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(Lit)erary

  • From the director with the cover of Books & Beyond

    From the Director, April 2024

    Every April during National Library Week, we try to share with you the value that libraries bring to the community. From books to programs to meeting spaces to experiences, we provide an awful lot of stuff for a wide range of people. But this National Library Week, I want to focus the conversation on you…

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  • Dr. Phillips Center for the performing arts Arts for every life

    Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts: Arts For Every Life

    To fulfill their vision, Arts for Every Life™, The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts makes performing arts accessible to people from all walks of life, all around the world. With the help of over 19,000 donors and 32 sponsors to date, the Dr. Phillips Center has contributed more than $20.7 million to the…

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  • LOTE4Kids App

    NEW! LOTE4Kids: Storytime in Your Language

    LOTE4Kids (Languages Other Than English) is the newest language learning platform for Orange County Library System users! Explore a digital collection of picture books (eBooks and audiobooks) in a diverse range of world languages. Some of the languages available are: American Sign Language (ASL), Arabic, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Spanish (Mexican and Latin American) and Tamil.…

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  • Three paper dolls

    Women’s History Month: Retelling HER Story

    The Stories we Gain by Reshaping Myths with Women as the Main Characters Modern authors are myth-busting familiar tales by passing the pen to the side characters – women. Centuries of mythology across the world has historically centered around and celebrated male narratives: their origins, battles, journeys, wins and losses. Female characters, whether damsels or…

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  • From the Director, March 2024

    From the Director, March 2024

    Every year, Orange County Library System holds a Staff Development Day in November, where we bring everyone together to learn, network and get to know their colleagues. A big part of the day is celebrating milestones. We’re lucky to have a lot of staff who’ve made working for the library not just a job, but…

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  • The book "Once Upon a Time in Florida" on top of a bronze statue of a man sitting on an alligator, located in Heritage Square in front of the Orange County Regional History Center.

    Once Upon a Time in Florida: Capturing Our State’s Rich History on the Page

    This post is brought to you by our community partners at the Orange County Regional History Center. “Generation after generation, Florida has been a collection of cultures, thoughts, and ambitions brought by people from around the world,” writes the executive director of Florida Humanities, Nashid Madyun, in the foreword to a new book, Once Upon…

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  • Design rendering of the future Horizon West branch.

    Looking Ahead to Our Bright Future

    You’ve heard us say it all year long: At OCLS, we’re proud of what we accomplished in the past, and we’re looking forward to a bright future for our library system. Over the past year, we’ve focused on sharing our story and showing you how the past 100 years have shaped us. As we wind…

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  • The History of Orange County Library System: The Storytelling Troupe

    The History of Orange County Library System: The Storytelling Troupe

    Storytelling is an ancient art form that has been around since the beginning of time. Storytellers have always been important in their communities. They are the people who teach life lessons and hold all the stories about their people’s history and culture. Since the inception of public libraries, storytelling has been a crucial offering to…

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  • 5 Cookbooks Chef Mira Can't Live Without!

    5 Cookbooks Chef Mira Can’t Live Without!

    Perfect for aspiring or advanced cooks, Chef Yamira Lee Johnson’s top 5 cookbooks she can’t live without are inspiring, helpful reads for the kitchen. With each recommendation, we journey through Chef Yamira’s culinary career with roots planted in Puerto Rican cooking to her current passion for adapting old favorites into healthy, plant-based recipes. Books Mentioned:…

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  • Cinco Componentes de Todos Los Niños Listos Para Leer: El Juego

    Cinco Componentes de Todos Los Niños Listos Para Leer: El Juego

    ECRR es una iniciativa cuyo objetivo es brindarle a los cuidadores y padres los recursos necesarios para el desarrollo literario de su hijo. Como padre o cuidador, usted es el mejor maestro, y la iniciativa de “Todos Los Niños Listos Para Leer” (ECRR por sus siglas en inglés) provee las herramientas y recursos para ayudar a…

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