(Lit)erary
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6 Latinx Authors to Read During Hispanic Heritage Month
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, we gathered just a few of the most meaningful books written by Latinx authors we’ve read in our lifetimes. This is an ideal time to pick up a new-to-you book and explore the varied, complex experiences of Latinx authors and the characters they’ve brought to life in these stories.…
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Zooming with Kelly
This month we continue our Big Read celebration of Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link with programming related to this eclectic collection of short stories. Prior to kicking off our celebration, the Pulitzer-nominated author chatted with us via Zoom, from her home in Northampton, Massachusetts, for a bonus episode of the library’s podcast Shelf Centered. What…
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Preschool Fun: Bugs!
What’s more exciting than bugs? Let’s celebrate our creepy crawly friends today! QUESTIONS What do bugs look like? Do you like bugs? Do they crawl? Do they fly? How many legs do they have? (Obviously there are different answers to this!) READ Read any book you may have that mentions bugs. If you don’t have…
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I Love My Library Card
I grew up in the 1980s, before the internet existed. There were no smartphones or video streaming services. I couldn’t watch Netflix or text my friends. I had to entertain myself in other ways, especially in the summer when school was on break. Sure, there was a lot of playing outside, partly because we lived…
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From the Director, September 2020
Believe it or not, September marks six months since our worlds were turned upside down by COVID-19. For Orange County Library System, that means six months since we’ve had no in-person events and programs, which used to bring our libraries to life with laughter and learning. Just because our buildings are quieter than we’re accustomed…
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Open Hour with a Librarian
In the early days of the pandemic, when the library made the difficult choice to close its doors and offer services remotely, we received a lot of comments on social media from customers who were also struggling with how to navigate life in quarantine. A common theme that came up was wanting to know what…
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Our History Speaks Volumes: A Visit from Helen Thomas
This month, Orange County Library System welcomes Kelly Link, author of Pretty Monsters, for an event kicking off our NEA Big Read series. However, she is not the first esteemed author the library has welcomed in its history. OCLS has a long tradition of hosting compelling and best-selling writers dating as far back as the…
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Short Stories Can Be Big Reads
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has encouraged communities across the country to read through their Big Read program. Showcasing a diverse range of books reflecting many different voices, the initiative aims to inspire conversation and broaden our perspective of the world. Since 2006, the NEA Big Read has funded more than 1,600 programs,…
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Fun Riddles and Brainteasers to Wrap Your Mind Around
Typically when someone asks another person a riddle, they are left with dire consequences should they fail to answer correctly. You get eaten if a sphinx asks you and you fail. If Gollum from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit asks you and you fail, you’ll get eaten as well. If you fail to answer the riddles on…
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Five Great Graphic Novels for Teens and Adults
There exists an unwanted stigma around graphic novels. They are too dark and gritty, some say. The format of this art style does not match with the serious tone of dark narratives, some say. Graphic novels are just comic books with blood, language, and mature themes, some say. None of these three descriptions fully capture…
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