Birmingham Public Library Blog

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...

  Classic Cocktails 2026 is a party with a purpose that helps support the Birmingham Public Library. Special thanks to our sponsors. Sponsor Recognition: Presenting Sponsor: Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library Safety Goal Sponsors: HBCU Cares and CEAF Team Player Sponsor: Bettina Byrd-Giles DJ French Kiss: Sponsored by Magic City Media Tasting: Red Eye Louie’s Blended Spirits Cigar Bus: Sponsored by Canvas on Morris Food & Bar: 636 Catering and Events If you missed out on sponsoring this event, s upport the Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library by clicking here https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/supportbhampubliclibrary Your donation helps 17 locations of The Birmingham Public Library support our community by:  Developing early literacy skills Exploring science, technology, engineering and math through STEM programs Accessing computers, Wi-Fi and technology Participating in fitness and wellness programs Researching family history and ...

  2026 National Friends of the Library Week Spotlight on Friends of BPL Bookstore Written by Roy L. Williams, PR Specialist for Birmingham Public Library Birmingham, Ala. -As 2026 National Friends of Libraries Week draws to a close this Saturday, October 24, here is a spotlight on the Friends of the Birmingham Public Library Bookstore, located on the first floor of the Central Library downtown. Friends of BPL Bookstore is a funding source that help the Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library  support our 17 libraries all year long. The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) is joining libraries across the country in celebrating our Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library   and other volunteers and advocates across the country who help strengthen their local libraries. If you love books and believe in the importance of libraries, join the cause by making a financial donation, shopping at or volunteering at the Friends Bookstore. The Friends Bo...

Written by Roy L. Williams, Public Relations Specialist -Birmingham Public Library Classic Cocktails 2026 is officially sold out! That's great news for Birmingham Public Library...and a testament to the community's enthusiasm for an event that brings together Magic City Classic fans, HBCU supporters, library advocates and friends of BPL. But you don't have to attend Classic Cocktails to support the Birmingham Public Library.  You can help keep these opportunities available to Birmingham by supporting the Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library,  t itle sponsor of Classic Cocktails. ❤️ Your Support Helps BPL Serve Birmingham Birmingham Public Library's 17 locations provide free opportunities for people of all ages to learn, connect and grow, including: Developing early literacy skills Exploring science, technology, engineering and math through STEM programs Accessing computers, Wi-Fi and technology Participating in fitness and ...

"Building Memory" is an art exhibit is a collaboration between Auburn University’s Interior Architecture Program and the Birmingham Public Library’s Department of Archives & Manuscripts.  Written by Catherine Oseas- Department Head of Birmingham Public Library Department of Archives & Manuscripts, posted by Roy L. Williams, PR Specialist for BPL   “Building Memory,” a new art exhibit by architecture students from Auburn University, is now open in the Central Library’s 4th Floor Gallery. The exhibition debuted on Tuesday,  October 20, and will be open during library hours through December 31, 2026. The exhibit is a collaboration between Auburn University’s Interior Architecture Program and the Birmingham Public Library’s Department of Archives & Manuscripts. Every summer since the program’s inception, Auburn University’s Interior Architecture students have ventured into the BPL Archives Department to encounter the past firsthand, engaging with primary res...