Birmingham Public Library Blog

  Beyond Books: Discover What's Happening at BPL This November Written by Roy L. Williams, Public Relations Specialist, Birmingham Public Library The Birmingham Public Library offers far more than books! From games and fitness classes to arts and crafts, early childhood learning and adult education, there's something for everyone to enjoy this November in our libraries across the city. Check out the programs below and make plans to participate! GAMES & RECREATION EAST LAKE BRANCH LIBRARY Board Games @ Your Library Wednesday, November 18 and 25 | 3:30–5 p.m. Come by the East Lake Branch to play some fun board games! Lego Competition Workshop Tuesday, November 17 | 3:30–5 p.m. Participate in this weeklong Lego Competition workshop. INGLEWOOD BRANCH LIBRARY Chill Mode Monday–Friday, November 16–20 | 4–5 p.m. Join the library every afternoon after school to relax and enjoy playing video games. SMITHFIELD BRANCH LIBRARY Smart Moves Checkers Friday...

  Yogi Dada – Go Back to Africa III , 2018 Solo Art Exhibition by Yogi Dada to Open November 20 at Birmingham Public Library Written by Margaret Splane, Library Assistant III - Art for Everyone, Community Engagement, Fundraising Birmingham, Ala. - The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) is excited to announce a retrospective of the vibrant, graffiti-inspired paintings of local artist Yogi Dada . Scheduled to open on Friday, November 20, Culture & Spirit: The World of Yogi Dada is the most extensive showing of the artist’s work in her career, as well as her first solo show in over a decade. Join Dada at an opening reception on Tuesday, November 24, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Central Library.  Culture & Spirit features a sweeping selection of Dada’s abstract, large-format paintings. Created between 2018 and 2024, they are characterized by brilliant colors and graceful geometric forms rendered in acrylic on canvas. Some of the works depict human faces and figure...

  Celebrate Thanksgiving early with these free programs at BPL. Give Thanks and Get Creative! Thanksgiving Activities at BPL This November Written by Roy L. Williams, Public Relations Specialist-Birmingham Public Library Thanksgiving is still two weeks away, but you can give thanks early this November at the Birmingham Public Library (BPL). Whether you enjoy making seasonal crafts, exploring your artistic side or connecting with community resources, BPL has plenty of activities and programs to choose from. Check out these November activities to celebrate the season with friends and family. Avondale Regional Branch Library Turkey Bowl Every day through Tuesday, November 17 | 9–10 a.m. Drop by Avondale Regional Branch Library and put your athletic skills to the test in this fun Thanksgiving-season challenge. Strike out for a chance to win a frozen turkey! The winner will be announced Wednesday, November 18, 2026. Inglenook Branch Library Take & Make: Pine Cone C...

  Written by Roy L. Williams, Public Relations Specialist - Birmingham Public Library What happens when three of Alabama's most outspoken and thought-provoking journalists gather for an evening of conversation? There will be plenty to be talked about on Tuesday, November 17, as the Birmingham Public Library hosts  What the #$%?,  an engaging town hall featuring AL.com Pulitzer Prize-winning columnists John Archibald, Roy S. Johnson and Kyle Whitmire. Presented by AL.com in partnership with the Birmingham Public Library, this special event will give attendees an opportunity to hear the columnists' perspectives on the state of Alabama, discuss the issues shaping our communities and ask questions during an evening of lively conversation. With Alabama's November 3 gubernatorial election behind us, the conversation could get interesting.  Republican Tommy Tuberville defeated Democrat Doug Jones in a closer-than-expected race, winning approximately 52% to 48%. What does t...

Want to try spoken word poetry before a live crowd? Join us for an evening of poetry and music at 6:30 p.m. this Friday, November 6, at Vulcan Park & Museum for the Birmingham Public Library's last Bards & Brews Open Mic Night of 2026. In its 15th year, Bards & Brews is held on the first Friday of every month except July and December. Bards & Brews is sponsored by a grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts, presented to the Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library. Doors open November at 6 p.m. Entertainment by singer Resplendant Rae begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by poetry. Details are below and on the flyer above. Bards & Brews Open Mic Vulcan Park and Museum 1701 Valley View Drive, Birmingham, AL Hosted by: Thed Weller Featuring: Resplendent Rae Must be 18+ to enter | 21+ to drink #BirminghamPublicLibrary #OpenMic #Bards #Brews #Vulcan #Poetry

  The BPL Archives & Manuscripts Department is hosting a 50th birthday on Saturday, November 7  Written by Roy L. Williams, Public Relations Specialist -Birmingham Public Library  The Birmingham Public Library’s Archives & Manuscripts Department is hosting a 50th birthday celebration this Saturday, November 7, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The public is invited to join us for cake and pizza in Arrington Auditorium, located on the 4th floor of the Linn-Henley Research Library, 2100 Park Place in downtown Birmingham. Founded in 1976, the BPL Archives Department collection is open to the public and draws thousands of researchers each year from throughout the Birmingham area, the United States and around the world. These researchers include local people investigating the history of houses and buildings; university students researching class papers, theses, and dissertations; scholars researching articles, books and museum exhibitions; and film makers working on documenta...

Want to watch a scary movie for Halloween? Check out Obsession By William Anthony, Librarian I, Citizens Services- Birmingham Public Library As a part of the INside Cinema series at Birmingham Public Library, we decided to screen Obsession   for the month of October. It is the latest scary film that everyone has been talking about this past summer. So, why not watch it again during the Halloween season? Click below to view a trailer for one of the most terrifying films that I’ve watched in a while: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMC8kkwbIQQ I don't remember the last time a horror movie felt so heavy, not since  Hereditary  came out in 2018. Obsession is a star-crossed lovers’ story that reeks of a rot that makes you want to figure out what caused the stench in the first place. This is where a dinky but diabolical, branch-like trinket called One Wish Willow comes into play when a desperate guy, Bear, snaps it in half, anticipating the most passionate romance ev...

Copies of the 2025 "Southern Exposure" DVD series are now available for checkout in all 40 Jefferson County Library Cooperative (JCLC) and Birmingham Public Library (BPL) locations. Standing in front of "Elephant Ear," part of artist Carl Smith's "Nature Speaks" exhibit at Birmingham Public Library are Kelly Marshall Deputy Director of Alabama Rivers Alliance; Cyndi Barnett, head of BPL's Collection Management Department; and Charles Scribner, Executive Director of Black Warrior Riverkeeper.   2025 Southern Exposure Film DVD cover Written by Roy L. Williams, Public Relations Specialist -Birmingham Public Library BIRMINGHAM , Ala.— Alabama Rivers Alliance and Black Warrior Riverkeeper have donated the latest edition of Southern Exposure , an award-winning film series about protecting Alabama’s natural resources, as an option for all 40 Jefferson County Library Cooperative (JCLC) and Birmingham Public Library (BPL) locations.   Each of JCLC’s 40 l...