ORLANDO, Fla. – The very first publicly-funded library in Orange County opened on this day, 100 years ago.
The Albertson Public Library opened on Nov. 8, 1923, in downtown Orlando. It was named for Capt. Charles Albertson, who gave his personal library of 12,000 books to the city. Before that, residents could borrow books for a small fee from a women’s group called The Sorosis Club, which kept a small library.
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Today, the Orange County public library system has 15 locations around the county, offering a variety of services ranging from the curation of thousands of books, movies, music albums and periodicals to classes and clubs, special events and technology resources.
“We try to be very responsive to our community and what their needs are, and we also try to be viable,” said Vanessa Neblett, adult services department head for the Orange County Library System.
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That desire to find the services that the community might need goes back decades. The first bookmobile was introduced in 1949, and in the 1970s the library system began home delivery.
In 1967, Neblett says the library offered framed art prints to check out for a few weeks and use as home decor. That service didn’t last long.
These days, the library is more than just a lending center. It offers classes on job skills and resume help. It also has three social workers on staff who can assist residents in finding help for a wide variety of issues, and all free to residents with registered library cards.
And that service is expanding. Neblett says the library is working to bring its bookmobile back (it was retired in 1979), and has plans to open branches in the coming years in the Lake Nona and Horizons West areas.
“There are parts of the county that we are not yet at, so we want to make sure all parts of the community can get some part of us, even if we can’t be there all the time,” Neblett said.
Here are some services you may not know are offered through the Orange County Library System.
Take out library media without leaving the house
Library patrons can search for materials (books, movies, music, etc.) to borrow online and then have them delivered to their homes free of charge. Patrons can also mail the materials back if they wish, or drop them off at any branch. Need more time? The library will automatically renew for you, as long as there isn’t anyone else waiting for what you borrowed. And the library doesn’t charge fines if you are late returning something.
You can also access eBooks through the library if you prefer.
Free passes to local cultural attractions
Ever wanted to experience one of the area’s museums or other cultural attractions, but couldn’t afford it? Library patrons can get “culture passes” to area venues as part of the Local Wanderer program. OCLS adult cardholders in good standing can reserve a pass to select local museums, concerts, sporting events and other venues such as the Orlando Museum of Art, the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and more. Head to the Local Wanderer section of the OCLS website for details and to reserve a pass. Passes are limited, so book fast.
Classes online and in-person
Is there a computer program you’ve been wanting to learn, or another language, or do you want to learn how to sew? You can take online classes on a wide variety of topics, all free for registered Orange County residents. Can’t take a live online class? The library offers OnDemand class tutorials as well as access to LinkedIn Learning, which offers thousands of online courses.
Prefer to take classes in person? The different branches host a wide variety of classes, including cooking, dance, yoga, voice and bodywork, coding, graphic design, video production and more. Check the library calendar to find a class.
The Melrose Center
Many of the more technical classes will take place at The Melrose Center, which is at the Downtown Orlando Library. First opened in 2014, the Melrose Center has computer labs, audio and video studios, 3D printers, laser engravers, vehicle simulators, a virtual reality learning station and rehearsal and meeting spaces. Registered patrons are free to use the equipment, as long as they take an orientation at the Melrose Center first. Check out The Melrose Center website to find out more.
The Library of Things
The Orange County Library System is branching out into non-traditional items to borrow. OCLS is building The Library of Things, a collection of items you can check out to help you learn. Right now the library has fiber art kits for people who want to learn how to crochet or knit. The library also has blood pressure monitor kits to take out. It also recently added citizen science kits for people who want to study biodiversity, pollinators and other scientific experiments.
Vanessa Neblett says more items will be added to the collection, but she couldn’t say what. What would you like to see The Library of Things offer?
Jobs help
Need to find a new job? The library has a section to help you find a job, build a resume, practice interview skills and training to help you beef up an existing resume. They have staff who specialize in the topic and even offer classes. Find the full range of services on the library careers website.
Social workers
An extension of that job help, OCLS has three social workers who can help library patrons find help on a variety of topics: jobs help, food and housing help, immigration services, mental health, government services, whatever you can think of, Neblett said.
The first social worker was hired in 2017, using grants. In the last two years, the library system has added two more. One is based at the downtown library full-time, while the other two travel to different branches. Patrons can make an appointment for an hour-long sit-down through the library website.
Genealogy Center
Have you ever wanted to research your family? The Orange County Library System can help, and it won’t cost you an Ancestry.com membership to get started (in fact, you can get access to Ancestry for free through the library). The library has databases and information online that you can access for free with your library card. It also has the West Oaks Genealogy Center, which is located at the West Oaks Library in Ocoee. The center opened in 2015 and holds thousands of books, including reference books, family histories and databases for things like census records and passenger lists. The library is also the official repository for the Florida State Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Free periodicals online
Library patrons have access to PressReader, which allows them to read articles from more than 6,000 newspapers and magazines from around the world – no paywall to worry about. There’s also an app you can download on your mobile devices.
Patrons also have access to databases featuring academic journals, newspaper archives and reference databases.
Free movie streaming
The library has movies and TV shows you can check out with your card, but you can also stream them. The library system has access to hoopla and Kanopy, streaming services that give you access to thousands of movies and TV shows for free. All you need to do is plug in your library card information to open an account.
You can listen to every episode of Florida’s Fourth Estate in the media player below: