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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How long did the fire rage at the library?

2. Until what date did the Atlanta library only serve white patrons?

3. How many counts of arson and murder was Glendale fire captain John Leonard Orr charged with?

4. On the day of the fire, what time did a smoke detector set off an alarm?

5. After the membership fee was abolished, how many people were cardholders?

Short Essay Questions

1. How was money raised to replace the library books?

2. What struggle was there for the library staff to work after the fire?

3. What were some events that happened during Creason's career at Central Library?

4. What work did Carlos Nunez do for the Literacy Center at the Central Library?

5. What did Orlean discover about the library's reputation for being a quiet place?

6. What was and was not covered by insurance for the Central Library after the fire?

7. What were the first two libraries like in Los Angeles?

8. What had to be done with the books that were wet?

9. How many times were there fires in the Central Library after the fire in April 1986?

10. Who was Harry Omer Peak?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mary Jones was a city librarian who was asked to resign, even after a favorable review of her work. Why was Mary Jones asked to resign? What did the request for her to resign reveal about gender roles of the time?

Essay Topic 2

Harry Peak constantly changed the stories he told about where he was on the day of the library fire. How did Harry’s stories constantly change? What did the changing stories reveal about Harry's struggle with “fabrication and truth” (224)?

Essay Topic 3

Juxtaposition is a literary device used to compare and contrast things. How does the author use juxtaposition to show the differences between the old and new library? How does the use of juxtaposition show the way that the past, present, and future intersected at the library?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,075 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample