Imagine the most perfect place to write. Does it include a library full of tens of thousands of scripts, comfy seating, and free Wi-Fi? If so, you should definitely check out the Writers Guild of America Library, which has all of that and more.

Located in Los Angeles, the Billy Wilder Reading Room inside the WGA Library aims to "preserve and promote the craft, history, and voices of screen storytelling," and does so by making a treasure trove of scripts, taped programs, writers' biographies, and books available to those who come through its doors. It has amenities that would impress almost any screenwriter, like free Wi-Fi and quiet, comfortable places to write.

But, of course, it's their vast library that is the major pull. Their collection of available reading and research materials include:

  • 21,000 produced television scripts
  • 4,500 produced film scripts
  • 900 radio scripts
  • 100 new media and video game scripts
  • 2,900 books on writing, writers, and the entertainment industry
  • 5,600 taped programs, events, seminars, and interviews
  • Writers’ credits and biographies
  • History of writers in Hollywood
  • Major industry writing awards
  • WGA history
  • Books and magazines on film and television writing
  • Locating scripts in other collections
  • Research strategies, copyright basics, and matters related to creative and business aspects of writing

Some-like-it-hot-handCredit: ScreenCraft

Even though it's not a lending library, you're still welcome to read your favorite scripts as you soak in the ambience. Best of all, admittance is not exclusive only to WGA members—it's completely open to the public, so anyone can go in and work on their scripts, read the materials, or creepily look over the shoulders of other neurotic screenwriters.

Now, I'm sure a lot of people who would still rather work at their favorite cafe or at home in their pajamas (yo!), but the WGA Library is a place designed to encourage screenwriters in moving forward in their craft. Even if you don't live in L.A. you can still consider it an important place to visit whenever you find yourself in the area.

If you want to know what it's like inside, Ken Miyamoto of ScreenCraft checked it out and provided a ton of great information that you can peruse here. To learn more about the WGA Library, including address, hours of operation, and history, head on over to their website.

Source: WGA Foundation

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