history
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Our History Speaks Volumes: COVID-19
The most important events in Orange County Library System history are often those that dramatically improve or expand library service: November 11, 1921 – Captain Charles Albertson donates his personal library to the city of Orlando. November 8, 1923 – Albertson Public Library, the first public library in Orange County, opens. August 7, 1966 –…
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From the Director, November 2021
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…
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Our History Speaks Volumes: What Happened to What Happened To Forrester?
It’s a dark and stormy night and you’re but days away from finishing your library book. But, what’s this? Something stirs on the check-out receipt you’ve creased into a bookmark: It’s the dreaded due date! You watched helplessly for weeks as the date crept slowly, but inevitably towards you. Callously devouring your renewals until all…
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Our History Speaks Volumes: West Oaks Branch and Genealogy Center
On August 8, 2001, West Oaks Branch opened its doors for the very first time. Twenty years later, the branch continues to provide integral library services to the residents of Ocoee and Western Orange County. West Oaks Branch began as one of several library branch locations that opened in the early 2000s, under Orange County…
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Our History Speaks Volumes: Remembering Glenn F. Miller (1937–1996)
On November 1, 1970, Library Director Clara Wendel retired having served 27 years as head of Orange County Library System. She was succeeded by Glenn Miller, who became only the third library director in OCLS’ nearly 50-year history. Originally from Saginaw, Michigan, Miller began his career in library service in 1958, working as a reference…
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The Story of Pride
In the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City became the unlikely catalyst for the struggle for LGBT+ rights. At that time, there were laws against being homosexual which extended to prohibiting the sale of alcohol to homosexuals and dancing with someone of the…
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Our History Speaks Volumes: Sorosis Women’s Club
In 1893, 10 Orlando women gathered to organize a study and social group. They named their group the Sorosis Club, after the Latin word for sisterhood, and shortly thereafter began meeting regularly at members’ homes to discuss literature and civic matters. With Sorosis growing, regular club events moved to the Knox-Bacon Building, an historically preserved…
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Our History Speaks Volumes: Captain Albertson’s Gift
One hundred years ago, a private citizen donated his personal library to the City of Orlando. The rest is history. The year 1921 was an important one for Orlando: Before Disney World had made Central Florida a landmark tourist destination, Orlando was an up-and-coming city whose growth was fueled primarily by citrus farming. In that year,…
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Our History Speaks Volumes: Bookmobile
On November 22 1949, Orlando Public Library, in partnership with Sorosis Club of Orlando, unveiled Orange County’s first mobile library: A $6,000 Studebaker bus uniquely equipped to deliver library services to the outlying areas of Orange County. At the time, there were only three library locations within the county, and they were mostly centralized to the…
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Native American Heritage Month: Cory Osceola
This photo of Cory Osceola comes from a postcard sold at the Musa Isle Indian Village in Miami around 1929. Musa Isle was the first Seminole tourist camp, founded in 1907. At this time, the Seminole people were struggling to make ends meet in a natural environment that was constantly changing due to industrial expansion.…
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