I hesitate to put this review out there because I know it might make the classes more crowded--but…read moreI have to give credit to OCLS for the fantastic programs they offer! I recently attended a storytime class at the North Orange branch. Mr. Bill was the moderator for this session, as well as another one we attended about a year ago. He mentioned he hasn't been there recently, so there may be a different moderator at times. Mr. Bill was engaging, funny, and did a great job encouraging parents to actively participate alongside their children. My girls especially loved the puppets he used! OCLS continues to impress with its quality programming, and we'll definitely be back.

This is absolutely ridiculous (the screaming kids, kids running around the library and a male and…read morefemale worker sitting at the desk doing and saying absolutely NOTHING.

I was lucky enough to snag a spot at a painting class at the Winter Garden Library! The theme was…read more"Celebrating 250 years!" and we painted fire works! Our teacher told us that she isn't an artist, she's a librarian who wants to make opportunities for us, and you know that set the students at ease! We were able to focus on having fun and experimenting with whichever design we wanted to do because fireworks are not cookie cutter shapes! They are irregular, which works very well for me who is new at painting. These classes offered at the library can be reserved on line and they fill up fast, so don't sleep on it! I was very happy with the atmosphere and friendly environment. They provide everything, the canvas, the paints, water and brushes. Make sure to check out the classes on line and you too may learn a new craft!

Orange County Library System: The Greatest Free Subscription You Never Knew You Needed…read more BREAKING NEWS: There's a place in town where stories come alive, books are free, and magic is real--and no, it's not a theme park. It's your local Orange County Library, and it just might be the most underrated treasure in Central Florida. Today, we hit up Tiny Tales with Mr. D, and let me tell you--this man deserves his own Broadway show. He had a room full of babies giggling, parents engaged, and storybooks practically jumping off the pages. It's the kind of experience that makes you grateful to be raising your family here. But that's just the beginning of what this library system has to offer: They deliver books TO YOUR HOUSE. Yes, for real. You can place a hold on popular titles, and when it's your turn--BOOM--they ship it straight to your doorstep like it's book-loving Christmas. FOR FREE. No monthly fees, no strings, just pure literary goodness. Books, audiobooks, DVDs, and even tech kits? All free. Want to dive into a cookbook? Learn a language? Binge a new series? OCLS has you covered. Family fun all week long: From baby bounce time and toddler yoga to coding classes and art workshops--there's always something cool going on, and it's perfect for connecting with other parents while your little one explores. Returns are easy: Drop your books at any branch or toss them into a return bin near you. Then stock up again. It's a beautiful cycle. And guess what? They're building a new branch in HAMLIN! We're counting the days until we can walk to even more storytimes, events, and those glorious stacks of free reads. So here's the truth: in a world of pricey subscriptions and endless screen time, the Orange County Library System is a free, feel-good miracle that supports families, fuels imaginations, and builds community--one story at a time. We love it. We use it. We tell everyone about it. If you haven't gotten a library card yet... what are you doing?! Go. Sign. Up. Now.

Helpful and courteous staff. Love my local library. Easy to order book and have it delivered to my…read moreELCL.

Substance over style…read more Sorrento Florida isn't a very large town, I believe it has less than one thousand people living there. One of those quiet little towns that is easy to pass right by without even noticing. The town library is the same way, unassuming and quiet, located on a side street it takes a bit of effort to find if you don't know exactly where to look. The library certainly isn't much to look at. Not ugly or intrusive, just plain and functional. Probably like a lot of things in this town the library values substance over style and doesn't try to be something it isn't. I was surprised when the librarian told me that the library is only ten years old. Before that the people in the town had to go up to the Mount Dora library if they wanted books. This is one of those places that is impossible to tell how old it is and will probably look exactly the same one hundred years from now. The library is small but very friendly and useful. Everything is laid out in a practical if not exactly aesthetically pleasing manner. A place where no one will ever hush you or speak harshly to you. A little library that suits the town perfectly.

