Birmingham Public Library Blog

What: The Word Up! Festival, a poetry slam featuring high school students from all 7 Birmingham High Schools Who : The Flourish Alabama in partnership with Birmingham Public Library to host the 2022 Word Up! Festival. The Flourish Alabama is a local arts and arts education nonprofit organization dedicated to helping artists Bloom. When: Preliminary Rounds begin at 5:00 pm, followed by the Final Round (featuring the top 4 schools) at 7:00 p.m. Where: The Central Library, 2100 Park Place, Birmingham, Ala. 35203 About the Event: This festival is a culmination of The Flourish's Word Up! Program, a city-wide poetry competition featuring high school students from across Birmingham. The public is invited to attend this free event to cheer on the young student poets. ADDITION: Jermaine FunnyMaine Johnson will be a guest judge for the final round. Birmingham, Ala. – Come see the top poets from Birmingham’s seven high schools compete for $5,000 in cash prizes at the 2022 Word Up! Festiv

  BPL Deputy Director Ka'ryn Davis-West, center, with Regional Managers Bessie Miller, left, and Loretta Jones. Birmingham, Ala. – The Birmingham Public Library Board of Trustees has appointed Ka’ryn Davis-West, a 30-year veteran employee of the Birmingham Public Library,  as BPL’s new deputy director. She replaces Janine Langston, who was named BPL Executive Director in December 2021. Davis’ promotion was announced during the BPL Board of Trustees meeting on November 8, 2022. Davis, who epitomizes the City of Birmingham’s focus on “putting people first” and BPL’s commitment to providing quality library services for patrons, is excited about her new role.  BPL Executive Director Janine Langston said, “Ka’ryn has been a valuable member of the BPL team for many years, and I congratulate her on this well-deserved appointment as Deputy Director. I look forward to serving together as we lead BPL forward and help it grow in new and innovative ways.” A native of Mobile, Davis has live

  Central Library is hosting Women of the Montgomery Bus Boycott exhibit . Monday, December, 5, 2022, is the 67th anniversary of the start of the  Montgomery Bus Boycott, one of the most significant civil rights protests in U.S. history.  To learn more about the movement, drop by the  Central Library in downtown Birmingham, 2100 Park Place, to view the "Women of the Montgomery Bus Boycott" exhibit .  The exhibit will be available for viewing on the first floor of the Central Library through December 6 during library hours. On loan from  Troy University's Rosa Parks Museum , Women of the Montgomery Bus Boycott" utilizes oral history interviews, digitized archival material and court documents to tell the heroic stories of Jo Ann Robinson, Aurelia Browder, Claudette Colvin, Mary Louise Smith, Lucille Times, Susie McDonald, Virginia Durr, Georgia Gilmore, Coretta Schott King, Juanita Abernathy, Juliette Hampton Morgan and Jean Graetz. Important grassroots political organ

Some holiday traditions are meant to bring family together to share their love, a meal, and maybe a few songs. There are plays and carols and movies galore to entertain the Christmas spirits in us all. This year marks the 25th anniversary of one of my personal favorite traditions—reading Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris .

Ready to celebrate the holidays? The Birmingham Public Library is hosting 86 different holiday programs and activities  ( pdf ) to help patrons of all ages get in a festive, joyous mood all month long in December, beginning Thursday, December 1.  Among the highlights: * Season's Readings & Festive Eatings at the Central Library throughout December , as library patrons are invited to share their most treasured holiday memories and tastiest recipes. * Family Fun Night: Gingerbread House Building at the Avondale Regional Library at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 6 . You can also pick up gingerbread house decorating kits and enter Springville Road Regional Library's gingerbread house contest beginning Thursday, December 1 . Springville Road gingerbread house winners will be announced on December 20. * Attend Titusville Branch's Christmas Community Resource Day from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 6 , where 50 kids will receive free bicycles, toys, and clothes. * W

  Titusville Branch Manager Reba Williams with one of the 50 bikes the library is giving away.   Birmingham, Ala. - If you need free Christmas gifts or need help finding presents for 2022 for your children, guess what? Titusville Branch Library  is donating 50 NEW BIKES, NEW TOYS AND NEW CLOTHES for 50 children in the community in need of presents during the holiday season!   The library, located at 32 6th Avenue SW,  will host its first Titusville Branch Christmas Resource Day at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 6 as part of the series of Titusville Branch Community Resource Days created by Branch Manager Reba Williams. The event will take place on December 6, 2022, at 3:30 p.m.  The program will consist of a hot chocolate/coca bar music, food, arts and crafts, and games. Patrons will also be able to renew or get library card memberships, along with checking out books.  The last stop of that day will be to enter into Santa’s Shop and receive items from your wish list.  Advanced re

The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) wishes patrons a happy Giving Tuesday! We ask that you remember us on this noteworthy day. The mission of the global GivingTuesday movement is to inspire people around the world to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. Today is a special day for GivingTuesday , as the organization is celebrating its 10-year anniversary!