Orlando Public Library Updates

July 28, 2026

Last week, we kicked off the renovation of the first floor of the Orlando Public Library. It has been more than 20 years since any major work has been done on the floor. In fact, the last big first floor project we completed was in 1999, when we moved the Children’s Library from the basement to its current location. 

Over the years, it has become clear that we need more from our Children’s Library. Our average door count at Orlando Public Library is about 1,300 visitors per day, and approximately 30 percent of that foot traffic is to the Children’s Library.  

We host hundreds of kids and parents at a time for popular Summer at Your Library programming, and we hold those events on the main stage on the first floor, because our Children’s Library doesn’t have a space big enough for that kind of crowd. On July 25, when we hosted our annual End of Summer Celebration, for example, 1,850 people came through the door of the Orlando Public Library, and more than 800 of them visited Children’s.  

In the first phase of construction, we’ll move the Children’s Library over to the other side of the building, where we’ll have programming rooms, reading areas, a play area and more – it will be a place where families can spend an afternoon in a space designed specifically for their needs. Our policy is that no adult can be in our Children’s Library alone – they must be there with children in order to spend time there. The renovation will create a new entryway that will be more easily monitored by staff to redirect people who don’t realize the area is specifically for kids and families.  

Once that part of the project is complete, we’ll focus on the other side of the floor – we consistently hear that people come to the library to find a quiet space to work or meet, and we’ll be adding new meeting rooms and study rooms as part of the project. This project is part of our promise to Orange County taxpayers to offer facilities that meet the needs and expectations of our community.  

One of the things we routinely hear is that we need more family-friendly downtown destinations. The Orlando Public Library is one of a handful of other downtown amenities, including the Orange County Regional History Center and Lake Eola Park, that give families a specific reason to visit. So, this investment in a new Children’s Library, as well as enhancements to other first-floor amenities at Orlando Public Library, is not just an investment in a building – it’s an investment in the community and another step toward helping create the kind of experience people want in their city.