Memories
Places
OPL Expansion Plans and Construction Photos 1982-1985
ABOVE: April 20, 1983, looking Northeast with the 1966 OPL in the top right corner.
Expansion of the 60,000 square foot 1966 Orlando Public Library was planned even before it opened on August 7, 1966, but the people of Orlando probably...
People
Dorothy Field - Library Director 1995-2001
Dorothy W. Field – Library Director 1995-2001
Olive Brumbaugh was the first director of the Albertson Public Library, serving from 1923-1943, followed by Clara Wendel who served as director of the Albertson then the Orlando Public Library from 1943-1970. T...
Uncategorized
Children's Department Scrapbook 1924-1930
Above: Santa, children and his two polar bears, Christmas Story Hour, December 24, 1927.
Children's Story Hour Scrapbook 1924-1930
An over 90-year old scrapbook that bears the scars from years of handling, no air conditioning, and ceiling leaks, documents ch...
Uncategorized
Books and Beyond 1996-1999
Early publications of the Orange County Library System and the Friends of the Library include Footnotes, the Friends of the Library Newsletter, and Books and Beyond. Simple versions of Books and Beyond (2000-2004) blossomed through the years with the first...
Uncategorized
Orlando Magazine - The first year
The first edition of the Orlando Magazine was published in July 1922 by the Orlando Chamber of Commerce. The first twelve issues of the magazine were bound and presented to the Albertson Public Library prior to its opening in November...
Places
Young Adult Department 1960s -1980s
ABOVE: The Young Adult Department on the first floor in the area now known as the porch or clock area in the Children's Department.
1960s
The Orlando Public Library opened to the public in August 1966, with 60,000 square feet of space...
Topics
Footnotes 1966-1970
Footnotes
Footnotes was a monthly publication presenting "Items of interest from the Orlando Public Library and Orange County Library System." Items of interest included news about library services, branches, staff and volunteers, along with a calendar of eve...
Organizations
Minutes of the Albertson Public Library Board of Directors 1923-1932
ABOVE: Albertson Public Library photo by Dixie Studio pasted on the back of the first page in the 1923-1930 minutes book.
Albertson Public Library Board of Directors
The minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors of the Albertson Public Library...
Places
Orlando Public Library Expansion 1982-1986
OPL Expansion from 60,000 to 290,000 square feet!
From APL to OPL
The Orlando Public Library was dedicated on Sunday, August 7, 1966, replacing the old Albertson Public Library which opened to the public on November 8, 1923. Compared to the old...
Organizations
OCLS Branches - Then and Now
ABOVE: South Trail Library circa 1982.
Orange County Library System Branch Libraries in 1993
Beginning in February 1993, the Friends of the Library Newsletters featured one of the eleven branches each month. The January 1993 newsletter announced the year-lon...
Topics
Friends of the Library Newsletters 1990 -1996
The Orlando Public Library Footnotes and the Friends of the Library Newsletters are the ancestors of the library's current monthly magazine, Books and Beyond.
Each newsletter has information on special events, displays, art exhibits, and bookstore news. The...
Organizations
OCLS Extension Department 1966 - 1983
ABOVE: Arnold Sobel at the Northgate Library in 1983.
OCLS Extension Department Scrapbook
Photographs of employees who worked in the Extension Department and the library Annex from 1966 to 1983, were collected and carefully and lovingly arranged in a scrap...
Places
OPL Under Construction 1964-1966
ABOVE: Photo taken December 1, 1965, looking southeast from the AT&T building on Wall Street. Notice how close the new library is to the former Salvation Army Citadel in the lower right corner of the photo. Also, visible is the...
People
Olive Brumbaugh - Orlando's Librarian 1923-1943
The Duties of the Head Librarian
The duties of the “librarian” enumerated in Article IX of the library’s Articles of Incorporation (pp. 3-4) indicate that, in addition to serving as a librarian, the person hired as head librarian oversaw all department...
Events
Albertson Library Staff Party - December 1963
Former staff at the Albertson Public Library were invited to a staff Christmas party on December 14, 1963. The date is significant because in September 1964, the Albertson library was demolished to make way for the new Orlando Public Library....
Places
Albertson Public Library Blueprints
On February 21, 1922, the city of Orlando held a bond election for funds to build a public library and other municipal improvements. The vote was 155 against and 446 in favor!
PLANS APPROVED - BIDS SOUGHT
The May 13, 1922, Orlando...
Events
Pull for the library! - 1980 Campaign for Library Expansion
1980 Campaign for Library Expansion
Pull for the Library!
After expecting a library expansion millage referendum to be on the ballot "any time now" since 1976, the measure was finally put before voters in the Orange County, Florida, district served by the...
Events
Orlando Public Library Dedication 1966
From APL to OPL
After decades of waiting, construction of the new Albertson Public Library began in October 1964. In May 1965, it was decided that the name of the new library would be the Orlando Public Library. Read a memo...
Organizations
Library Scrapbook - January 1945 to January 1949
Library Scrapbook - January 1945 to January 1949
A fragile scrapbook with treasures from January 1945 to January 1949 was recently found and scanned to preserve its contents. Newspaper clippings, flyers, brochures, and photographs paint a vivid picture of the...
