Orange Public Library Foundation

For more than a century, Orange Public Library has been providing essential library services to local residents and businesses. Established in 1885, three years before the City of Orange incorporated, the Orange Public Library system has grown to include the recently constructed and expanded Orange Public Library & History Center and two branch facilities (Taft and El Modena).

The City of Orange Public Library Foundation was established in 1998 as an innovative, collaborative effort by local leaders and municipal officials united by a common goal: To strengthen support for Orange’s public libraries in order to develop an outstanding library system.

OPLF bridges gaps in tax-based funding through the cultivation of public/private partnerships. Its funding ensures that the community’s growing needs for library services and programs are met by developing library support from individuals, businesses, and community organizations.

OPLF is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit public benefit corporation, and its federal ID number is: 33-0803671.

OPLF Newsletters


Winter 2019
Your Donations at Work
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A Giving Tree, a Donor Wall, and Citrus Crate Labels. All offer opportunities to support Orange's Public Library & History Center.

Click here do download a brochure with more detailed information.

Foundation Celebrates STEAM for Teens & Tweens



The Orange Public Library Foundation celebrated the 7th annual STEAM for Teens & Tweens program with its presenters, participants, and City Council at their January 14th meeting. Sponsored by Rotary Club of Orange and Southern California Edison, STEAM presented a series of five workshops focusing on science, technology engineering, art, and math. At the end of the series, four participants won laptops with printers, and another participant won two Park-hopper tickets to Disneyland.

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Pictured  from left to right with the City Council are Foundation Executive Director Lynn-Marie Frediani; Chapman University STEM-tor Members; Chapman University Professor, Dr. Rosalee Hellberg; BSA Venturing Crew 1701 Robotics Team – Clockwork Oranges STEAM presenters;  laptop winner Giselle Gomez; Foundation Board Member Pat Buttress. Foundation Executive Director Linda Cundiff; Foundation Board Members Priscilla Selman, Larry Cohn, and Larry Tannas.

Library Foundation Donates $37,000

Our Orange Public Library Foundation presented a $37,000 donation to our Library Services Director Dave Curtis at the August 13, 2019 City Council meeting. The generous dollar amount coming from OPLF will be used to purchase books and electronic resources, refresh the libraries with new technology and furniture, and provide new furniture, technology, and supplies for the Children’s, Teen, and El Modena Homework Centers.
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Orange Seed Lending Library Celebrates Its 4th Anniversary



The Seed Lending Library at the Orange Public Library & History Center, a collaboration between the Orange Public Library Foundation and Orange Home Grown, premiered in March 2016.  Over the past four years, library patrons have checked out over 15,000 seed packets, and over 750 gardens have sprouted in Orange! The mission of the Seed Library is to nurture a community of backyard gardeners and seed savers in and around the City of Orange.  Community members may come to the OPL & HC and borrow FREE organic, heirloom seeds (donated by seed companies) for their garden from a repurposed card catalog.  Once they grow these plants in their garden, community members who let a few plants ‘go to seed’ may return the same amount of seed (or more) to the Library as they borrowed at the beginning of the growing season.  Due to the popularity of the Seed Library, a second Seed Lending Library opened at the El Modena Branch Library in September 2018, and El Modena area gardeners have been delighted to find FREE organic, heirloom and non-gmo seeds close to home.

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Little Free Libraries


Eagle Scout Max Lochrie completed his leadership badge in partnership with the Orange Public Library Foundation and Troop 241 by building and installing four Little Free Libraries in our City of Orange parks on February 4, 2017. You can find a Little Free Library in  El Camino, Killefer, Steve Ambriz and LaVeta Parks. The Little Free Libraries encouage reading by promoting a "Take a book, leave a book" philosophy. OPLF volunteers will maintain the libraries with donations from the public and the Friends of the Orange Public Library as needed. For more
information, please call (714) 288-2470.

 Boy Scouts in front of a small library display.