{"id":382874,"date":"2026-08-27T20:12:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T20:12:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/382874\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T20:12:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T20:12:10","slug":"get-in-on-the-ground-floor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/382874\/","title":{"rendered":"Get in on the ground floor"},"content":{"rendered":"

The year was 1999, and the children\u2019s library had moved out of the Orlando Public Library<\/a>\u2019s basement to the first floor. The new digs were about the same size as the old space but with more natural lighting, some whimsical touches and more convenient access for families.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Fast forward to 2026, and things have changed slightly when it comes to what people look for in a library. While digital has replaced analog, a lot of the same elements are still necessary: a place for families to congregate, children to play and everyone to learn.\n<\/p>\n

\"Building<\/p>\n

The main entrance will change as part of renovation plans. (COURTESY OF ORANGE COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM)<\/p>\n

To update and optimize the Orlando Public Library\u2019s first-floor space, Orange County Library System has started an 18-month renovation project<\/a>. The update will move the children\u2019s library from the east side of the floor to the west side, increasing it from 15,000 square feet to 20,000 square feet.\n<\/p>\n

\"Building<\/p>\n

The new Orlando Public Library lobby. (COURTESY OF ORANGE COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM)<\/p>\n

\u201cOur goal is to be a partner with the city, the history center \u2026\u00a0and others downtown to serve as an anchor for families seeking recreational and educational opportunities while they\u2019re downtown,\u201d said OCLS Director and CEO Steve Powell at the renovation unveiling in July.\n<\/p>\n

According to Powell, planning for the renovation began in 2024, and some changes have already been implemented, such as moving the young adult section to a dedicated space on the second floor.\n<\/p>\n

\"Building<\/p>\n

One of the new sections in the children\u2019s library. (COURTESY OF ORANGE COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM)<\/p>\n

Plans call for the space vacated by the children\u2019s library to change over to meeting spaces, computer labs and workspaces.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

For the library regulars? Construction will not close down the branch. The materials from the first floor will be relocated to other parts of the building while renovations are underway. Stay up to date on the construction at OCLS.org\/Orlando-Public-Library-Updates.\n<\/p>\n

\"Building<\/p>\n

The current children\u2019s library space will include computer access, workstations and meeting spaces. (COURTESY OF ORANGE COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The year was 1999, and the children\u2019s library had moved out of the Orlando Public Library\u2019s basement to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":382875,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[139,141,140],"class_list":["post-382874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-orlando","tag-orlando","tag-orlando-headlines","tag-orlando-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/382874","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=382874"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/382874\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/382875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=382874"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=382874"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=382874"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}