The Paley Center for Media officially opened The Paley Archive at the Beverly Hills Public Library on March 20. This marks the first time in five years that The Paley Archive will have a public space in Beverly Hills, after their former location on N. Beverly Drive was closed during the pandemic.
Created in 1975 by the founder of CBS, William S. Paley, The Paley Center has been operating in New York City for the past 50 years. Known for its respected programming, the center spearheads conversation about the cultural, creative and social significance of media.
“The Paley Center was created to provide a place where the public could go to watch television. This was in the days before streaming, VHS, or even DVDs,” Paley Center Guest Services Manager Gary Browning told the Courier. “If your favorite show went off the air, you’d never see it again.” Originally called The Museum of Television and Radio, the organization changed its name in 2007 to reflect the evolving nature of media in the 21st century. “We wanted something more all-encompassing that could include other forms of media, such as games and podcasts,” Browning said.
The public can now access the Paley Center’s permanent media collection, The Paley Archive, at the Beverly Hills Public Library. The space features 18 stations where visitors can use the computers and headsets to peruse and watch a collection of 160,000 titles of television, radio programs and advertisements covering over a century of media history. The collection covers many genres, including comedy, drama, news, sports, politics, performing arts, reality, animation, children’s television and documentary. It also contains particularly notable moments in media history, such as the first broadcast hour of MTV and the infamous “War of the Worlds” broadcast. Alongside the public space, the archive at the library also has a private Scholars Room, which is for the exclusive use of Paley members and can be reserved in advance.
Director of Communications Teresa Brady told the Courier that the location of the new archive was particularly important for The Paley Center. “This library is such a cultural hub and we’re so proud to be a part of it in the community. We’ve always produced programming in Los Angeles, so it’s also wonderful to have a home for the archive here too.”
Located in the former “Teen Zone” of the library, the Paley Archive’s space has been completely remodeled and redesigned and displays a collection of original Al Hirschfield character paintings. The archive is open to everyone and is free to use. Browning is excited to welcome visitors, telling the Courier, “Interacting with people and sharing our love of TV … I could talk about it all day long!”
In addition to the archive, Paley will also hold in-person events for the community, including the acclaimed “Conversations with the Paley Curators” monthly series. “This series is put together by our Paley curators. We just launched it in New York. It’s been a great success and now we’re going to be bringing it to the archive at the Beverly Hills Public Library as well,” Brady said. “A Paley curator will be here to talk about topics such as Stevie Wonder or Elvis’ 90th birthday … we are also planning one for the 50th history of Wonder Woman.”
For families, the Paley Archive will hold a series of weekend story time sessions exclusive to The Beverly Hills Public Library called “From Story Time to Screen Time.” The first of these will be in April, covering Eric Carle’s ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar.’ Children will be able to read the book before watching a screening of the animated series through the archive. Arts and crafts relating to the book will also be offered.
The Paley Archive will also host “PaleyFest” on March 21-29. This is an in-person experience at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Episodes from several popular television shows will be screened, followed by a chance for the audience to ask questions through moderated discussions with the cast and creators. For some shows that will soon be off air, such as “Cobra Kai” and “The Handmaid’s Tale,” PaleyFest offers one of the last chances for the show cast to interact with fans.
The Paley Archive will follow the same hours of operation as the Beverly Hills Public Library.
