From the Director, August 2025

Back to School With Your Library

August is here and for kids and families in Orange County that means gearing up to go back to school. Your Orange County Library System has resources, classes and events to get students back in the learning mindset and strengthen their academic skills. On Monday, August 4, 11 a.m., join certified professional organizer Jane Cole for the virtual class Organizing for Student Success. This one-hour session will give parents and students practical tips to create an educational environment and habits to encourage positive results.

Students can also brush up on their skills before school starts using Brainfuse’s “Summer Camp” gradespecific resources. Once school is back in session, homework help is at your fingertips with Brainfuse, LearningExpress Library and Gale in Context. Visit ocls.org/learning-research to learn about and use our free online resources.

Back to school isn’t just for kids. August is full of opportunities for adults looking to upskill their tech skills! Need to learn or relearn the basics of a personal computer? Our tech classes are going back to basics all month long with computer, email and internet classes in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. Take a look at ocls.org/techclasses for a complete listing of our technology classes.

Mark your calendars to save the date for a wide range of upcoming events at your library. GreenFest at Orlando Public Library from 1–5 p.m. on September 6 brings together a variety of local organizations focused on community sustainability for an afternoon of free workshops and exhibits. From beekeeping to composting, pollinator gardening to recycling, you won’t want to miss it.

Tickets to one of our most popular events of the year – Romance, Wine & Chocolate – go on sale August 1. Chickasaw Branch welcomes wildly popular author Abby Jimenez on September 26 for this after-hours event for ages 21 and up. Tickets are $30 and include a signed copy of her newest book, Say You’ll Remember Me, as well as free wine and chocolate. Purchase your tickets while they last at ocls.org/rwc.

For our fiber arts fans, classes continue through August for the community-created art installation Yarnfiti 2025. You can submit projects by attending classes or any fiber art creation of your own that fits with this year’s space theme. Come back and see all the crochet, macrame, weaving, sewing and embroidery projects at our Fall Fiber Fest on Sunday, September 21.

OCLS welcomes you to stop into any of our 15 locations across the county to try out a class, find your next great read and connect with like-minded people in your community. All our resources, classes and so much more are available to you free with a library card. Visit ocls.org to learn more, get your library card and sign up for something new today.