Photo courtesy Orange County Library System
Do You Have Your Library Card? Horizon West Library is NOW OPEN!
Horizon Westers have long requested a library branch closer to home, and Orange County Library System has made it happen!
The Horizon West branch is co-located with Horizon West Regional Park at 4657 Hamlin Groves Trail. alongside Horizon West Regional Park. Offering 20,000 sq. ft. of library space with more than 45,000 books, plus OCLS' first planned outdoor events area.
HOURS: Mon-Thurs 10a.m.- 7p.m. | Fri & Sat 10a.m.- 6p.m.
Sun 1p.m.-6p.m.
Plans for a Horizon West Branch date back to 2016, but it wasn't until November 13, 2024 that local leaders and community members gathered as the first ceremonial shovels of dirt turned for the official groundbreaking of the the Horizon West branch of the Orange County Library System. A full timeline of the branch's history is below.
How Take Part in Library Fun:
• Get Your Library Card Online
• Borrow Books and Media Using Free Home Delivery
• Return Items via
OCLS Drop Box in Hamlin
• Attend
OCLS Library Events in Horizon West
•
Sign Up for the
Horizon West Branch newsletter
• Visit a HW Little Free Library box to give a book or borrow one
Horizon West Library Photo Gallery
Use the arrows to scroll through the images and renderings of the branch.
Images provided by Orange County Library System
A New Chapter for Horizon West
The wait is over! Orange County Library System (OCLS) officially opened the long-awaited Horizon West Branch on October 10, marking the start of a new chapter for a community that has been asking for a library of its own for over a decade.
Located at 4657 Hamlin Groves Trail, the 20,000-square-foot branch sits between Town Center and the village of Bridgewater, co-located with Horizon West Regional Park. It's the biggest branch OCLS has ever built, and after a groundbreaking in November 2024, a topping-out ceremony the following June, and more than a year of construction, Horizon Westers were finally able to walk through its doors and browse a collection of more than 45,000 books across Adult, Juvenile, Easy, Young Adult and New & Popular genre.
OCLS has served Orange County for more than 100 years. Library cards are free for Orange County residents and unlock far more than just borrowing books. Cardholders can borrow audiobooks and movies, access home delivery and online learning, and get cultural attraction passes through the Local Wanderer program.
Meeting Space: Community Gathering Places
True to its design, the new branch is built to be a gathering place as much as it is a library. Inside, residents will find dedicated spaces for children, classes, meetings and quiet study, along with computers and creative technology.
If you've ever struggled to find a space for your hobby club or civic group to meet, there is exciting news. The branch includes three large meeting rooms that can be reserved individually or combined into one larger space.
On their own, the rooms hold 26, 34 and 40 people. Combined, the space holds up to 100. For cardholders, rooms cost $10 per hour, or $25 per hour when all three are used as a combined space. Two additional study rooms are free to reserve for smaller, focused work, holding up to six people each.
A Creative Hub: The Media Lab
One of the branch's standout features is its Media Lab, a dedicated creative space that accommodates up to four people at a time. Cardholders can reserve this space free for up to four hours a day. Equipment includes a green screen, lighting, a lightbox for product photos, microphones, and video, audio and photo recording and editing software. It's built for anyone with a project to bring to life, whether that's a podcast, a product shoot or video production.
A Playful, Purposeful Children's Area
The children's area is themed around local flora and fauna, including the blue calamintha bee, a pollinator unique to this region. A large wall mural by MAD Creative Fabrication features oversized images of native species, paired with an interactive wall designed to promote creativity and play.
Sensory activities give toddlers and preschoolers a hands-on way to explore, and AWE Learning Early Literacy Stations add educational games that support early reading skills.
A Florida-Inspired Design, Indoors and Out
The branch's Florida-inspired design extends outdoors with gardens, a native flower teaching garden, and a nature path featuring a permanent StoryWalk® installation.
Additionally, along the Percussion Path, musical instruments invite kids and adults to experiment with sound while they move through the outdoor space, with chimes and a bright, flower-shaped instrument adding a playful rhythm.
Behind the building, a performance play area includes a shade structure for outdoor programming and AstroTurf for versatile, casual seating and play.
Classes and Events for Every Age
The new branch’s calendar offers plenty of reasons to visit again and again, with classes and events for little learners, teens and adults.
For families, Baby Tales, Toddler Tales and Preschool Tales introduce young children to books through age-appropriate stories, songs and activities. Puppet Boot Camp invites families to explore puppet making and performing through a five-part series, with the option to attend one session or several.
Teens ages 13–18 can join a Dungeons & Dragons adventure welcoming players of all experience levels. Introduction to 3D printers, escape room activities and teen art classes are also among the offerings.
Adults can find opportunities to connect, too. Adult Game Time offers an afternoon of games and new friendships, while Adult Puzzle Time & Swap invites participants to tackle puzzles together, join a friendly competition or trade an old puzzle for something new. And, of course, there is a book club!
For those looking to build practical skills, upcoming offerings include an introductory English course for adults and a Senior Skills class focused on using a computer mouse confidently. Classes on Microsoft Excel, Canva, 3D Design, sewing and many more line the schedule.
Some programs require registration. Explore the Horizon West Branch calendar for dates, age recommendations and registration details.
Meet the Branch Manager: Lelia Higgins
Lelia Higgins leads the new location as branch manager. Horizon West residents will likely recognize her as she has managed the Windermere Branch since 2010.
A Community that made it Happen
At the groundbreaking in November 2024, Crockett Bohannon, president of the OCLS Board of Trustees, put it simply: libraries "are not just buildings filled with books" but "gateways to knowledge, imagination and opportunity."
District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson echoed that sentiment, calling a library a place where you can "travel the world," even "ride on the back of a dragon," without ever leaving home.
Now, more than a decade after the idea was first proposed, the library is ready to open its doors and become a place for discovery, creativity and connection in the community that helped make it happen.
OCLS CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS VIDEOS
Horizon West Library PRE-CONSTRUCTION RENDERINGS
Use the arrows to scroll through the images and renderings of the branch.
Horizon West Library timeline
