Memories
Places
The Children's Library Through the Years
The Children's Library in Downtown Orlando
The Albertson Public Library 1923 - 1964
When the Albertson Public Library opened on November 8, 1923, the Children's Room was located on the ground floor or basement on the east side of the bu...
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-long ...
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
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 f...
Organizations
Bookmobiles, Traveling Branches and Library Stations
ABOVE: The Orlando Public Library Traveling Branch and County Bookmobile in front of the 1966 Orlando Public Library.
A Bookmobile for the Library
A proposal for the addition of a bookmobile was presented to the board of the Albertson Public Library by...
Places
Orlando's African American Libraries - From Booker T. Washington to Washington Park
ABOVE: Alice Grace at the 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 ...
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...
People
"Orlando: Familiar Places, Familiar Faces" An Oral History Presentation by Allie Myers for Orlando Remembered, September 2025
My dad delivered, well back then, a lot of ladies came to Orlando to have their babies. He delivered babies from people from Saint Cloud, from Osteen, from New Symrna, all around. He delivered several, about three or four generations...
Places
The Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Building - 45 North Magnolia
February 1925
The Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company purchased property at the corner of North Main Street (now Magnolia) and Summerlin Place (now Wall Street) in February 1925, for the construction of what was first thought to be a two-story...
Organizations
First Methodist Church of Orlando 1916 Souvenir Directory and Year Book
The 1916 Souvenir Directory and Year Book of the First Methodist Church at the corner of Main (Magnolia) and Jackson in downtown Orlando, while it may be often overlooked due to its small size and faded photocopied images, contains a...
Organizations
In the Shadow of the Moon
50th Anniversary 1975-2025
If you hear someone mention the documentary "In the Shadow of the Moon," all but a very few immediately think of Ron Howard's 2007 film. But those of us who worked at Orlando's Public Television Station WMFE-TV Channel...
Places
The Phillips Theatre
The Phillips Theatre
In the heart of downtown Orlando, at the intersection of Pine Street and Orange Avenue, stands the former Phillips Theater. The Phillips Theatre, named for Dr. Philip Phillips, opened on October 10, 1917 and was the fourth movie...
Organizations
Lela Mae Stokes
Most people in Orlando have never heard of Lela Mae Stokes, a woman who literally touched the lives of over 40,000 people born at Orange Memorial Hospital from 1925 to 1968. This post is dedicated to her memory.
1894 Allegan,...
Places
Leu House and Gardens
The Harry P. Leu Gardens is a 50 acre botanical landscape of over 150 years of growth, transformation, and commitment to horticulture and community enrichment in Central Florida. For this reason, the home and gardens have an intriguing history. ...
Events
A Journey Towards Freedom: Celebrating Juneteenth
https://youtu.be/sATYZ-GlNU0?si=IbSA8DGXv-BTra9P
The Eatonville Branch celebrated Juneteenth with a variety of speakers.
On June 18, 2024, the Eatonville Branch of the Orange County Library System hosted a Juneteenth Celebration. Sara Brown, the manag...
Organizations
Oral History Interview with Reverend John E. Hamatie of Saint George Orthodox Church
The greatest blessing, thing that ever happened in my life is being the pastor of this church. It's true. This church made me who I am. Excerpt from an oral history interview with Reverend John E. Hamatie, May 25, 2025.
LISTEN:...
People
Eatonville History Preservation Project 2025 - Cordelia Rentz
Cordelia Rentz was interviewed at the Eatonville Library on April 12, 2025 by library branch manager and Eatonville History Preservation Project 2025 coordinator Sara Brown.
View Cordelia Rentz interview on the Orlando Memory YouTube Channel or rea...
Events
Eatonville History Preservation Project 2025
About the Project
The Eatonville History Preservation Project is a collaboration between the Orange County Library System’s Eatonville Branch and eSTEAMED Learning, Inc., merging the arts of quilting and storytelling to preserve the history and culture o...
People
Eatonville History Preservation Project 2025 - Lisa G. Moore
Lisa G. Moore designed and created the Eatonville History Preservation Project quilt.
Learn more about the Eatonville History Preservation Project 2025 and the participants.
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