. And now, I draw upon these tour stories when I bring out of town guests to the Central Library.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829#t=51.08,68.25"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/transcript/94345/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBERNAL:\u003c/strong\u003e And I do bring out-of-town guests to the Central Library, because this is such a beautiful historic monument to knowledge, to the written word. And I love that we can see this reflected in the building. For example, Lee Lawrie's sculptures on the outside of the 1926 building and Ries Niemi's Literate Fence around the Tom Bradley wing.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829#t=68.53,87.57"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/transcript/94345/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBERNAL:\u003c/strong\u003e In fact, I just dragged a practical stranger to the library on October 25 during an academic conference at the Biltmore Hotel. This Princeton professor told me he hadn't seen any Los Angeles sights. I replied that one of the best landmarks was right across the street. I looked at my watch, or my phone, and realized we had thirty minutes before the library closed. So I dragged him, willingly, out of the reception, across the street, and through the library doors. We ran through the main highlights — the historic rotunda with the Zodiac Chandelier and Dean Cornwell's murals. The Tom Bradley wing with Therman Statom's chandeliers. We rode down the elevator lined with library cards from the old card catalog. And then I took him out to the Maguire Gardens to point out the stairwell depicting the evolution of human language. He was in awe and could not believe that this beautiful building had been right next to our conference the whole time.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829#t=87.89,137.94"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/transcript/94345/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBERNAL:\u003c/strong\u003e One really important element that I deeply appreciate about the library is that it is the keeper of so many Los Angeles stories. I first realized this in 2002, when I started volunteering with photo librarian Carolyn Kozo Cole. For several years, I came once a week, sat outside her office, and helped her with the Los Angeles Herald photo collection. I loved this. I loved being immersed in all these old photos. I can still remember the musty scent of opening these files filled with old images of Los Angeles. Her Shades of Los Angeles photo project still inspires me to this day.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829#t=138.98,172.7"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/transcript/94345/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBERNAL:\u003c/strong\u003e For the last seventeen years, I've been working in Los Angeles history, during which I relied heavily, heavily on the resources provided by the Central Library. The online city directories, the old newspapers via ProQuest, the California Index, the Menu Collection, the Rare Book Collection, the Map Collection, the amazing huge Sanborn Volumes, the exhibitions in the History Department, as well as in the Annenberg and Getty Galleries.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829#t=173.98,197.78"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/transcript/94345/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBERNAL:\u003c/strong\u003e And for the past two years, I've been digitizing my family's home movies in the DIY Memory Lab in the Octavia Lab. As an independent researcher, I am so incredibly grateful to the Central Library for making these historic resources accessible to anyone with a library card. This is why I was so honored to play LA librarian Tessa Kelso for the library's Historical Portraits Project. In the 1890s, librarian Tessa Kelso was such a badass when it came to fighting censorship and ensuring Angelenos had access to books. Among her many achievements, she also worked to preserve local landmarks and created the local history collection at the library.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829#t=197.94,236.98"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/transcript/94345/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBERNAL:\u003c/strong\u003e She's not the only inspiring librarian in the public library's past. I think about Miriam Matthews at least once a week as she did so much to save California history. She not only compiled a critical collection of Black history, but she advocated for intellectual freedom and fought against censorship. I cannot wait for someone to write a book about her.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829#t=237.42,258.95"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/transcript/94345/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"\u003cstrong\u003eBERNAL:\u003c/strong\u003e And then there's Mary Foy. On the 100th anniversary of suffrage in 2020, I gave a talk for the library about suffragist Mary Foy because she was also the LA Public Library's first woman to be city librarian. When I'm in the rotunda, I say hello to her. Well, I say hello to her plaque every time I pass by it. I think about these women a lot as I find myself continuously inspired by today's librarians who are building on their legacy. Today's librarian staff, they have created so many innovative projects and resources that support Angelenos and the pursuit of, well, everything. Well, practically everything. And I am forever grateful. Here's to the next 100 years.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829#t=259.35,301.23"}]},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/index/92483","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Auto-generated Index (2026-01-21 18:09:20) [Index]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/index/92483/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Introduction and Lifelong Connection to Los Angeles and the Central Library","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829#t=0.0,25.