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  • Title: Q&A with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. Image: Orchestra performing in Steinmetz Hall at the Dr. P. Phillips Center for Performing Arts

    Q&A with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra

    The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the many great cultural institutions that are part of Local Wanderer, Orange County Library System’s culture pass program which provides free access to library card holders across the county. We wanted to get to know them better, so we sat down with Executive Director Karina Bharne to talk…

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  • Learn More About The Women in the Arts Expo

    Learn More About the Women in the Arts Expo

    Over the past 13 years, Orange County Library System has helped support women in the arts by hosting the annual Women in the Arts Awards. This year, the event has shifted to an expo. We were able to catch up with the founder and executive director of Women in the Arts Inc., Maria Guerrero, to…

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  • two people tending to a garden

    South Creek Branch Blossoms with New Community Garden 

    South Creek Branch is proud to launch our new community garden to teach the benefits of sustainability and self-sufficiency to customers of all ages. We hope our garden will inspire and educate for years to come!  The community garden started out as an ambitious dream shared by the employees at the South Creek branch library: …

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  • From the Director, February 2024

    From the Director, February 2024

    If you’ve been reading Books & Beyond over the past year, you’ve heard us talk a lot about diversity and inclusion. In the past year, we have placed an emphasis on making sure that everyone knows that they belong at the library. We want to meet people where they are, no matter their stage in…

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  • A tile mosaic depicting the Black community of Hannibal Square crossing the tracks to vote. Text reads, "Strength, Learning, Story, Faith, Family, Memory, Unity." "In 1887 the citizens of Hannibal Square joined together and crossed the tracks to vote, electing two African American men." "Winter Park Community Pride in Hannibal Square."

    Q&A with Hannibal Square Heritage Center

    The fabric of Orange County’s history is interwoven with the stories, memories, struggles and victories of the Black community. The Orange County Library System is proud to welcome the Hannibal Square Heritage Center to Local Wanderer, a program that gives library holders access to historic, cultural and educational attractions. To celebrate our new partnership, we…

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  • Meet You There. Stylized logo with a map pin containing an orange. Photos of library staff at outdoor events overlayed on an orange map of Orange County.

    Meet You There

    As you’ve read in Books & Beyond over the past year, Orange County Library System is committed to breaking down barriers to access, so everyone can take part in what our libraries have to offer. That commitment extends far beyond library walls. In 2024, our goal is to plant deeper roots in the community by…

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  • From the Director Header - December 2023

    From the Director, December 2023

    When we kicked off our 100 Year Celebration on January 7, we promised you that a few good things were on the way: mobile services, programs in the community so people who can’t get to a library can still take advantage of what we have to offer, and a commitment to elevating community conversations with fun and…

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  • Design rendering of the future Horizon West branch.

    Looking Ahead to Our Bright Future

    You’ve heard us say it all year long: At OCLS, we’re proud of what we accomplished in the past, and we’re looking forward to a bright future for our library system. Over the past year, we’ve focused on sharing our story and showing you how the past 100 years have shaped us. As we wind…

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  • Questions and Answers – Orlando Ballet’s The Nutcracker

    Questions and Answers – Orlando Ballet’s The Nutcracker

    Founded in 1974, Orlando Ballet is Central Florida’s only fully residential professional ballet company. On top of producing world class stage productions, they also promote dance education and training through the Orlando Ballet School and Orlando Ballet II. As part the ballet’s 50th anniversary, artistic director Jorden Morris and a world-renowned creative team spent three years reimagining this from-scratch, Broadway-caliber…

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  • The History of Orange County Library System: The Melrose Center

    The History of Orange County Library System: The Melrose Center

    On April 16, 2012, Orange County Library System received the largest single private gift in its history when benefactor Kendrick B. Melrose donated $1 million in memory of his mother, Dorothy Lumley Melrose. The family lived in Orlando during Kendrick’s childhood, and he cited his mother’s strong support of libraries and keen interest in emerging…

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