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How Ancient Epic Poetry Shaped Modern Fantasy
Poetry is often overlooked, yet its influence on storytelling is profound. I have always been captivated by the rich history of poetry, which holds a special place in my heart. The oldest form of it, epic poetry, has shaped literature for centuries, inspiring everything from novels to films. These grand narratives explore heroism, fate, and
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Land & Lineage Exhibition
Take a journey through history with Land & Lineage, an exhibition at the Orlando Public Library presented by TRACES 365. Established two years ago, TRACES 365 is an initiative dedicated to preserving and sharing the rich heritage of Historically Black Communities, offering self-guided educational tours that highlight historic African American communities and local museums. Through curated
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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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Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month
National Poetry Month is celebrated every year during the month of April. Whether you are a seasoned poetry reader or are looking for some ways to gradually expose yourself to the world of poetry, these ideas can be used and modified to fit yourself and/or library. Sign up for Poem-a-Day Visit the website poets.org to
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Children’s Book Recommendations: Growing Families
Siblings Day is celebrated on April 10. This year, staff member Ethan shares his family’s book recommendations that help parents and children prepare for a new family member. Is your family growing and you want to prepare the little one(s) in your life for the new addition? Do you want to help them navigate these
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National Library Workers Day
The Tuesday of National Library Week is observed each year as National Library Workers Day. This year we celebrate with a blog post from library worker who has grown up at OCLS – Victor. The library is an institution that played a big role in my life growing up, a fact I’m sure is true
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Experience Culture Through Food
April is Arab American Heritage Month One of the best ways to experience a culture is through food. Food can tell a story of history, traditions, and values; it is part of a culture’s identity. It can give a deeper understanding of the culture. You do not have to travel far to be able to
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Learning How to Write Poetry for Kids
Does your child want to be a poet, but doesn’t know how to do it? These children’s book recommendations will help you get their creative juices flowing in no time. Regardless, if they are a beginner or have been writing poetry for a while, these books will both teach them that reading and writing poetry
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From the Director, April 2025
Connecting Through Culture and Community Being connected to our community and building connections within our community are essential to the strategic plan that Orange County Library System unveiled in October. Since then, we’ve worked hard to find engaging and exciting ways to help our community unite with new ideas and experiences – online, in-person and
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New Release Recommendations: Women’s History Month
Have you ever felt like there are too many books and too little time? That’s how I often feel when I look at my ever-growing to-read list. When I talk to people about what it’s like working in Collection Development, I often joke that that’s the worst part of my job. We are constantly looking
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