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/index/92483/annotation/12","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Victoria Bernal introduces herself as a writer, researcher, and public historian with deep roots in Los Angeles, tracing her family's history in the city for over 120 years. She shares her earliest memory of the Central Library, recalling that her mother took her there at age four to get her first library card, which she still keeps as a cherished family artifact. This personal connection sets the foundation for her lifelong relationship with the library and its significance in her life.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829#t=0.0,25.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/index/92483/annotation/13","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Early Adult Experiences: Art Workshops and Library Tours","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829#t=25.0,68.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/index/92483/annotation/14","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Bernal recounts her first adult experience at the Central Library in 1995, when she worked as a summer intern coordinating art workshops for children of migrant workers as part of LA County's Migrant Education Program. The workshops were held in various meeting rooms, culminating in student performances for their parents in the Mark Taper Auditorium. She also organized library tours for the parents, drawing inspiration from these experiences for future visits. Her involvement in this project spanned three years, deepening her appreciation for the library's role in community engagement and the arts.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829#t=25.0,68.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/index/92483/annotation/15","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Sharing the Library and Its Architectural Wonders","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829#t=68.0,138.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/index/92483/annotation/16","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Bernal describes her enthusiasm for sharing the Central Library with out-of-town guests, emphasizing its status as a historic monument to knowledge and literature. She highlights the building's artistic features, such as Lee Lawrie's sculptures and Ries Niemi's Literate Fence, and recounts a recent visit with a Princeton professor during an academic conference. She guided him through the library's main attractions, including the rotunda, murals, chandeliers, elevator lined with old library cards, and the Maguire Gardens, leaving her guest in awe of the library's beauty and significance.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829#t=68.0,138.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/index/92483/annotation/17","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Volunteering and Discovering Los Angeles Stories","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829#t=138.0,173.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/index/92483/annotation/18","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Bernal expresses her deep appreciation for the library's role in preserving Los Angeles stories, a realization that began in 2002 when she started volunteering with photo librarian Carolyn Kozo Cole. She describes her weekly work with the Los Angeles Herald photo collection, immersing herself in historical images and the sensory experience of handling old photographs. The Shades of Los Angeles photo project continues to inspire her, reinforcing the library's importance as a repository of local history.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829#t=138.0,173.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/index/92483/annotation/19","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Research and Use of Library Resources","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829#t=173.0,215.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/index/92483/annotation/20","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Bernal details her extensive use of the Central Library's resources over seventeen years as an independent researcher focused on Los Angeles history. She lists a wide array of collections and tools, including city directories, newspaper archives, rare books, maps, and exhibitions. She also mentions her recent work digitizing family home movies in the Octavia Lab's DIY Memory Lab, underscoring her gratitude for the library's accessibility and support for personal and scholarly projects.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829#t=173.0,215.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/index/92483/annotation/21","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Honoring Historical Librarians and Their Legacy","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829#t=215.0,278.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/index/92483/annotation/22","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Bernal shares her pride in portraying Tessa Kelso for the library's Historical Portraits Project, highlighting Kelso's fight against censorship and her efforts to preserve local landmarks and create the library's local history collection. She also reflects on the contributions of other pioneering librarians, such as Miriam Matthews, who compiled critical collections of Black history and advocated for intellectual freedom, and Mary Foy, the first woman city librarian and suffragist. Bernal's admiration for these women underscores their lasting impact on the library and the preservation of California history.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829#t=215.0,278.0"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/index/92483/annotation/23","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Appreciation for Current Librarians and Hopes for the Future","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829#t=278.0,302.03733"},{"id":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829/index/92483/annotation/24","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Bernal concludes by expressing her ongoing inspiration from both historical and current librarians, acknowledging the innovative projects and resources they have created to support the diverse needs of Angelenos. She emphasizes her gratitude for their work and looks forward to the library's continued evolution and service to the community over the next century.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://lapl.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3723/collection_resources/172898/file/311829#t=278.0,302.03733"}]}]}]}