From bread to…read morebooks The town of Howey-in-the-Hills library got it's start about ten years ago as an eagle scout project. As usual with libraries that are just starting out, the books were moved around quite a bit. Finally through private donations and other means the town managed to buy an old convenience store and did some impressive renovations and now the books have a permanent home. Lots of work was done on the building and you have to look hard to see the convenience store roots. Everything is clean and even though the building isn't especially large, everything is well placed and spacious so the library gives the impression of being larger than it really is. Of course the library has all the usual modern library stuff including four computers, audio books and a nice kids department. I believe it is still a work in progress so I expect more changes in the future. The rather strange name of Howey-in-the-Hills originated with William Howey who founded the town in 1925. I guess he wanted to call the town Howey but folks ended up thinking that was a bit pretentious of him so they added the rather awkward in-the-Hills after it because of all the rolling hills in hills in the area. Rather small hills I might add, in fact more like bumps than actual hills. An interesting library in an interesting town. Just shows what people and a town can do when they make up their mind that they really, really want a library of their own.

Our family has a serious reading problem! Love our little local library that we can easily get to…read morebuy golf cart. They don't have a huge selection, BUT you can easily request any book and get it within a few days or be added to the waitlist. They offer pickup or door step Delivery. They have an amazing kids program with different Events and activities for all ages. Our babes loving exploring the kids section for books and using the learning center for different games. The librarians are the absolute sweetest.

Love the delivery service. Wish there were a physical location in Lake Nona -- I would definitely…read morepatronize the library more!

If you have a library card for the Lake County libraries, You can take books out of the Umatilla…read morebranch. If you live far away, you can order them online and have them sent to a Lake County library near you. But we live fairly close, so I like to visit on occasion in person. It is a small library and reminds me of when I was a kid and had a goal to read every single book in the children's section of my local library. (I never made it. Once I read the Count of Monte Cristo, I moved over to the adult books). I don't know if it is a permanent feature, but they also have a long table with books you can buy. Oh, and because it is part of the Lake County library system, it is free.

Trains, lions and…read morebig chairs The first Umatilla library started back in 1917 in a spare part of a local department store. Nothing unusual about this, sticking the library in any available space was common practice back then. During the 30's the people of the town realized that the library needed a bit more space so they constructed a log cabin to serve as the library and town hall. This work pretty well, at least until fire burned it down in 1959. So a new building was constructed to again serve as the library, town hall and community center but by the early 80's the small, one room library just wasn't large enough. Fortunately a rather unconventional but very cool idea surfaced. An old railroad depot building, built back in 1915 was just sort of hanging around so it was donated to serve as the library. To make it even cooler a big orange caboose was added in 1986 to serve a for literacy classes and then another, more modern addition was added in 1991. The library was now almost 3,000 very cool square feet. The old depot part of the library is still very obvious from both the inside and out and of course it's impossible to miss a big orange caboose. The inside is filled with old train stuff that almost gives the library a museum feel and even the new part has some very unusual things like a huge lion and a cool old chair. This library is now a fully modern and functional place with all the books, DVDs, video games, computers, programs, classes and friendly librarians you would expect in a modern library. However one quick look around and the building never lets you forget that it was once something far different than a place for books.

Moving to Florida from Los Angeles, has been quite an adjustment but I must say, this library has…read morebeen a blessing to my family because of the "home" type of feeling my daughter and I receive every time we enter this library. We are always acknowledged and given help when asked. This summer was a blast and there were programs to look forward to every week! I wanted to give a shout out to all the librarians for their helping hands and smiling faces! It makes a world of difference and keep loving your community and your job, it shows! Thank you thank you!!!!

Think twice before moving to this city. The grass goes uncut for long periods the area around 27th…read moreAvenue looks completely neglected. And worst of all, the cost of water has skyrocketed! It's absolutely ridiculous for a place like this; I didn't even pay a water bill that high when I lived in Miami.

Although Groveland is rapidly expanding it is still a laid back rural area with several orange…read moregroves and tree farms. They also have a handful of beautiful parks and a community center. You will not find lots of restaurants and shopping options but Clermont and Winter Garden are close by.