Memorial Day Closure
Orange County Library System will be closed Sunday, May 24 and Monday, May 25, in observance of Memorial Day. The library system will resume normal business hours on Tuesday, May 26. Learn more about library closures ›
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From the Director, February 2021
One positive thing that has come out of this pandemic has been some new opportunities available to us due to our extensive use of virtual programming. Orange County Library System used to be an entirely in-person operation – all of our events and programs happened at one of our 15 library locations. Now, though, we
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Preschool Fun: Snow!
It rarely snows in Florida, but that doesn’t mean we can’t pretend! These activities are based on Every Child Ready to Read, which helps our friends learn pre-reading skills. We’ll cover Reading, Writing, Talking, Singing and Playing. TALKING: What is snow? Where does it come from? What color is it? READING: Read any
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Six Facts About Braille for Braille Literacy Month
January is Braille Literacy Month, which also honors Louie Braille (born on January 4, 1809), creator of the braille system. Braille created this code system at the age of 12 after an accident left him blind at three-years-old. He discovered a French military code called “night writing” that allowed soldiers to communicate in darkness without having
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Barbershop Books Fosters Reading Among Young Black Boys
Alvin Irby was getting a haircut when inspiration struck. One of his students was also at the barbershop, clearly bored. “He should be practicing his reading,” Alvin thought to himself. That thought led to Barbershop Books. The non-profit leverages the cultural significance of barbershops in Black communities by placing bookshelves, stocked with books geared toward
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Our History Speaks Volumes: Captain Albertson’s Gift
One hundred years ago, a private citizen donated his personal library to the City of Orlando. The rest is history. The year 1921 was an important one for Orlando: Before Disney World had made Central Florida a landmark tourist destination, Orlando was an up-and-coming city whose growth was fueled primarily by citrus farming. In that year,
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The Book Nerd Community Thrives on Instagram
One of the benefits of social media is being able to find people with the same interest as you, and, let’s face it, reading can often feel like a solitary habit. Type “bookstagram” into the search bar on Instagram and you’ll uncover a worldwide bibliophile community that not only embraces reading but does so with
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Best Books Of The Year, as Chosen by a 3 and 6-Year-Old
I have two very opinionated readers. The eldest, L, has helped me make these lists the past two years. The youngest, M, is now joining the blogging game and is excited to share her favorite books that were published in 2020. As noted in previous years, these are favorites as chosen by my children –
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Top 10 Circulating Titles of 2020
From modern classics, to the latest in popular fiction, Orange County Library System customers read a surprisingly diverse selection of titles in 2020. Here were the most popular checkouts from across the system this year: 1. Where the Crawdads Sing / Delia Owens Originally published in 2018, Delia Owens’ sprawling novel, Where the Crawdads Sing continues
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From the Director, January 2021
To say that 2020 was a tumultuous year would be a gross understatement, so I think it’s only natural that most of us are hoping for a fresh start in 2021. While the pandemic continues to impact our lives as we ring in this new year, I hope you won’t let that dampen your optimism
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Preschool Fun: Snowmen!
Do you want to build a snowman? I do! Let’s go have some fun! These activities are based on Every Child Ready to Read, which helps our friends learn pre-reading skills. We’ll cover Reading, Writing, Talking, Singing and Playing. TALKING: What color are snowmen? What are they made from? What is on their heads?
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