Orange County Library System Archives

Uncategorized

As part of the year-long 100th Anniversary celebration of the opening of Orlando's first public library in 1923, the Orange County Library System invited visitors to share their birthday wishes with birthday cards designed for the occasion. Birthday w ... Read more

Events

Celebrating 100 Years of Service

The Orange County Library System kicked off its 100 Year Celebration on January 7, 2023, with a daylong event at the Orlando Public Library. Invitees to the rededication ceremony included the OCLS Board of Trustees, community leaders, elected of ... Read more

Organizations

Osceola County Library Service

The Osceola County Library began in 1914 when a group of Kissimmee ladies donated $52 each to fund a library. Using their donations along with additional funds collected from other citizens, the Hart Memorial Public Library was built. For over twenty ... Read more

Events

Library Calendars 1970s-1990s

Monthly calendars distributed with the Friends of the Library Newsletter provided information on events at the Orlando Public Library and branch locations in Orange and Osceola counties. The Calendar varied in paper size and color and font type and si ... Read more

Topics

Memories of OCLS

In celebration of the 100th Year Anniversary of the Orange County Library System, patrons have been encouraged to share their personal memories of visiting the library. To add your own memory, you can contact us, or you can download the form and bring it ... Read more

Places

Chickasaw Branch Library

CHICKASAW BRANCH On October 6, 2006, the Orange County Library District purchased the former State Farm Automobile Insurance claim center at 870 North Chickasaw Trail for $2.5 million. The architects' drawings reveal the planned transformation of the ... Read more

People

Dorothy Field - Library Director 1995-2001

Dorothy W. Field – Library Director 1995-2001 Olive Brumbaugh was the first director of the Albertson Public Library, serving from 1923-1943, followed by Clara Wendel who served as director of the Albertson then the Orlando Public Library from 1943 ... Read more

Topics

Books and Beyond 2000-2004

Books and Beyond Early publications of the Orange County Library System and the Friends of the Library include Footnotes 1966-1970, the Friends of the Library Newsletter, and Books and Beyond 1996-1999, which began publication during the tenure of library ... Read more

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 sc ... Read more

People

Gregg Gronlund Retires After 29 Years with the Orange County Library System!

Gregg Gronlund began his nearly thirty-year career at the Orange County Library System in 1991 at the Southwest Branch in the Dr. Phillips area, back in the "good old days" of card catalogs and pay phones. Between 1991 and his retirement on April 24, 2021 ... Read more

Events

Southeast Branch's 25th Anniversary Celebration

On Saturday November 16, 2019, the staff at the Southeast Branch were honored to host an anniversary celebration to commemorate our service to the community for the past twenty five years. Many customers attended the various cultural and entertainment e ... Read more

Places

Southeast Branch - Blast from 2008

Southeast Branch Library On Saturday, November 16th, the Southeast Branch will celebrate its 25th Anniversary! Check out the gallery below from photos from 2008! Stay tuned for more pictures from the branch celebration. According to our records, Southeas ... Read more