Spend a Season of Gratitude at Your Library
November is a time for gratitude, reflection and new beginnings at the Orange County Library System. Last month we celebrated the grand opening of the highly anticipated Horizon West Branch. We welcomed the community for a day of all-ages entertainment, activities and programming – more than 2,000 people showed up to help us cut the ribbon and explore the 20,000-square-foot location. We checked out more than 5,000 books that day and signed up more than 270 people for new library cards. It was incredible. I am grateful to everyone in the community who supported us in making this branch a reality, and to every Orange County Library staff member who made the grand opening such a success. If you weren’t able to join us, we have photos from the event on pages 18 and 19 of the November issue of Books & Beyond and on our Horizon West Updates page.
Next, we’re focused on Lake Nona and our mobile library – we’ll have information coming soon about our progress and grand opening plans.
Another thing I’m grateful for this month is our partnership with the Friends of the Orange County Library System, a volunteer group that knows that a community with a first-rate library system is a better place to live. Visit the Friends of the Library Bookstore on the third floor of Orlando Public Library for the fall book sale, taking place Friday, November 6 through Sunday, November 8. Friends members get early access to the sale with a preview night on Thursday, November 5.
The Friends also sponsor our signature author event, the Lillian Louise Pharr Author Series. In 2027, our featured guest is Colson Whitehead, critically acclaimed author of The Underground Railroad, The Nickel Boys and Harlem Shuffle. During this special evening at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, taking place on January 28, Whitehead will reflect on his remarkable career, the ideas and inspirations behind his work and the creative process that has produced some of the most acclaimed fiction of the past two decades. Tickets go on sale Friday, November 6. Find out more at ocls.org/ColsonWhitehead.
The Friends aren’t the only amazing community partner I’m grateful for this month – we have so many educational groups, civic organizations and arts groups that work with us to enhance the kinds of experiences we bring to our cardholders. One of our newest partners is Blue Man Group, which recently joined our Local Wanderer program. Cardholders can now check out tickets to a Blue Man Group performance at no cost using a library card – I know the tickets sell out fast, but we upload new tickets regularly.
I hope you discover a new interest, an enriching experience or a much needed resource. No matter your interests, age or location, the library has valuable connections for you. As we move through this season of gratitude, I hope you’ll join me in thanking our hardworking staff, dedicated volunteers and dependable community partners. Without them, our library system wouldn’t be nearly so vibrant.