Organizations
Annual Reports - From Albertson Public Library to OCLS - 1923 to 1979
Above: Cover of the 1960-1961 Annual Report with an actual library card attached.
Annual Reports
The annual reports for the Albertson Public Library run the gamut from simple small reports produced in the 1930s during the financial crisis, to more elaborate ...
Organizations
Albertson Public Library - Books and More
ABOVE: "A Woman's War Record" donated by Captain Charles Albertson.
When the Albertson Public Library opened to the public in November 1923, most of the books in the collection were gifts from individuals and organizations. A number of books were also...
Organizations
Albertson Public Library - Financial Crisis
Financial Crisis
Correspondence, financial statements, newspaper clippings and annual reports indicate that the library encountered financial difficulties after the stock market crash in October 1929.
In a letter dated June 5, 1929, Librarian Olive Brumbau...
Organizations
Albertson Public Library - In the beginning 1921-1931
ABOVE: Postcard of the Albertson Public Library at 165 East Central Avenue at the corner of Central and Rosalind.
Offer Made and Agreement Signed
On November 10, 1921, Captain Charles L. Albertson, a winter resident of Orlando and a retired Police Inspector...
Organizations
Albertson Public Library - Furnishings 1923
The Library Bureau
Library Bureau catalog pages, blue prints, orders, and correspondence provide an interesting look at the process of choosing the furnishings for the new library.
Captain Albertson appears to have made the first contact with the Library B...
Organizations
Albertson Public Library - Monthly Reports 1923-1931
Above: Photograph of the 1923 Albertson Public Library.
Monthly Reports November 1923 - December 1931
The Albertson Public Library staff first welcomed Orange County residents to their new library on November 8, 1923.
Beginning that month, a monthly repor...
People
Glenn F. Miller - Library Director 1970-1995
Glenn F. Miller
Glenn F. Miller was born December 5, 1937 in Saginaw, Michigan, 4th of 11 children to Herbert and Evelyn Miller. Miller attended elementary school, junior high and senior high school in Saginaw, Michigan. An avid reader, Miller began...
People
Clara Elizabeth Wendel - Library Director 1943-1970
Early Years
Clara Mathilde Elizabeth Wendel was born on June 1, 1904 in Harvey, Cook County, Illinois. Her family moved from Chicago, Illinois to Gotha, Florida in or around 1916.
Their home was a typical Florida home from that era, with wrap...
Places
History of Orlando's African American Libraries
ABOVE: Alice Grace at Booker T. Washington Library
Plaque Commemorating the Booker T. Washington Library
On December 30, 2001, the Orange County Library System and the Shiloh Baptist Church celebrated the history of the former Booker T. Washington Library wi...
Topics
Eddie T. Jackson
Above: Librarian Eddie T. Jackson - Story time at the Booker T. Washington Branch Library circa 1927
Eddie Natalie Byrd Thomas Cromartie Jackson
Eddie Jackson was born Eddie Natalie Byrd Thomas on March 25th, 1902, in Tampa, Florida. Her mother, Woodie Julia...
Topics
History of the Orange County Library System
Sorosis Club of Orlando
The beginnings of the current Orange County Library System can be traced to the circulating library collection of the Sorosis Club of Orlando. The collection was initially housed on the second floor of the old Armory building...
Events
City of Orlando Director of Urban Development Walter G. Hawkins Presents at Orlando Remembered for Black History Month, February 2023
Walter G. Hawkins is the Director of Urban Development for the City of Orlando Community Redevelopment Agency. He has served the City of Orlando for almost 30 years. He is responsible for overseeing the revitalization of the Parramore District and served as...
People
Clara Davis Warren - A Legacy of Love
Above photo of Clara Davis Warren from the Florida Catholic, April 2, 1982. Photo and article by Sister Elizabeth Crean. Permission granted.
Clara Davis Warren – A Legacy of Love
[caption id="attachment_35210" align="alignright" width="174"] Clara Davis Wa...
Topics
Orlando History Through Postcards
Orlando History Through Postcards
More than just being something nice to send a friend or a relative while on a trip, these postcards show Orlando through the years and offer a glimpse at what the City Beautiful looked like to tourists...
People
Oral History Interview with Senator Toni Jennings
Toni Jennings is the Chairman of the Board for Jack Jennings & Sons, an Orlando based commercial construction firm recognized for national industry awards and outstanding projects throughout Central Florida. Senator Toni Jennings, an Orlando native known f...
Places
South Trail: Through The Years
South Trail: Through The Years
The South Trail branch's history spans almost six decades. First opening in April 1965, the South Trail branch has undergone many changes since then.
Fort Gatlin Branch
The South Trail branch's original name was Fort Gatlin, s...
Topics
Books and Beyond 2000-2004
Books and Beyond
Early publications of the Orange County Library System and the Friends of the Library include Footnotes 1966-1970, the Friends of the Library Newsletter, and Books and Beyond 1996-1999, which began publication during the tenure of library dir...
Events
University of Central Florida Book Festival
University of Central Florida Book Festival
The University of Central Florida Book Festival took place on April 5, 2014. Members of OCLS staff attended and met Mike Ferrell, who played B.J. Hunnicut from M*A*S*H*. For larger size photos, see the bottom...
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