Host Your Next Meeting or Event at the Library!
Did you know you can book a meeting room at any of the Orange County, Seminole County and Osceola County libraries?
At your local branch you can not only reserve rooms for the occasional book club, Mom day or Girl Scout meeting, but you can also host birthday parties and other small gatherings! I confirmed this by phone today, and can’t wait to host my next event at my local branch.
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The rules and intended usage are different for Seminole and Osceola, so for purposes of this article, we’ll focus on Orange County.
What I found out about rOrange County Public Library’s room rentals:
Rooms can be reserved online using their Reservation System
It’s so easy to use. Simply go to ocls.org/rooms-studios/ to get started. Find your local branch and browse photos, capacity sizes and more.
Once you select your room/location, go to the booking tool to view available time slots.
Rooms cost as little as $10 an hour to rent!
What a bargain. Can you imagine the hundreds of dollars saved for your next event? If you want to add catering, there is a hot food charge of $25 (depends on the branch), along with the hourly fee, which is as little as $10 an hour depending on your branch.
The costs are all calculated with the booking tool, so it couldn’t be easier.
You Should Get Your Library Card First
Library card holders get discounted rates up to 50% off what non-cardholders receive, so make sure you sign up online for your Library Card. It’s so easy to get and has so many other great perks like the local wanderer program, frequent art classes and tons of events for the kiddos.
Related Post: How to Get FREE Activities for Kids Through Orange County Library’s Local Wanderer Program
A Few Rules Though…
Be sure to read the fine print and ask questions to your branch about the event you want to host. For instance, you can’t decorate the walls or have candles/open flames, so be specific and intentional about what questions you need answered to make sure your event is perfect!
All spaces will need to be cleaned up by the host afterwards (no big deal!) and you’ll want to get activities and food approved in advance so that it’s not too over the top for the local branch to handle.
Be sure to confirm your event’s privacy, and ask any other questions you may have about facility needs.
If you want to book an event, be sure to hit the website about 45 to 60 days beforehand to snag a spot – this month is already just about booked up! Rooms can accommodate up to 100 people, depending on where you book, but keep in mind noise levels with larger crowds (and kiddos) since it is still a library and we like to be respectful of that.
Ideas for an event at the library
My local branch already hosts amazing things like scavenger hunts, offers coloring pages, and has a slew of children’s books and games on hand all the time. These are a great starting point for a small gathering of children. Grab some of those games and bring them to the meeting room!
Or, consider a book theme event like Harry Potter. Always a favorite, everyone can dress the part, bring their favorite book or memorabilia, and maybe put a movie on the TV if the meeting room is properly equipped for it. An addition of crafts and cupcakes would be perfect.
Alternatively, have a crafting party! Bring beads to make bracelets, or decorate your own cupcake dessert.
Whatever the idea, lean into the library theme and ensure the parents know this isn’t Monkey Joe’s – it’s a library. That means, keep it organized and low-key. Perhaps even read an on-themed book to the kids like green eggs and ham, and then offer up – you guessed it – green eggs and ham!
Parties don’t need to be over the top to be fun, and I think a library birthday or event would be great shared with children. The library is an incredibly creative space for expanding young minds, so maybe focus in on a space theme! How cool to be “out of this world”!
All in all, there are some great opportunities to be had here, ones I just had to point out to my neighbors in Orlando because it’s just such a wonderful place to go with children.
Happy hosting, everyone!
