Books and Beyond
Books and Beyond, the Orange County Library System newsletter, has come a long way since the first issue was published in 1996. Early library publications include Footnotes 1966-1970, the Friends of the Library Newsletter, and simpler versions of the Books and Beyond 1996-1999.
Simpler early versions of Books and Beyond 2000-2004 blossomed through the years with the first full-color Books and Beyond published in October 2002, the first stapled version published in October 2003, and the first in the current magazine format was published in February 2007 and the cover changed in February 2019 with the addition of the OCLS logo to the top left corner. The logo remained on the cover through the January 2024 edition.
Today, Books and Beyond is a monthly 32-page color magazine featuring classes, programs and special events. It is accompanied by an online version which is emailed to subscribers. Each edition is truly a work of art! Explore the happenings at the libraries in the Orange County Library System in these mini time capsules!
As we prepared to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the library in 2023, it became clear that these publications preserved the history of the Friends of the Library and the many special events, programs, art displays and innovation shared with the people of Orange County through the years.
We encourage you to peruse Books and Beyond issues from 2023 and beyond, but for now, take a look back at library happenings from 2005 to 2022, below.
2005
From the October 2005 Books and Beyond.
2006
Computer classes in Espanol from the July 2006 Books and Beyond.
2007
The February 2007 edition of the Books and Beyond is the first in the produced in the current magazine format!
This cover features celebrities who participated in the “Take Know for an Answer” library awareness campaign. (Cover by the library’s lead graphic designer, Ben Garcia) (Pictured: David Bromstad, Tamia, Dwight Howard, Rich Crotty, Buddy Dyer)
This cover features a promotion for the Second Saturday program with actor/Thomas Jefferson impersonator J.D. Sutton. (Cover by the library’s lead graphic designer, Ben Garcia)
2008
This cover features OCLS employee Carla Fountain and her mother promoting the StoryCorps initiative visit to the Orlando Public Library. (Cover by the library’s lead graphic designer, Ben Garcia)
2009
The February 2009 cover of Books and Beyond features the “Dynamic Duo” – Chief of Police OPD, Val Demings and Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings. (Cover by the library’s lead graphic designer, Ben Garcia.)
2010
The January cover features Yvonne Hartley, now the Chief Human Resources Officer for the Orange County Library System. (Cover by the library’s lead graphic designer, Ben Garcia.)
2011
The September 2011 cover features a member of the Descendientes Latinos mariachi band promoting their performance at the Orlando Public Library as part of Hispanic Heritage Month. (Cover by the library’s Lead Graphic Designer Ben Garcia)
2012
The November 2012 cover is in honor of Native American Heritage month. Award-winning author Daniel Murphree visited the library and discussed his work, Native America: A State-by-State Historical Encyclopedia as part of the library’s celebration of Native American history and culture.
2013
The July 2013 cover promotes e-books from Freading and Overdrive with a whimsical creation by the library’s Lead Graphic Designer Ben Garcia.
2014
The February 2014 cover promotes the new Dorothy Lumley Melrose Center at the Orlando Public Library. (Cover by the library’s Lead Graphic Designer Ben Garcia)
2015
The July 2015 cover announces the grand opening of the new Chickasaw Library Branch and features images of the modern design and engineering.
2016
The August 2016 edition of Books and Beyond celebrates the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Orlando Public Library on August 7, 1966.
2017
The cover of the August 2017 Books and Beyond heralded the upcoming total solar eclipse on August 21st. The library joined forces with STAR_Net to help locals make the most of the solar eclipse, which was visible across the contiguous United States. To mark the occasion, the Orange County Library System hosted viewing parties at library branches, handing out special eclipse-viewing glasses.
2018
In May 2018, the Orange County Library System was awarded a National Medal for Museum and Library Service. OCLS was selected for things like providing access to STEM education for children living in underserved communities, offering ESOL classes for adults and families at 11 library branches, providing
assistance to people who need to connect with social services, and for making sure the students in our public school system have access to high-quality educational resources to help them succeed.
2019
The cover of the Books and Beyond changed in February 2019 with the addition of the OCLS logo to the top left corner. The logo remained on the cover through the January 2024 edition.
In July 2019, OCLS teamed up with WUCF TV and the Orange County Regional History Center to bring Orlando a moon-landing event that features a roundup of activities that give everyone a chance to take a deep dive into the world of space exploration. All day long, the Orlando Public Library and the History Center will host family-friendly fun, as well as fascinating speakers and experiences.
