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September 6, 2006
Welcome to Library Leader
Welcome to the Orange County Library Systems' Library Leader weblog. Each month I’ll be sharing information with you regarding plans and aspirations for the Library, the Library staff and you, our valued customers.
This month I’d like to recognize our Friends of the Library organization for their contributions to the Library and encourage you to become a friend. An active group of over 700 volunteers and members the FOL sponsor the Library's popular Second Saturday programs at our Main Library, operate our Third Floor Bookstore and Gifts and Greetings also both at the Main Library.
One recent program of the FOL was the Candidate's Forum. The forum was moderated by FOX-35 TV Reporter Shannon Butler and questions came from a media panel comprised of Orlando Sentinel Government Reporter David Damron, Central Florida News 13 Anchor Scott Harris,and WFTV-TV Reporter Tim Wetzel. The audience of over 160 visitors was also given the opportunity to ask questions of candidates.
Jackie Green, president of the Friends of the Library Board, said the forum provided a platform to educate and enlighten the public. “We hope citizens will take full advantage of this opportunity to discover where candidates stand on key issues,” she said.
The Library hopes this is just the first in a long tradition of providing such opportunities. It certainly continues the long tradition of the Friends of the Library providing connections for the community to timely and relevant Information, Inspiration and Imagination!
Mary Anne Hodel
Library Director/CEO
Posted by director at September 6, 2006 2:33 PM
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Comments
With respect to item 1 of the Strategic Plan, how do you plan to make materials such as audio books available via Main Library and branch computers?
Is there a danger that shifting library purchased content to an outsourced (home computer, WIFI) delivery format will render brick and mortar libraries with unutilized physical space to hold what was once object content (cd books) now housed on a server?
Posted by: Anonymous at September 19, 2006 6:39 PM
Regarding item 1 of the Strategic Plan...
The question of shifting demands for services within our library facilities is one we and libraries across the country have been addressing. Currently our downloadable audio books are available at nearly 400 public access computers in the Orange County Library System. Any “plug and play” MP3 player can download these books from within any of our libraries. Our large collection of ebooks from netlibrary also offer the option to read a book online on a library computer.
The circulation of our variety of materials (including books!) remains our most popular service and we continue to add to popular formats such as books on compact disc. We also seek to use our facilities to offer new products and services to make each of our facilities vibrant, popular and well utilized locations. New uses for library space include computer classrooms where we offer learning for job seekers (Resume Writing), small businesses (Creating forms Using Microsoft Office) and the newcomer to home or business technology (How to Buy a PC ).
Programs that both educate and entertain are also an important part of a visit to one of our facilities. Our always popular Storytimes are held in all locations. Programs for adults are also available. Finance Their Future: Saving for your Child’s College Education, Advanced Origami with Al Aki, and Family Law: What You Need to Know are all programs offered in September.
Check out our Calendar of Events for more! You’ll see that we are working hard to keep our “bricks and mortar” an important part of the Library experience.
Mary Anne
Posted by: Mary Anne Hodel at September 22, 2006 4:14 PM