Birmingham Public Library Blog

  2024 Family History Month programs have kicked off at the Birmingham Public Library. Started in 2001, F amily History Month is held in October as a month-long celebration to encourage people to explore and preserve their family history. It's a great opportunity to learn about your family's traditions, culture, and heritage, and connect with relatives both near and far.   BPL's Southern History Department holds a variety of genealogy programs throughout the year to make it easier for patrons to research and document their family tree. Family History Month is a time to highlight the important role our genealogy programs can play in helping patrons learn more about their family past.  BPL is hosting 6 programs this year including two already held:    Google Your Peeps October 2,  a program that showed patrons how to use the Internet to research their family's past; and  You are Here: Using Digitized Maps in Historical and Genealogical Research October 9 , a program o

  The Central location of the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) will be hosting a Medicare Open Enrollment counseling session on Friday October 25, 2024. Alabama state Certified Medicare Specialists will be on hand at the session to help those currently enrolled in Medicare make more informed decisions about changing their coverage plans. During the Medicare Open Enrollment period, which is held annually from October 15th to December 7th, all people with Medicare may choose to do the following: Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan Switch from a Medicare Advantage plan to Original Medicare Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another Join a Medicare drug plan Switch from one Medicare drug plan to another  Drop Medicare drug coverage completely. Free, reliable, and unbiased Medicare counseling is made available to the public by the  Alabama State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) , which is administered locally by the  United Way Agency on Aging in Jefferson Count

Please join us at the Central Library on Tuesday, October 8, for a discussion led by historians Alex Lichtenstein and Tyler Malugani. "Unmasked: Anti-Lynching Activism and Community-Based Memory" is scheduled in conjunction with the Scottsboro Boys Museum  travelling exhibition, which is currently on display in the Grand Commons. A reception will start at 5:30 p.m., and the discussion is set to begin at 6:15 p.m. The Scottsboro Boys Museum commemorates the lives and legacy of nine young African Americans falsely accused of rape in 1931. They spent 102 years in jail for a crime that never happened. In the 1930s, they became international symbols of race-based injustice in the American South. There has been no civil rights moment more significant than Scottsboro in the history of the movement. The exhibit celebrates the positive actions of those of all colors, creeds, and origins who have taken a stand against the tyranny of racial oppression. Next Tuesday, guests will hear fro

Since the holidays are just around the corner, why not go ahead and plan your ideal vacation in one of several cool countries! Before you make any plans, however, you need to have a passport.  Apply for or renew your passport today at the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) to avoid packing any last-minute stress on your vacation.  The BPL is a Passport Acceptance Facility and has many passport acceptance agents who can help you navigate the application process.  You can start your passport application process at both the Central Library , the Avondale Regional Branch Library , and the Springville Road Regional Branch Library .  Central Library's passport hours for walk-in services are Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call 205-226-3705 or stop by the Citizen Services Department at the Central Library to find out more.  The Avondale Branch Library and the Springville Road Branch Library both offer passport application services by appointment only. Call the Avondale Li

  BPL's Jim Murray with Chef Polly King, who holds a free cooking demo at the Central Library on October 1 in The BPL Research Library's Arrington Auditorium.  Don't let Autumn pass you by without taking advantage of the opportunity to learn more about healthy eating! Join us at the Central Library at noon on Tuesday, October 1, as the Birmingham Public Library hosts "Healthy Cooking with Chef Polly King." The cooking demo will take place in the BPL Research Library's Arrington Auditorium. Chef Polly is a Birmingham  culinary expert and advocate for building a better life with a balanced and nutritious diet. This free cooking demo will feature free food prepared during the demo and questions with the chef. Space is limited.  For more information, email Jim.murray@cobpl.org or call 205-226-3640. By Jim Murray, Librarian II||Central Library  

  BPL's "Let Loose in the Library: Classic Cocktails" on October 22 helps fund library programs happening year-round including dozens of activities happening throughout the month of October. The Birmingham Public Library is hosting a variety of programs during the month of October, highlighted by Let Loose in the Library: Classic Cocktails, a Magic City Classic Kickoff Party happening Tuesday, October 22 in the Central Library downtown.   Tickets to Classic Cocktails are $40 a person, and include a host of activities: Special cocktails, tailgate style-food, a cigar lounge, beer bar, and fun games. Lady Woo, a DJ with V-94.9 FM, and Jermaine "Funnymaine" Johnson, a comedian best known for his viral University of Alabama football fan videos, will serve as co-hosts.  Click here to buy tickets to Classic Cocktails.  Classic Cocktails is sponsored in part by the Friends of the Birmingham Public Library . Proceeds from the event help support all BPL locations and

  Birmingham, Ala. - October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a period of profound significance dedicated to acknowledging and celebrating the resilience of women who have confronted and triumphed over breast cancer. This month serves as a critical juncture for collective action, galvanizing communities to engage in efforts aimed at elevating awareness, advancing the discourse on early detection, and advocating for preventative measures within public health frameworks.  Throughout the month of October, the pink ribbon functions as a potent semiotic device, symbolizing solidarity and evoking the shared experiences of those impacted by breast cancer. The Titusville Branch Library is privileged to stand alongside the broader community in championing this imperative cause, with an emphasis on disseminating vital health information and fostering communal support networks. The library's participation underscores its commitment to public health literacy and its role as a vital infor

  No one ever wants to have an encounter with law enforcement. If you ever are stopped by the police or have a situation where law enforcement are called, do you know your rights?   Jefferson County's first -ever identical twins elected judges, the Honorable Shera Grant and Shanta Owens , and brothers from the Omega Psi Phi fraternity are inviting all Jefferson County high school students and their parents/guardians to a free life-skills development workshop, "Know Your Rights!" happening from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 26, at the Birmingham Public Library downtown, 2100 Park Place.  Come prepared to participate in an engaging conversation on the power of knowing your rights, particularly in our interactions with law enforcement. This event is sponsored by Our Community Foundation and Shipt.  In 2016, Shera Grant joined her sister Shanta Owens to become Alabama's first ever identical twins to serve as judges at the same time.  The Honorable Shanta