2020
The June 2020 Books and Beyond featured a tribute to Kendrick “Ken” Melrose who passed away on May 3, 2020. Learn more about Ken Melrose and the Dorothy Lumley Melrose Center for Technology, Innovation & Creativity.
The September Books and Beyond features longtime OCLS staff member Sara Brown and her family.
September 2020 marked six months since our world was turned upside down by COVID-19. For Orange County Library System, that meant six months without in-person events and programs, which brought our libraries to life with laughter and learning. But that didn’t mean that we weren’t hustling behind the scenes to re-envision what it meant to be a library in the COVID era with virtual events, online learning, a robust collection of downloadable materials, and more.
2021
The cover of the November 2021 Books and Beyond paid tribute Charles Albertson for whom Orlando’s first public library was names. It was this month 100 years ago that the first seeds of Orange County Library System were planted. A retired police inspector from Waverly, New York named Captain Charles Albertson, who spent his winters in Orlando, recognized that the city lacked a proper public library. Over the years, he had amassed a collection of 12,000 books, and he offered to donate them to the city of Orlando, provided the city would build a fireproof library to house them. In November 1921, the city approved this plan, and two years later, the Albertson Public Library opened its doors, and the Albertson collection made up more than half of the books lining its shelves.
2022
The January 2022 Books and Beyond announced the return of in-person events and classes at all library locations in the Orange County Library System and features longtime staff member and storyteller Crystal Sullivan. Read about Crystal and OCLS storytellers through the years. Library Director, Mary Anne Hodel, wrote, “For almost two years now, we have been telling you about all of the ways you can take advantage of your library at home. From home delivery to live online classes to virtual events, we’ve been proud of the many ways we have been able to bring the library to you during this pandemic. But now, we’re ready to invite you back to see us in person and spend time in our libraries. Although our buildings have been open for limited services, we haven’t been encouraging people to linger, and we haven’t been hosting in-person programming. But this month, we welcome everyone to come back to attend an event, class or program in person at any of our 15 locations.
VIEW more recent Newsletters beginning with 2024 at ocls.info/Newsletters.
PERUSE Images of the 2007 and 2008 Books and Beyond covers below under Attachments.
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Books and Beyond - Espanol July 2006
Books and Beyond - Espanol July 2006
Books and Beyond February 2007 Cover
Books and Beyond February 2007 Cover
Books and Beyond March 2007 Cover
This cover was promoting the Art After Hours exhibition "Do You See What I See?" featuring teen photography. (Cover by the library's...
Books and Beyond April 2007 Cover
This cover features Rollins College jazz scholar Chuck Archard promoting the "All that Jazz" discussion series. (Cover by the library's Lead Graphic...
Books and Beyond May 2007 Cover
This cover features celebrities who participated in the "Take Know for an Answer" library awareness campaign. (Cover by the library's Lead Graphic...
Books and Beyond June 2007 Cover
This cover features two children promoting the library system's "Summer Reading" programs. (Cover by the library's Lead Graphic Designer Ben Garcia) (...
Books and Beyond July 2007 Cover
This cover features OCLS employee Sophie Pantelides promoting summer at the library, including that month's pink-themed Friends Family Frolic. (Cover ...
Books and Beyond August 2007 Cover
This cover features students promoting Back to School programs at the library. (Cover by the library's Lead Graphic Designer Ben Garcia)
Books and Beyond September 2007 Cover
This cover features OCLS employee Erika Torres promoting the Hispanic Heritage Month programs at the library. (Cover by the library's Lead Graphic...
Books and Beyond October 2007 Cover
This cover features a promotion for the library's 50th Anniversary celebration of Jack Kerouac's "The Dharma Bums." (Cover by the library's Lead...
Books and Beyond November 2007 Cover
This cover features a promotion for the Second Saturday program with actor/Thomas Jefferson impersonator J.D. Sutton. (Cover by the library's Lead Gra...
Books and Beyond December 2007 Cover
This cover features OCLS employee Tony Orengo promoting sales of the eco-friendly library "Go Green with Orange" tote bags. (Cover by the...
Books and Beyond January 2008 Cover
This cover features OCLS employee Carla Fountain and her mother promoting the StoryCorps initiative which visited the Orlando Public Library. (Cover by...
