Birmingham Public Library Blog

Jourdan Truth McGowan, Time - Stop the Violence BHAM BPL’s first exhibition of 2025 has just opened in the Fourth Floor Gallery at the Central Library . Issues is a series of new canvases by local artist Jourdan Truth McGowan. The featured paintings are reinterpretations of iconic magazine covers, in which McGowan makes bold commentaries on culture, politics, religion, and other topics. Issues will be on display through Friday, April 18.     A reception honoring McGowan will take place this Saturday, January 18, from 3:00 to 5:00 in the Fourth Floor Gallery. The reception will also honor potter Larry Allen , whose exhibition Vessels of Possibility  is currently on view in the Lobby Gallery. This is the perfect occasion to meet and speak to Allen and McGowan about their creative output. It is free and open to the public, as are all BPL’s art shows. The paintings showcased in Issues invite viewers to engage in meaningful reflection and dialogue on the pressing challe...

  On January 24, the Central Library downtown is hosting a chat with Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin and Edward T. Bowser, co-authors of Son of Birmingham.  Join See Jane Write Founder Javacia Harris Bowser at the Birmingham Public Library 's Central location, 2100 Park Place, for an engaging conversation with Woodfin and co-writer Edward T. Bowser about Woodfin's powerful debut memoir, Son of Birmingham .  This event delves into the story behind the story, exploring the writing process, the influence of hip-hop and pop culture, and the book’s examination of critical themes such as Birmingham’s identity, the plague of gun violence, and the ways the South is still teaching our world how to fight for freedom.  Don’t miss this chance to uncover the heart of a story that’s as much about a city as it is about its son. The evening will start with a book signing at 5:00 p.m. Books will be available for sale by Birmingham's Thank You Books. The conversation will begin...

  The Birmingham Public Library is offering several programs and activities this week to celebrate the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King., Jr . All BPL locations will be closed for the 2025 MLK Federal Holiday on Monday, January 20.  BPL Activities will include Begin the Day: The 22nd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Lecture at 1:00 p.m. this Saturday, January 18, in the Central Library and an MLK’s legacy talk at Powderly Branch Library at 11:00 a.m. this Thursday, January 16 by Charles Woods III of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.  King played a prominent role in Birmingham in the fight against racism during the Civil Rights Movement. His efforts led to King winning the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. A copy of the MLK Letter from a Birmingham Jail is housed in the BPL Archives Department's world-renowned civil rights collection.    Here is a listing of BPL's MLK programs and activities happening this week by location:  Avondale Regional Li...

 Event:  "Begin the Day: The Martin Luther King Memorial Lecture" featuring M. Dominique Villanueva. Details: This year's speaker is M. Dominique Villanueva, cofounder of Fountain Heights Farm. speaking on "Liberation Through the Land: Connecting Black Liberation to Urban Farming" Date:  Saturday January 18, 2025, 1:00 p.m. Where:  Birmingham Public Library Central Library, 2100 Park Place, Birmingham, AL 35207, Arrington Auditorium, 4th Floor of BPL Research Library Admission:  Free and open to the public  Birmingham, Ala. – The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) is proud to announce the 22nd Annual "Begin the Day: The Martin Luther King Memorial Lecture," featuring M. Dominique Villanueva, co-founder of Fountain Heights Farms. This inspiring and thought-provoking lecture will take place on Saturday, January 18, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at the BPL Central Library in the Arrington Auditorium, fourth floor of the Research Library. The event is free and open to ...

  Struggling with high blood pressure? The Birmingham Public Library has several locations able to help you keep your blood pressure in check.  Join us at Pratt City Branch Library, 509 Dugan Avenue, at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 15, as the library partners with Mills Pharmacy to hold a Blood Pressure Brunch. This program aims to educate the community on the importance of understanding blood pressure and how it affects us all. A light brunch will be provided. This event is free, but attendees are asked to call 205-791-4997 to register in advance to help with a general head count. Did you know that patrons can now check out blood pressure monitoring kits at five Birmingham Public Library locations - Central, Avondale, Springville Road, Five Points West and North Birmingham?  The  Birmingham American Heart Association,  helped to bring the blood pressure kits to the Birmingham Public Library in 2023 through its Libraries with a Heart Loaner Blood Press...

" Detox 101," taught by ShaeJae Wellness LLC on January 15, and  "Rooted Connections: Postpartum Wellness Gathering," led by Sharita Creer on January 18 are among several programs promoting health and wellness that the Springville Road Regional Library is hosting throughout January 2025. Birmingham Ala. - Did you make New Year’s resolutions regarding health and wellness? If so, check out the resources available at the Springville Road Regional Branch Library, 1224 Old Springville Road. Join us for  Detox 101,  hosted by  ShaeJae Wellness LLC at 10::00 a.m. on January 15, 2025. Learn how to live a holistic lifestyle and improve your mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. Certified Holistic Wellness Coach ShaeJae will teach you how to eat cleaner and feel better for 2025.  Are you a new parent, looking for guidance on postpartum wellness? If so, you are welcome to register for Rooted Connections: Postpartum Wellness Gathering , held between 1:00 p.m. and 5...

   Self-Care MasterMind: Community Edition, a wellness coaching series, kicks off Tuesday, January 7.  C.J. Wade is instructor of Self-Care MasterMind, a BPL monthly wellness coaching series    Would you like to make your physical, mental, and emotional health a priority in 2025? Then plan on joining the  Birmingham Public Library  every month at the Central Library downtown for the "Self-Care Mastermind: Community Edition."  The series kicks off next Tuesday, January 7, at 5:30 p.m. in the BPL Research Library's 4th Floor Arrington Auditorium, 2100 Park Place.   The program topic will be different each month, but all will focus on improving your overall well-being by engaging in purposeful and persistent health practices. Each presentation will consist of lecture, discussion, and audience participation.  The instructor for the Self-Care Mastermind: Community Edition series is Christina (C. J.) Wade. Ms. Wade is a licensed...

  Join us at the Central Library, 2100 Park Place in downtown Birmingham, at 6:30 p.m. this Friday, January 3 for the Birmingham Public Library 's first Bards & Brews Open Mic spoken word poetry event of 2025.  If you wanted to read original poetry before a friendly audience of your peers, Bards & Brews is the place to be. Doors open at 6::30 p.m.. This event is free to the public. You must be 18 or older to enter, and 21 or older to drink alcoholic beverages (I.D. required).    Thed Weller, host of Bards & Brews Hosted by Thed Weller, Bards & Brews is a spoken word poetry performance/tasting event hosted by the Birmingham Public Library  - usually held on the first Friday of each month except December. Slams are held quarterly in April, July, and October; the other sessions are open mic.   In its 13th year, Bards & Brews has built a reputation as metro Birmingham's premier spoken word poetry event, described in this 2019 profile ...