February 1, 2010
Celebrate Black History Month with Us!
Hard to believe it's already February which is also Black History Month. In celebration of the occasion, the Orange County Library System has a lively agenda of programs and performances lined up. Explore the wide array of Black History Month events being offered across the library.
February also marks the seventh year that the Orlando Public Library will serve as a venue for ArtsFest. Highlights include a performance by the International Folk Dance Ensemble and a demonstration by the Orlando Youth Circus. View a complete listing of ArtsFest events.
If you're looking to step things up a bit, be sure to check out the 5th Annual Step Off Competition at the Orlando Public Library on Saturday, February 27 at 2 p.m. Local middle and high school students will put their best foot forward in a battle to be crowned the top step team around. Plus, the Power 95.3 Power Playas will be on hand to emcee and DJ the event with today's hottest jams.
For a short month, February packs in a lot of celebrating! It's also Love Your Library Month. I hope you'll discover many great reasons to love your library - not just in February but all year round.
Mary Anne Hodel
Library Director/CEO
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December 31, 2009
Hello 2010!
Happy New Year and welcome 2010! For many, 2009 was a difficult year and I am sure some of you are glad to see it now behind us. The Library System looks to 2010 with optimism and has lined up a wide array of programs and new services to get your year off to a great start.
For our first Second Saturday program of the New Year, we are honored to present Congressman Lou Frey to discuss his book Political Rules of the Road. It's happening Saturday, January 9 at 10 a.m. at the Orlando Public Library.
Try something new this year and go vegan - at least for a day! Eat at Ethos Vegan Kitchen at 1235 North Orange Avenue on Saturday, January 16. It's a 10% Benefit Day for OCLS. Anyone who dines there that day and shows a library bookmark, sign or newsletter regarding the event, 10% of your check will go to the library system.
Did you get a new gadget over the Holidays? Are you looking for an audio book to download or a ebook for your reader. The Library has a great collection of downloadable materials for a wide range of devices. Visit out download center to see and get that gadget to work!
Finally, most of us have been feeling the pinch of the recession and OCLS wants to help you stretch your dollars in 2010. Join us for Stretching Your Dollar at the Winter Garden Branch on Saturday, January 30 at 2 p.m. Learn tips and tricks for coupon and rebate shopping as we celebrate Financial Fitness Month.
Again, here's to 2010. Out with the old; in with the new. May it truly signal the start of a turn-around. Happy New Year!
Mary Anne Hodel
Library Director/CEO
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December 1, 2009
Learn Something New With Us!
The Orange County Library System regularly presents a variety of programs, classes and activities for all ages. A schedule of our offerings is available on this website as well as in our monthly printed newsletter Books & Beyond.
The library system's diverse range of programs means there is something for everyone! Are you an avid reader who likes to rehash the book with fellow enthusiasts? Check our calendar for the nearest book club. Perhaps music is more your thing. From classical and jazz to folk music, OCLS has it - including weekly performances offered every Friday at noon at the Orlando Public Library in downtown. Do you have an entrepreneurial spirit and are looking to start your own business? Many of our business databases and computer classes can help meet your needs. Are you a parent looking to enrich your child's life? OCLS has programs for tots to teens that will both inform and entertain. And if you're looking for classes and programs in other languages, OCLS has those too.
Consider this your open invitation to take advantage of all the library system has to offer. And there's never been a better time to do so. Our free programs and resources will bring you up in down times. The Orange County Library System - we're all about you!
Mary Anne Hodel
Library Director/CEO
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November 1, 2009
November Update
In my August blog posting, I shared several of the cost reductions that the Orange County Library System has taken to deal with its reduced budget. These included closing the Orlando Public Library in downtown at 8 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and discontinuing the delivery of entertainment DVDs. We focused on reducing costs that have the least impact on library services.
While these cuts are noticeable to our customers, many more less readily visible reductions have been made behind the scenes. We have eliminated phone book advertising, and have gone to paperless systems for many processes including for paystubs and W-2 forms. Further, employee evaluations, and open enrollment for health insurance have also gone virtual and are being completed online now as well. We have significantly reduced printing costs for our computer class manuals and no longer provide rainy day bags for library materials. Business cards for staff have been considerably reduced too.
Some of the toughest reductions affect our staff, our greatest asset. Since we have not been filling positions when an employee leaves the system, this has left several of our branch libraries with critical staff needs. This has forced us to evaluate staffing system-wide. As a result, staff in locations that have experienced less attrition have been asked to transfer to locations with more attrition. The first round of rebalancing occurred in early October, and with a bleak financial outlook, it is fully expected that it won't be the last round. I applaud our dedicated staff for their flexibility and willingness to work with us so the impact of our financial situation is felt least by the public we serve.
To avoid layoffs, a Voluntary Separation Incentive was offered to employees meeting certain eligibility requiremetns for age and years of service. This is a one-time opportunity for employees who meet the criteria to retire early or separate employment from OCLS. This year, there will be no raises for all staff. For the second consecutive year, the library's administrative team will not receive raises.
