friends of the library
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Kick Off Your Summer Reading Challenge with the Friends of the Library
Summer at Your Library is back at Orange County Library System! We’re ready for an exciting summer, jam-packed with fun, free, entertaining, air-conditioned programming! But most importantly, we’re cheering you on as you take on our Summer Reading Challenge. This year we’re encouraging EVERYONE to read for 30 days this summer – and giving kids (ages 0-18) a free book. Visit a library location near you to
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From the Director, June 2026
Welcome to Summer at Your Library School is out and Orange County Library System is ready to help you make this your best summer ever with Summer at Your Library, June 1 to July 26. Stop into any OCLS location and pick up your free reading challenge booklet. These booklets are full of games, reading
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From the Director, November 2025
For many, November is a time to focus on giving and to reflect on gratitude. This season, I’m especially thankful for the staff of Orange County Library System, who dedicate each day to enriching lives through lifelong learning and providing meaningful programs and services to our community both in our branches and across the county
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It’s Amazing the Stories That Start in a Library…
Orange County Library System welcomes New York Times bestselling author John Green back to Orlando on January 24! We will be exploring his literary journey, inspirations, and creative process through an engaging conversation moderated by Clarissa Moon. An Orlando local, Clarissa Moon is an actor, singer, improviser, violinist, and theater journalist. She has performed professionally
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Library Friends Awarded at #FLACON2024 and Hermes Creative Awards in Marketing
On May 17, 2024, the Friends of the Orange County Library System Inc. was awarded the Friends, Foundations and Special Projects Award at the 2024 Florida Library Association Annual Conference. In November 2023, we hosted a signature event, welcoming bestselling author Neil Gaiman and acclaimed cartoonist Art Spiegelman to the Dr. Phillips Center’s Steinmetz Hall
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From the Director, September 2023
While doing some research on what OCLS was like in the 1990s, I learned something new: The first issue of Books & Beyond was published in 1996, which makes the magazine 27 years old. The first issue was a simple black-and-white newsletter, just four pages long, consisting of a few program listings, a story about
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The History of Orange County Library System: Friends of the Library
If you’re a regular library user, you’ve probably heard mention of the Friends of the Orange County Library System, often referred to simply as the Friends, and wondered who they are and what they do. The organization was founded in 1949 and over the years, the Friends of the Orange County Library System have remained
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The History of Orange County Library System: Friends of the Library Bookmobile
In 1949, the Albertson Public Library board received a proposal for a bookmobile that would reach residents in outlying areas of the county. Believing that no other service would be a greater benefit to the community, Sorosis of Orlando Woman’s Club raised $6,000 to purchase a school bus and convert it into a mobile library
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From the Director, December 2020
What gets you out of bed in the morning? For some people, it’s seeing friends or going to restaurants. For others, it’s family or a favorite hobby. For some, though, it’s a simple love of something light and fun, and maybe even seemingly trivial, that brings a smile to people’s faces. And that is what
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From the Director, November 2019
November is a month to be grateful, so I’d like to take a moment to extend my sincerest thanks to those who helped us make this year’s Booktoberfest such a great success. Every October, the Friends of the Orange County Library System host this fundraising event that helps support our libraries. Every year, the event
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