Upcoming Early Closures for Downtown Library
Due to street closures for Immerse Fest happening in downtown Orlando, the Orlando Public Library will close early at 3 p.m. on Friday, February 20 and Saturday, February 21. View street closures ›
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My Tuesday with Billy
While Florida has housed its fair share of renowned poets over the years, few have reached the heights of mainstream popularity as former United States Poet Laureate Billy Collins. Billy has called Winter Park his home since 2008. From 2008 to 2015, he was the senior distinguished fellow of the Winter Park Institute, which hosts
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From the Director, February 2025
Welcome to Your Library Be Welcoming is an important pillar of our strategic plan. A big part of being welcoming is making sure our facilities, programs and services are accessible to every member of our community. This month in Books & Beyond, you will see changes to text color and size in our event listings
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National Library Week: Meet Kaylie
My name is Kaylie Pasternak, and I will be taking you through this year’s National Library Week at Orange County Library System! National Library Week is a time to bring libraries to light and show support for all they do. Today, I will give you a glimpse into who I am and what working at
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Q&A with Dr. Trenessa Williams, Owner of Kizzy’s Books & More
We spoke with Black entrepreneur Dr. Trenessa Williams, owner of the online bookstore Kizzy’s Books & More, to discuss African American literature and her upcoming library event as we honor Juneteenth. Join Dr. Williams for the virtual event Working with Bookstores as an Author on Thursday, June 16, 7 p.m. Learn how to get your books into bookstores and
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Zora Neale Hurston Events at Eatonville Branch to Take Place as Scheduled
Although the Association to Preserve Eatonville Community has announced that the Zora! Fest 2022 has been rescheduled due to concerns about COVID, Orange County Library System will host its events scheduled for that weekend, and Eatonville Branch will remain open for regular services on January 29. From January 27-29, Eatonville Branch hosts Zora Neale Hurston: The
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International Year of Peace and Trust: A Call to Action & Champions for Peace
A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power by Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter turns 97 this month. In addition to being the 39th President of the United States (1977–1981), he is the author of over 30 books which include nonfiction, children’s books and poetry. A Call to Action takes a stern look at sexism
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#OCLSReads Books for Summer
It seemed just a few weeks ago that we were all counting down to say goodbye to 2020 – with hopes that 2021 might be the balm to soothe the scars of a hard year – and here we are staring at a new season on the horizon. 2021 has already had its ups and
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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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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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In Anticipation of Mister Rogers on the Big Screen
The Orlando area is one of a handful of spots in the world that has the right to anticipate A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood with a bit more fervor than the rest of the planet. Inspired a 1998 Esquire article by Tom Junod, the film finds a cynical journalist assigned to do a profile
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