None of these actions has been easy for us. The library system is no different than other organizations reeling from the recession. Our recession agenda remains to carefully and thoughtfully examine our situation, and put into play those options that will allow us to survive the crisis.
Mary Anne Hodel
Library Director and CEO
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October 1, 2009
Back to School at the Library
School is back in session in full force. The return to class beckons another enlightening year of learning, but with it comes a taxing and sometimes overwhelming load of homework, projects, tests and of course, the FCAT.
The new school year is a great time for parents to become excited about and engaged in their children's learning. Research consistently shows that when parents are involved in their children's learning, it positively influences their educational outcomes. Parents: the start of another academic year is your invitation to become more involved in schoolwork - providing encouragement, arranging for sufficient study time and monitoring homework. If you accept this invitation, the Orange County Library System can help you score high marks this back-to-school season.
The back-to-school tool box is chock full at Orange County libraries with a rich array of resources to help students, parents and teachers. Homework Help @OCLS offers live, interactive assistance from qualified tutors for students in grades 4 through 12. This service, available in English and Spanish, is free from home with a library card. Tutoring is offered in math, science, social science and language arts. FCAT Explorer has tutorials for the FCAT in English or Spanish, and the LearnATest database provides access to numerous other standardized tests.
Multiple resources on the library system's website point you to research paper help. You'll find a biography resource center, a literature resource center and science online. There are also dozens of links to further sources for help and information for parents who home school their children.
While abundant resources are available virtually, the library's 15 locations offer free computer access as well as a generous collection of Sunshine State books and Accelerated Reader titles available for check out. Whether you visit the library online or in person, make it a frequent stop on your academic journey. The Orange County Library System is here to help you access the skills, insights and imagination to succeed, so please add "OCLS" to the equation this school year and you'll be well on your way to academic achievement.
Mary Anne Hodel
Library Director and CEO
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September 1, 2009
Goodbye Summer... Hello Fall!
It's hard to believe summer is coming to an end. As the season draws to a close, there's lots to do at your local library. We invite you to welcome fall with a lively and enlightening evening out. Join us on Friday, September 11 at the Orlando Public Library for our highly anticipated annual Evening with the Author. This year, you'll have the opportunity to hear from Jeff Zaslow, Wall Street Journal columnist and co-author of the bestseller The Last Lecture. Zaslow also wrote the popular bestseller The Girls from Ames, the true story of a group of women and their 40-year friendship. He is currently working on Highest Duty, the story of Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, famous for landing US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River. Enjoy hors d'oeuvres, wine, and a book sale and signing. A ticket order form is on page 5 or purchase them online at www.ocls.info.
If you're like most folks, saving money in this economy is a priority. So don't miss the chance to meet the Coupon Queen and discover novel new saving strategies. Orlando Sentinel's Coupon Queen Sara Clarke, one of the authors of the Frugal Force blog, will share tips to find cost-cutting clippings that save money. Court with the Queen will be in session Tuesday, September 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Orlando Public Library.
As we close out summer, a final word on our Summer Reading Program. The themes this year were "Play Out Loud" for children ages 6-12 and "Jam Out Loud" for teens ages 13-18. I am delighted to report that over 900 programs and technology classes were conducted with over 25,000 people attending. The Library is proud to offer this meaningful summer activity for these young library fans!
Mary Anne Hodel
Library Director/CEO
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August 1, 2009
Challenges Ahead
As so many families and organizations have had to do, the Library is faced with making reductions to our operating expenditures.
At OCLS we have focused on reducing costs which will cause the least impact on library services. For fiscal year 2010 which begins October 1, 2009:
• We have not budgeted raises for staff,
• We are reducing hours at the main library (we will be closing at 8:00 p.m. rather than 9:00 p.m. Monday- Thursday)
• We are discontinuing the delivery of DVDs through our MAYL program.
None of these choices is easy and we recognize that each will be a disappointment to those affected.
Beginning September 15, 2009, all DVDs will no longer be "requestable". These collections will become browsing only. Effective October 1, 2009, any unfilled outstanding holds on DVDs will be canceled.
What does this mean to you? Though you will not be able to request a particular DVD for delivery or for pick up, it will mean a greater selection of DVDs available to you on your library visits. Another new benefit is that all DVDs will be renewable as long as your card is in good standing and the item has not already been renewed 3 times. This will apply to DVDs checked out on or after August 3, 2009 only. Also effective, August 3, 2009 we are increasing the check out limit for DVDs to 20 so that on your visit you can take more entertainment home with you!
Effective Monday, October 5, 2009, the Orlando Public Library downtown will close at 8:00 p.m. Use of services in this location during those hours falls off considerably and this early closure allows for us to allocate staffing to busier times. The following branch locations will continue to be open until 9:00 p.m: Alafaya, Edgewater, Herndon, Hiawassee, North Orange, South Creek, Southeast, Southwest, West Oaks and Winter Garden. Remember that ocls.info, the Library's website, is open 24/7 to find an article for that presentation you have tomorrow, to check your library account, to sign up for a technology class or to find a free program to attend over the weekend.
If you have any comments regarding these changes or would like to provide feedback on your service priorities please complete this contact form .
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