Birmingham Public Library Blog

  By Fontaine Alison | Five Points West Regional Library Before the COVID-19 pandemic, youth department staff from Birmingham Public Library branches would present their "License to Read" program at nearby schools.  This skit illustrated the advantages of a library card and allowed teachers to distribute card applications to their students. We would return a packet of new cards for all students in the class.  BPL is offering a virtual option: teachers can submit their class rosters, and we send them e-cards for their students. Instead of our skit, students can watch a short video featuring the many resources available to them with their library card. The video was put together by Jenn Patrick, Liz Lorino and me.  Click here for a link to the video  Yes, it is the END of the school year, and traditionally we offer the License to Read program in September, designated as National Library Card Sign-Up Month.  So why sign up now? Because our collection of audio and ebooks offers

Apply for your passports at the Birmingham Public Library. By Lynn Hutchins |  Central Library,  Citizen Services  What: Passports Applications @ BPL Who:  All ages  When:  Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; Saturday by appointment only  Where:  Birmingham Public Library's  Central Library , 2100 Park Place, 35203, and by appointment only at the Avondale Regional Branch Library , 509 40th Street South Cost:  Payment $110 application fee, payable to the U.S. Department of State (check or money order only) $35 execution fee, payable to the Birmingham Public Library (cash, check, or credit/debit). Passport photos are available for $15. Do you need to get your passport before going abroad this summer? Let the Birmingham Public Library make it easy for you. More people are applying for passports than they were last fall. During the three-month period from October to December 2020, the Birmingham Public Library accepted 49 passport applications. From January to March 2021, the librar

  William B Anthony | Collection Management Department  With the Academy Awards season just around the corner  for movies (April 25, 2021), this is a great time to revisit one of the best-reviewed films released within the past 10 years. That movie is Room , a 2015 award-winning film based on the 2010 novel written by Emma Donoghue .  Donoghue also wrote the screenplay for this emotionally-heavy indie film. Her perspective breathes resilience into a tortured mother who copes with and rises above her imprisonment in a perpetrator’s backyard. The light in this movie’s darkness shines through her son with an imagination more vast than the whole world. Their relationship carries the story effortlessly.  If Room starred only the main protagonist, an abused mother, and her son, it would still be just as powerful as it actually is. The trauma of abuse can be an uncomfortable topic for some viewers. However, Room never completely abandons hope because the film’s darkest moments still striv

  By Heather McWilliams| Central Library Youth/Arts Literature & Sports Department Head  Come to the second floor of the Central Library Youth Department and meet our newest team member, Sven!  Larry Moore, The Magic Man , created this 50 ft. snake to hang out in the Youth Department at Central.  If you like what you see, Moore will be providing balloon animals during the Birmingham Public Library 2021 Summer Learning Kick-off on Saturday, June 5th.  More information about the kick-off will be available soon on the BPL website .

By Jenn Seiler-Patrick| Librarian, Five Points West Library and Smithfield Library  Birmingham, do you miss us? We miss you!  Before the pandemic and its necessary social-distancing and limited-occupancy guidelines, Birmingham Public Library locations throughout the city were regularly humming with the activity of our popular Adult Programs throughout the spring and summer months. BPL is bringing it back, both safely and personalized, with its new BOOK-A-LIBRARIAN service.   BOOK-A-LIBRARIAN will facilitate 30- to 40-minute live and virtual programs to you this spring and summer via Zoom. Anyone can attend live sessions to learn about free library apps, genealogy, handcrafts and much more. If you have an idea for a session not currently offered, let us know. We'll create one with you. Sessions are created by BPL workers who bring their passion straight to you.  Current options for BOOK-A-LIBRARIAN sessions include:  * Library Material Requests  * Group Library Card Requests  * G

  The Central Library, located at 2100 Park Place in downtown Birmingham, will be closed on Saturday, April 17. The  2021 Magic City Classic   college football battle between Alabama A&M and Alabama State, normally held in the fall, will kick off at 6:30 p.m. this Saturday at Legion Field. The Classic is the nation's largest Historically Black College and University (HBCU) football game.   Central Library and BPL's other 17 locations will resume their normal schedule on Monday, April 19. . See the full library location operating hours for in-person and curbside service on the flyer above.

  BPL has partnered with Bama Health Foods on Wellness Wednesdays during April. Are you striving to eat healthier or lose weight after a year of the COVID-19 pandemic? National reports show that the average American gained weight last year during COVID-related stay at home orders.   The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) and Bama Health Foods want to help you.  BPL has partnered with Bama Health Foods to share healthy tips during the month of April as part of its Wellness Wednesdays Virtual Series. Join us on the BPL Facebook page at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesdays.  Bama Health Foods is a health food store as well as a community wellness center that has served Birmingham's community for over 50 years. The store found new life in 2018 with new owner Jacquie Fazekas. Their mission is to enlighten and equip the community with the tools needed for a healthier life. Join us on the Birmingham Public Library Facebook page every Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. from the comfort of your own home or anywhere