Books and Beyond February 2008 Cover
This cover features OCLS employee Rita Lloyd promoting Love Your Library Month. (Cover by the library's Lead Graphic Designer Ben Garcia)
Books and Beyond March 2008 Cover
This cover features "To Kill a Mockingbird" the featured book for "The Big Read" Initiative. (Cover by the library's Lead Graphic Designer...
Books and Beyond April 2008 Cover
This cover features the artwork of talented sculptor Vince Sansone which was on display for the Art After Hours exhibit "In the...
Books and Beyond May 2008 Cover
This cover features David Penaflor and Ifran Tello from the music group Huitzilin promoting their National Music Week performance. (Cover by the...
Books and Beyond June 2008 Cover
This cover features a little boy promoting OCLS' "Summer Reading" programs. (Cover by the library's Lead Graphic Designer Ben Garcia)
Books and Beyond July 2008 Cover
This cover celebrated the annual Friends Family Frolic. The theme for 2008 was Tiki Time. (Pictured: Luis Franco) (Cover by the library's...
Books and Beyond August 2008 Cover
This cover kicked off the Orlando Memory project. (Cover by the library's Lead Graphic Designer Ben Garcia)
Books and Beyond September 2008 Cover
This cover celebrated the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month. (Cover by the library's Lead Graphic Designer Ben Garcia)
Books and Beyond October 2008 Cover
This cover shows members from the Orlando Opera Company who performed multiple programs at the library in 2008. (Cover by the library's...
Books and Beyond November 2008 Cover
This cover shows former chef to the Kennedy Family Neil Connolly. (Cover by the library's Lead Graphic Designer Ben Garcia)
Books and Beyond December 2008 Cover
This cover announced the annual Breakfast with the Characters headlined by the likes of Winnie the Pooh, Curious George and Clifford the...
Books and Beyond February 2009 Cover
February 2009 cover features the "Dynamic Duo" Crimefighters Chief of Police OPD, Val Demings and Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings.
Books and Beyond January 2010 Cover
Yvonne Hartley, now HR Manager for OCLS was featured in 2010 on the cover of the Books and Beyond. Cover by...
Books and Beyond September 2011 Cover
Member of the Descendientes Latinos mariachi band performed at OPL September 15, 2011, as part of Hispanic Heritage Month. (Cover by the...
Books and Beyond November 2012 Cover
Award-winning author Daniel It/urphree discusses his three volume series, Native America: A State-by-State Historical Encyclopedia. The series chronic...
Books and Beyond July 2013 Cover
The July 2013 edition of Books and Beyond announces the addition of e-books. (Cover by the library's Lead Graphic Designer Ben Garcia)
Books and Beyond February 2014 Cover
The February 2014 Cover features the Melrose Center. (Cover by the library's Lead Graphic Designer Ben Garcia)
Books and Beyond July 2015 Cover
The July 2015 cover announces the grand opening of the new Chickasaw Library Branch.
Books and Beyond August 2016 Cover
The August 2016 cover heralded the 50th anniversary of the grand opening of the first Orlando Public Library which was dedicated on...
Books and Beyond August 2017 Cover
The cover of the August 2017 Books and Beyond heralded the upcoming total solar eclipse on August 21st. The library joined forces...
Books and Beyond June 2018 - Potterversary
The library celebrated the 20th anniversary of the release of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Books and Beyond June 2018 Cover
The cover of the August 2017 Books and Beyond heralded the upcoming total solar eclipse on August 21st. The library joined forces...
Books and Beyond July 2019 Cover
In July 2019, OCLS teamed up with WUCF TV and the Orange County Regional History Center to bring Orlando a moon-landing event...
Books and Beyond June 2020 - Kendrick B. Melrose
The Books and Beyond published June 2020 included a tribute to Kendrick B. Melrose who passed away earlier in the year.
Books and Beyond September 2020 Cover
The front cover for the September 2020 Books and Beyond promoted Library Card Sign-up Month with photos of long-time staff member Sara...
Books and Beyond November 2021 Cover
The November 2021 edition of the Books and Beyond paid tribute to Charles L. Albertson for whom Orlando's first public library was...
Books and Beyond January 2022 Cover
The January 2022 Books and Beyond cover announced the return of in-person events at the library. For almost two years now, we...
Books and Beyond archive https://www.ocls.info/Newsletters
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