More Than Books: How Your County Library Powers Community Success

Posted On: January 11, 2026

When you think of Volusia County Public Library, books probably come to mind. But across 14 branches serving more than a half million residents, Library Services Director Lucinda Colee and her team of 180 full-time employees deliver something much bigger: a countywide network of community literacy, learning, and workforce development.

While the system circulates more than 4.3 million items annually and maintains 859,415 physical volumes, its impact extends well beyond traditional lending – supporting residents at every stage of life and strengthening countywide outcomes.

Building Readers from the Start

Literacy begins long before the classroom. The library plays a critical role in early learning by providing families with access to books, programs, and supportive learning environments outside of school hours—when much of a child’s learning takes place. Through a coordinated continuum of services, the library helps children build the foundational skills needed for long-term academic and workforce success.

Programs such as 1000 Books Before Kindergarten™ support early language and pre-reading development, while Growing Readers builds sight-word recognition and fluency for children in grades K–2. Raising Readers supports students in grades 3–5 as they transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn” through curated nonfiction and informational texts.

Partnerships with local museums connect literacy to cultural and educational experiences, and the library’s STEM outreach van brings hands-on technology and inquiry-based learning to schools, Head Starts, Boys & Girls Clubs, and community sites. During the summer months, reading challenges and mini-mobile libraries embedded in county and city camps help prevent learning loss and maintain reading momentum.

Connecting Residents to Stability

The library also plays a vital role in connecting residents to services through Social Workers in the Libraries. Social workers, embedded within library branches, help residents navigate housing, employment, transportation, and benefit systems – often addressing challenges before they escalate into crises.

Initiatives such as the award-winning Pedal Forward Project, which provides refurbished bicycles to help residents reach jobs and job interviews, demonstrate how early intervention in a familiar, non-stigmatizing setting can produce practical, measurable results while reducing strain on other county services.

Supporting Business and Workforce Growth

Volusia County Public Library is an active partner in local economic development. Through the Acuity Business Pass, offered in partnership with the county’s Economic Development Department, entrepreneurs and small business owners gain free access to professional market research tools typically available only through costly subscriptions. This program supports informed decision-making, business growth, and job creation.

County employees benefit as well. Free access to LinkedIn Learning allows staff across departments to participate in thousands of professional development courses, strengthening leadership, technology, and workforce skills while reducing training costs.

Where Community Happens

From genealogy and local history research to medical, legal, and workforce information, the library provides essential digital resources and specialized databases that support residents’ learning and life needs.

“In every branch, the library is a place where learning begins, careers advance, businesses grow, and residents find pathways to stability,” Colee said.

Across Volusia County, the public library is more than a building – it’s essential infrastructure where opportunity is free, accessible, and rooted in community success.