Year: 2022
Organizations
Minutes of the Albertson Public Library Board of Directors 1923-1932
ABOVE: Albertson Public Library photo by Dixie Studio pasted on the back of the first page in the 1923-1930 minutes book.
Albertson Public Library Board of Directors
The minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors of the Albertson Public Library...
Places
Orlando Public Library Expansion 1982-1986
OPL Expansion from 60,000 to 290,000 square feet!
From APL to OPL
The Orlando Public Library was dedicated on Sunday, August 7, 1966, replacing the old Albertson Public Library which opened to the public on November 8, 1923. Compared to the old...
Places
The Beacham Theatre: The Early Years
The Beacham Theatre: The Early Years
Though now known solely as a live event venue, originally the Beacham Theatre held the dual purpose of movie theatre and vaudeville house when it was first opened by owner and namesake, Braxton Beacham.
Braxton Beacham...
Organizations
OCLS Branches - Then and Now
ABOVE: South Trail Library circa 1982.
Orange County Library System Branch Libraries in 1993
Beginning in February 1993, the Friends of the Library Newsletters featured one of the eleven branches each month. The January 1993 newsletter announced the year-long ...
Topics
Friends of the Library Newsletters 1980 -1996
The Orlando Public Library Footnotes and the Friends of the Library Newsletters are the ancestors of the library's current monthly magazine, Books and Beyond.
As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the library in 2023, these publications preserve the his...
Organizations
OCLS Extension Department 1966 - 1983
ABOVE: Arnold Sobel at the Northgate Library in 1983.
OCLS Extension Department Scrapbook
Photographs of employees who worked in the Extension Department and the library Annex from 1966 to 1983, were collected and carefully and lovingly arranged in a scrapbo...
Places
OPL Under Construction 1964-1966
ABOVE: Photo taken December 1, 1965, looking southeast from the AT&T building on Wall Street. Notice how close the new library is to the former Salvation Army Citadel in the lower right corner of the photo. Also, visible is the...
People
Olive Brumbaugh - Orlando's Librarian 1923-1943
The Duties of the Head Librarian
The duties of the “librarian” enumerated in Article IX of the library’s Articles of Incorporation (pp. 3-4) indicate that, in addition to serving as a librarian, the person hired as head librarian oversaw all departm...
Events
Albertson Library Staff Party - December 1963
Former staff at the Albertson Public Library were invited to a staff Christmas party on December 14, 1963. The date is significant because in September 1964, the Albertson library was demolished to make way for the new Orlando Public Library....
Organizations
Guide to Orlando's Afro American Heritage
Central Florida Society of Afro American Heritage
The Central Florida Society of Afro American Heritage was formed in 1986 to preserve the heritage of the African American community in Orlando. The Florida Division of Corporations lists Deborah Murphy as presi...
People
Patrice Florence-Walker Retires from OCLS after 33 years!
Patrice Florence-Walker, manager of the Eatonville Branch retired in January 2020, after working more than 33 years at the Orange County Library System!
Patrice started her career in 1986 in the Young Adult Department at the Main library in downtown Orlando....
Places
Albertson Public Library Blueprints
On February 21, 1922, the city of Orlando held a bond election for funds to build a public library and other municipal improvements. The vote was 155 against and 446 in favor!
PLANS APPROVED - BIDS SOUGHT
The May 13, 1922, Orlando...
