Birmingham Public Library Blog

  Free Be Kind Birmingham Pop-Up Stores Provide  Free Clothing/Essentials; No Questions Asked BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — There are no price tags. No checkout lines. No income requirements. It’s a Birmingham nonprofit joining forces with 8 Birmingham Public Library locations across the city to assist neighbors in need. The Birmingham Public Library (BPL), in collaboration with Be Kind Birmingham, will continue hosting Free To Shop Mobile Pop-Up Stores at eight branch locations throughout 2026. The initiative provides free clothing, shoes, toiletries, and household essentials to individuals and families across Birmingham, no paperwork and no questions asked. Ashley Griffice, executive director of Be Kind Birmingham, first collaborated with BPL in early 2022 through the Titusville Community Resource Give-Away program at the Titusville Branch Library. What began as a single-site collaboration has since expanded into a citywide initiative serving eight Birmingham Public Library l...

March is National Reading Month , a nationwide celebration created by the National Education Association in 1998 to inspire a love of reading in people of all ages. The month coincides with the March 2 birthday of beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel). There’s no better place to celebrate than the Birmingham Public Library (BPL)! From a weeklong spotlight on Dr. Seuss, to preschool story times, reading with dogs and hands-on STEM fun, BPL locations across the city are bringing stories to life all month long. 📅 View the full calendar of events at: www.cobpl.org/calendar Check out these story time events happening at BPL (listed alphabetically by participating libraries) 🎩 Avondale Regional Branch Library On the Loose with Dr. Seuss! 📅 Monday – Friday, March 2–6, 2026 | During library hours Join us for a week-long Seuss celebration! Each day features a fun Seussical wardrobe challenge and drop-in activity. Dress up, read something new, and celebrate ima...

The Birmingham Public Library is excited to announce its 5th annual A Novel Tasting . Scheduled for Friday, April 10, A Novel Tasting 2026 will take place at downtown’s Central Library from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. It will be preceded a VIP reception at 5:00 p.m.  The evening will feature live music by Sol Música, an elegant silent auction, complimentary drinks, delectable catered food, and BPL’s signature wine, beer, and spirits tasting.  Your participation in A Novel Tasting – whether as a guest, sponsor, or silent auction donor – will support programs and services offered at all Birmingham Public Library locations. Bards & Brews, Community Connection, Loud at the Library, Summer Reading, and Art for Everyone are among the numerous programs that will benefit from the event's proceeds. To purchase tickets or to become a sponsor of A Novel Tasting, please visit Eventbrite . To learn more about available sponsorships, please call 205-226-3728 or send a message to bpl.development@c...

  Bards & Brews Open Mic Poetry Celebration of Women’s History Month 📍   Birmingham Public Library -   Central Location 2100 Park Place, Birmingham, AL 35203 📅   Friday, March 6, 2026 🕡   6:30 p.m.  (Doors open at 6:00 p.m.) 🎟   Free admission | Ages 18+ (21+ to drink beer samples) 🎤  Featured Poet:  E. Bailey 🎙   Host:  Emcee Thed Weller Hey poetry lovers: Join Birmingham Public Library at our Central Location, 2100 Park Place, on   Friday, March 6, for a Bards & Brews Open Mic celebration of Women's History Month . Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. and poetry will begin to flow at 6:30 p.m. Thed Weller will serve as host. E. Bailey, a crowd favorite and past poetry slam winner, will be the featured poet, sharing some of her most popular poems. Bards & Brews is free and open to the public. You must be 18+ to enter & 21+ to drink beer samples. Bards & Brews open mics are welcome to all fo...

  WHAT: Author Talk: Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America WHO: Journalist and Author Sharon Udasin WHEN: Saturday, February 28, 2026 | 11 AM–12:30 PM WHERE: Birmingham Public Library – Central Location Arrington Auditorium (East Building, 4th Floor) 2100 Park Place, Birmingham, AL 35203 ADMISSION: Free and open to the public Birmingham, Ala. - Birmingham Public Library (BPL) invites the public to a timely author talk featuring journalist and author Sharon Udasin, co-author of the investigative book Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America , This free discussion will take place on Saturday, February 28, 2026, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the Central Library’s Arrington Auditorium downtown. Released in April 2025, Poisoning the Well is co-written by Udasin and fellow investigative reporter Rachel Frazin. The book explores the widespread use of “forever chemicals,” known as PFAS - long-lasting synthetic compounds found in many eve...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.  — This Black History Month, Birmingham Public Library (BPL) invites the community to explore Black history through film. From free movie screenings and documentaries to streaming access and DVDs available for checkout, BPL offers multiple ways for patrons of all ages to celebrate history with Black movies throughout February. Three Easy Ways to Watch Black History Movies at BPL 1. Borrow Black History DVDs - For Free with a Library Card BPL offers DVDs covering a wide range of Black History topics, available for in-person checkout or online holds using a library card. Click here: https://jeffa.na.iiivega.com/search?query=Black%20History%20DVDs&searchType=everything&pageSize=10 2. Stream Movies with kweliTV- Free with library cards With a BPL library card, patrons can stream for free on kweliTV, a Black-owned streaming platform featuring 800+ award-winning films, documentaries, animations, and children’s programs highlighting the global Black ...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Working on a Black History Month school project or lesson plan? Birmingham Public Library (BPL) is here to help. BPL offers students, educators and lifelong learners free access to an extensive collection of African American history resources, available both online and at library locations across the city. BPL’s Department of Archives & Manuscripts is home to one of the nation’s most significant public library civil rights collections, including a copy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic “ Letter from a Birmingham Jail. ” Since BPL Archives Department was founded in 1976, more than 530 books (including five Pulitzer Prize winners) have been researched using its collections.   In addition to its physical holdings, BPL provides a wide range of digital resources to support Black History Month school projects, academic research and personal exploration. These collections document the vital role African Americans have played in Birmingham, Alabama and...

Birmingham Public Library (BPL)  invites the community to celebrate Black History Month all February long with programs for patrons of all ages across multiple BPL locations. Featured highlights include weekly Black History Month film screenings, a month-long Teen Takeover Thursdays series for Black teens at the North Avondale Branch Library, concerts featuring Halo Wheeler, David Talley, and the Miles College Choir, genealogy programs exploring DNA testing and AI tools, a spotlight on Black comic industry professionals, and  Books on the Ground,  a unique Titusville Branch Library celebration featuring Black veterinarians, live cows, storytelling, and line dancing. SELECTED EVENTS & DATES 🎬 Black History Month Film Screenings Every week in February Free screenings at Smithfield, Southside, West End, and Titusville branch libraries. Dates and times available at  www.cobpl.org/calendar Teen Takeover Thursdays Every Thursday in February at 3 PM at North Avond...