History

The Clifton M. Brakensiek Library has served the community of Bellflower for more than 80 years. The first branch was opened on March 11, 1914. The library moved four times until its present facility was dedicated on August 16, 1975, and named in honor of Clifton M. Brakensiek, MD, who donated the land on which the library is built. It served as the Automated Circulation System pilot site and was the first County library to implement the new online circulation system in 1989. In 1915 there were 213 library cardholders and 412 books on the shelves. The circulation for 1915 was 3,433. Today's circulation is approximately 200,000 with 40,000 registered borrowers. The Library has an active Friends of the Library group.

On December 19, 2002, the Brakensiek Library reopened for service following several months of renovation. The project was a joint effort of Fourth District Supervisor Don Knabe, the City of Bellflower, The Friends of the Library and the County of Los Angeles Public Library. The remodeled library has a new look with a redesign of the interior, technology upgrades and two new public service desks.