ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Central Florida has one of the largest library systems in the state.
There are more than a dozen branches that serve Orange County’s 1.4 million residents.
If you can’t make it to one of its branches, the Orange County Library System has community outreach programs, bringing the library to the community.
OCLS delivers - literally! A team of librarians pull books, movies and other materials from the shelves of its branches. Then, they’re delivered straight to your doorstep through PEP delivery or the postal service.
“There are so many barriers restricting people from coming to the library, like transportation, economics - they may not have a way to get to the library... that’s why this service is so important,” OCLS Chief of Neighborhood Services Danielle King said.
This isn’t new. The delivery service started in 1979. It is — and has always been — free.
“It’s one of our most popular services... We’re one of the only libraries in the country that serves this for free for anyone with a library card,” King said.
If you’re not a fan of turning pages, there are digital options that come with your library card, too, including e-books, educational programming and streaming movies through apps like Overdrive, Libby and Hoopla. (You’ll just use your library card information to log in.)
OCLS is bringing the library to you, with its book bikes.
“The book bike is a really fun way we get to engage with all of our customers out in the community. We attend community events and bring books out with it and you an check things out right away. We also help people sign up for a card,” OCLS Community Outreach Coordinator Nathaly Ruiz said.
Soon you’ll see the library rolling into your neighborhood with the new Bookmobile. It’s a mobile library that used to roam the county back in the 1940s, funded by the Orlando Sorosis Women’s Club.
“Our first bookmobile was actually in 1949. Money was raised by the Sorosis Women’s Club. They made a $100,000 donation to help us customize a new Bookmobile. We’re going to provide everything the library has, like books and materials, even technology. We’ll have PCs available, people can use a printer on the bus and programming with come with it,” King said.
The new Bookmobile is currently being built and is expected to roll out in March of 2026.
OCLS also has a dedicated community engagement team that hosts daily events throughout the county, including storytelling at senior living communities and “Library Takeover” days at healthcare facilities, like Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.
“It’s one of the programs we’re really proud of. We go to Arnold Palmer, AdventHealth and Nemours, and we provide ‘Library Takeover’ days. These kids in the hospital, they obviously cannot leave the hospital, so we bring the hospital to them and have activities with them so they can learn, grow and connect,” King said.
The OCLS programs are free. Click HERE to sign up for a library card and learn more about the programs and classes offered by OCLS.
If you don’t live in Orange County, OCLS is encouraging you to check out the resources your local library offers.