Hermosa Beach Public Library is part of the Los Angeles County Library system. This charming little library is located at 550 Pier Ave., Hermosa Beach. I was surprised at the personal touch of being greeted by a librarian as I entered.

The building appears to be a large square that is well laid out. Large windows high above the shelves plus ample ceiling lights, make it a bright and cheery room. This building has been open since 1962. The very first Hermosa Beach library opened in 1913. More about the entire history can be found here.

Entrances are on the north and south sides of the building. Entering through the southern doors, there was a vestibule where I found plenty of community information on bulletin boards and brochures and fliers to take away. Many helpful and relevant literature was found throughout the building.

The first image to hit me was a bright and colorful children's section which includes a large area on the west side. A remarkable hand-painted mural covers two walls of this section. The mural depicts art in the style of Maurice Sendak and art depicting Babar the Elephant, by author and illustrator Jean de Brunhoff. Below this unique mural is an equally colorful rug made up of large letters and numbers. This space is a magnet for young readers of all ages.

A Dad and his young daughter were curled up in one corner on the floor with a pillow, reading books together. A welcoming and wonderful kid-friendly space.

At least eight computer workstations are in place for public use as well as two substantial laser printers for output. It appeared as though you would have to input your library card number and coins to get a printout. Every station was occupied at mid-day and other people were at tables with their own laptops. Free WIFI is offered to anyone with a library card.

The periodical section, from what I could see, was a bit limited. A sign indicated those most of the magazines were made available by the Friends of the Hermosa Library. The Friends also had space for the sale of used books to benefit the library. Without these volunteer groups, many libraries would be operating even leaner than they now do.

In another corner was the Teen Section, with cool chairs and a chess/checkers/Chinese checkers wooden game table. Signage indicated: For Teens Only at all times. The library had a good amount of books, DVDs and audio CDs to borrow for children, teens and adults.

Given the limited space, this library has been maximized to its best use.

Small, quiet, friendly, well-equipped. A delightful little library serving the lucky 19,000+ residents Hermosa Beach!!