Facts About the Library

Mission Statement

Adding to quality of life by creating a learning environment and experiences that foster personal growth and development.

OverDrive LogoAbout Orange County Library System

Orange County Library System provides Information, Imagination and Inspiration to more than four million visitors annually. Books are available in print, CD audiobooks, and downloadable formats compatible with mobile devices.

OverDrive Libby IconItems can be delivered right to your home ā€“ free of charge ā€“ using our Home Delivery service. Digital audiobooks, e-books, magazines/newspapers, movies, music and TV shows are conveniently available through online services like Libby (OverDrive), PressReader, Freegal Music, and hoopla.

Multiple online databases, streaming video and Wi-Fi access are also available. Numerous technology classes are offered along with author signings, special events and programs throughout the year. The library is involved in several programs and partnerships to foster early reading success among elementary students and Orlando Public Library features “Club Central,” a hip area specifically for tweens and teens (ages 11-18).

Main Library:

Location:

Orlando Public Library, 101 East Central Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32801

Hours:

  • Sunday: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.
  • Monday through Thursday: 10 a.m. – 7Ā p.m.
  • Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Facilities:

The 26,000-square-foot Dorothy Lumley Melrose Center for Technology, Innovation & Creativity is located on the second floor of the Orlando Public Library. It includes audio, film and photography studios, along with flight and driving simulators, a game design lab and a fabrication lab with 3-D printers, a laser cutter and more.

Other Locations:

FourteenĀ branches across Orange County

  • Alafaya
  • Chickasaw
  • Eatonville
  • Fairview Shores
  • Hiawassee
  • North Orange
  • South Creek
  • Southeast
  • Southwest
  • South Trail
  • Washington Park
  • West Oaks
  • Windermere
  • Winter Garden

Visit Locations & Hours or call 407.835.7323 for hours at individual branches.

Leadership:

  • Steve Powell, Library Director/Chief Executive Officer
  • Governed by a five-member Library Board of Trustees

History:

Orlando’s first library, the Albertson Public Library, was founded in 1923. The Orlando Public Library building was dedicated in 1966 and later expanded in the 1980s. Today, the landmark 290,000-square-foot building encompasses an entire city block. To respond to area growth, the number of branch locations has doubled since 1980.

Employees:

Approximately 440 throughout the system

Stats:

Serving more than one million Orange County Residents. (Exclusive of residents of cities of Winter Park and Maitland)

More than 1.7 million items in the collection.

Financial Profile:

The library’s annual budget totals approximately $65.0Ā million.

The majority of its funding comes from property taxes supplemented by fee collections, grants and donations. A portion of our materials have been funded under the provisions of the State Aid to Libraries Grant program, administered by the Florida Department of Stateā€™s Division of Library and Information Services. Key expenditures include the cost of operating the libraries and maintaining the collection of materials. The library receives its funding through a special Library taxing district formed in 1980. The Friends of the Library, a separate fundraising arm, generates additional revenues through book sales at the branches and proceeds from Gifts & Greetings and The Third Floor Bookstore – both located at the Orlando Public Library.

Media Contact:

Marketing and Public Relations
407.835.7481
mpr@ocls.info

Alert Icon

Southwest Branch Closing for Maintenance

Southwest Branch will be closed on Monday, March 25 and Tuesday, March 26 for replacement of the HVAC unit. The book drop will remain open and we plan to resume normal operating hours on Wednesday, March 27.