ORANGE PARK — The Orange Park Library celebrated 50 years of reading, learning and building community on Monday.

The Historical Society of Orange Park, Friends of the Orange Park Library, Clay County Public Library System, Garden Club of Orange Park, Daughters of the American Revolution and Orange Park Woman’s Club set up interactive stations in the library to honor this milestone.

There were crafts, trivia questions, refreshments and a look into the history of the library, including historical photographs and newspaper articles. 

The Historical Society of Orange Park dedicated their table to telling the story of the library.

The idea for the Orange Park Library originally came from the Orange Park Woman’s Club in 1911 when they turned a small wooden schoolhouse into the town’s first library. The town grew, and so did the demand for books and other community resources. In 1976, a larger, permanent library opened to the public on Plainfield Avenue, one that still serves Orange Park residents 50 years later.

Though much has changed over the years, one thing hasn’t — the incredible impact that libraries have on the community.

Stephanie Leon, Circulation Supervisor of the Orange Park Library, has been working there on and off since 2009 and said the impact is great.

“We have a fabulous outreach and community development team, so we do a lot of different things that some people probably don’t know that we do,” she said. “We do story times at parks, we have Impact Clay Train that definitely helps with the community in this area. And so it’s not just books, it’s not just movies. There are programs that help people with legal information, patrons that rely on our computers for application help and resume building and just trying to get themselves better as well.”

Lisa Rivera-Scallan, retired school media specialist and current Friend of the Library, said that libraries give kids a “level playing field” and access to learning opportunities regardless of family situation or financial barriers.

As a Friend of the Library, she is excited for what the future holds. The Friends of the Orange Park Library sell books at affordable prices and fundraise for whatever the library might need. They also plan to collaborate and create even more spaces for connection through holiday activities, trivia nights and book clubs.

“It’s just some fun to bring the community in,” Rivera-Scallan said. “It’s not just about coming in and grabbing a book, but if they’re here, maybe they will.”

The Orange Park Library means so much to so many. This event celebrated both the rich history of the Orange Park Library and all that libraries continue to offer the community.

“This branch has always been like my home branch,” Leon said. “Growing up with the children, who are now adults, that came to my story time and the patrons here, the community has just always been very welcoming, very kind to us. They really are for this branch. They want to see this branch thrive.”

And with the support of the Orange Park community, Leon believes the library will continue to thrive for years to come.

To learn more, check out the Clay County Public Library System website, claycountygov.com/community/library.