In 2024, the Melrose Center celebrates a decade of technology, innovation and creativity!
On April 16, 2012, Orange County Library System received the largest single private gift in its history when benefactor Kendrick B. Melrose donated $1 million in memory of his mother, Dorothy Lumley Melrose. The gift was used to begin the construction of The Dorothy Lumley Melrose Center for Technology, Innovation and Creativity.
Occupying 26,000 square feet on the second floor of Orlando Public Library, the Center’s mission was to expand the role of the library as a provider of informal learning and technology education. A staff
of subject-matter experts was assembled to provide practical training relevant to the spaces, equipment and software in the Center, allowing community members to be both contributors to and consumers of emerging technologies. From the start, the Center offered an array of resources to
inspire and support creativity and innovation, as well as substantial educational opportunities
to make the most of those resources.
February 2024 will mark the 10th anniversary of the Center, by which time more than 20,000 people will have become members. Melrose has never been busier. Over 90% of available studio sessions are booked. Approximately 3,000 people attend in-person class annually, with hundreds more attending classes online. The popularity of the sound booths has warranted the addition of two new ones, including a large booth for group sessions. As always, updates to equipment and software are routinely carried out to meet user expectations. All the while, staff strive to provide practical and engaging learning opportunities, ensuring the Melrose Center continues to serve as a testament to Kendrick Melrose’s remarkable public-spirited generosity.
See all that the Melrose Center has to offer: bit.ly/4bUzLV0