Bob Lucas Library

In 1957, a small library opened on Lincoln Avenue in Altadena. It was called the Arroyo Seco Branch. In 1978, it closed for lack of funding.

Years later, Altadena resident Bob Lucas began advocating for its reopening. A Black journalist and producer in print, radio, and television, he understood the power of books and literacy. His advocacy succeeded, and the library reopened in 1991. Sadly, he did not live to see that day, but the library was renamed in his honor: the Bob Lucas Memorial Library & Literacy Center.

In 2024, the library closed again, this time for a good reason: a major renovation and expansion. It survived the Eaton Fire and reopened in 2025, giving West Altadena a welcome place to gather as the community began to rebuild.

The new children’s library is its centerpiece, with a high, angular roofline and walls of glass that fill the interior with color and light.

Decades ago, I had the joy of painting the scene of two of my granddaughters as Miss Washington, a volunteer teacher at the library, read a charming children’s story to them.