Thursday, May 09, 2019

THE MARGARET HERRICK LIBRARY
The Margaret Herrick Library dedicated to Motion Pictures
The Margaret Herrick Library is an amazing library and non-circulating resource center for movie lovers and scholars located in Beverly Hills, CA.

Today was my first visit to the library.

Who was Margaret Florence Herrick?  She was the Executive Director of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The academy's library in 1971 was named the Margaret Herrick Library in her honor.

The outside building looks more like a church than a library.  Step inside and you're greeted by security (bring your ID).  You are then required to sign in and present a picture ID, which they will hold until you leave the library.
I browsed the lobby which has photos of famous movie actors on the walls, everyone from Al Pacino to Douglas Fairbanks to Cher.

After signing in, you can proceed upstairs to the reading room and collections/resource area.  Keep in mind that this isn't your usual public library -- here, you don't check out books or media materials to take home.  It's simply for research on their site.

While there, I read two movie scripts (The Godfather II and This Property is Condemned), both scripts written by Francis Ford Coppola.

The staff is polite and very helpful. Follow all the rules (they are posted as you enter the building and upstairs in the collection area).  Laptops are allowed (without covers), a pencil and paper are permitted (no pens) and you will be asked to store your purse, bags, etc. in a token locker.

The atmosphere is lovely. 

That rare quiet place these days to read.

No cell phones are allowed inside the library area.  That, too, goes in the locker.  But in all honesty, it was a delight to be detached from my phone for a few hours. 

There is parking nearby and metered parking on the street.

You can read books on every topic from directing to editing to screenwriting.  The shelves are stacked with autobiographies and biographies,  how-to guides about filmmaking and resource books. 

I spent hours perusing their materials.

This elegant, generously-supported facility is devoted to the history and development of the motion picture as an art form and an industry. Established in 1928 and now located in Beverly Hills, the library is open to the public and used year-round by students, scholars, historians and industry professionals.

I plan to return often.  This library is a must-visit if you're a movie lover.  It's a treasure especially for screenwriters.

Here is the library's website for more info:  https://www.oscars.org/library


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