4 ways the community can help support library services

Courtesy photo. (Orange County Library System)

The end of the year is an exciting time for many. It is often a period for reflection, gathering, and of course, giving.

The Friends of the Orange County Library System, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose role is to support programs and initiatives not typically covered in the library’s budget, kicks off its end-of-year giving campaign each November.

The Friends use the funds they raise to make the library an even better place to be. For example, the Friends have helped the library to:

  • Purchase sewing machines for branches to expand popular sewing classes.
  • Fund the library’s Prime Time Family Reading Program.
  • Implement the award-winning Local Wanderer culture pass program.
  • Underwrite some of the cost of publishing the library’s monthly Books & Beyond magazine.
  • Provide scholarships to pay library staff who wish to pursue higher education.

If this sounds like an organization you’d like to support, here are four ways you can help the Friends:

1. Shop at the Friends’ stores located at the Orlando Public Library

The Friends of the Orange County Library System operate two stores open to help raise funds for the Orange County Library System.

Both stores are located downtown in the Orlando Public Library, located at 101 E. Central Boulevard in Orlando.

There’s a Gifts & Greetings store located on the first floor of the building. The shop offers cards, bookmarks and a hand-picked collection of fun local and literary novelties.

There is also The Friends of the Library Bookstore on the third floor of the building, open daily and offering thousands of gently used fiction and nonfiction books of all genres, as well as DVDs, CDS, vinyl and other materials for all ages.

2. Donate online

You can make a monetary donation online by visiting this website.

3. Donate in-person

Cash or check donations are accepted at the Friends of the Library Bookstore located at Orlando Public Library on the third floor. You can also donate at any of the library’s 15 locations. Find a library near you.

4. Donate by mail

You can mail donations to: Friends of the Orange County Library System at 101 E. Central Blvd., Orlando, FL 32801.

For more information on Friends of the Orange County Library, check out their website, or email contact@oclsfriends.info.

Remember, even more exciting things are in store for Orange County Library System in the new year as the library kicks off its 100 Year Celebration in 2023. For more information on the many events taking place, be sure to click here and check back frequently.


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