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From the Director, July 2023
This year, the library’s home delivery service turns 50 years old. It was launched in 1973 by former Library Director Glenn Miller, who was looking for a way to make library service more accessible for people in the county. The library had a bookmobile, but it was aging and the county was growing – it…
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The History of Orange County Library System: Home Delivery
The Orange County Library System books-by-mail program was initiated in December 1973. At the time, the library’s presence in Orange County consisted of the Orlando Public Library, nine branches and an aging bookmobile. The county population was about 350,000 and development was stretching in all directions. Library Director Glenn Miller wanted to phase out the…
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2023 Alafaya Bookmark Design Contest
School’s out, and Orange County Library System is celebrating summer in a number of ways. Starting June 3, our annual summer program called Summer at Your Library will be in full swing. We’re excited about our theme this year – All Together Now: Kindness, Friendship, and Unity – and the activities we offer for all…
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From the Director, June 2023
I grew up in rural northeast Pennsylvania. When I was a kid, my access to the library was limited to school or visiting a bookmobile. As a result, I feel like I missed out on a lot of opportunities to discover the world through books. I didn’t get to experience the journeys they can take…
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The History of Orange County Library System: Clara Wendel & the Construction of Orlando Public Library
On February 1, 1943, Clara Wendel became Orange County Library System’s second library director. Clara was 39 years old when she was selected for the position, and OCLS – still the Albertson Public Library at the time – was celebrating its 20th anniversary. Originally from Illinois, Clara’s family relocated to Gotha, FL in her childhood.…
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From the Interim Director, June 2022
One of the most important relationships Orange County Library System has is with Orange County Public Schools. We strive to ensure that every school in the county has a library staff liaison who provides them with information about library events and services, and we collaborate with OCPS on a variety of initiatives, like virtual field…
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Este verano en tu Biblioteca Todos Juntos Ahora
Este verano 2023 en las Bibliotecas del Condado de Orange te espera una nueva temática y un nuevo nombre a la serie de eventos y programación de verano. Antes se solía llamar Summer Reading Program (SRP) o en español El Programa de Lectura de Verano. Ahora se titula Summer at your Library o en español,…
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From the Director, May 2023
When I look back at what things were like at the library in the 1950s, I see some similarities to the library of today – Orange County was growing, and the community needed more libraries to adequately serve its needs. In fact, the Annual Report for 1952–1953 was titled: To a Growing Community, From its…
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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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From the Director, April 2023
If there’s one thing our library system has always excelled at, it’s innovation. As we celebrate our 100 years, I’ve enjoyed taking the time to explore how the library has evolved during each decade we’ve been in existence. This month in Books & Beyond, we look back at the 1940s. The country was coming out…
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