Birmingham Public Library Blog

  The Birmingham Public Library's "Loud at the Library" series is hosting saxophonist Fred Jones Jr. this upcoming Tuesday, April 30, 2024, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. for a free jazz show in the courtyard across the street from the downtown Central Library .  The courtyard is located between the BPL Research Library and the Jefferson County Courthouse. Bring your chair or blanket and make it a picnic with our featured food truck: King Vee Hotdogs!  International Jazz Day is observed annually on April 30, as the culmination of Jazz Appreciation Month in April, celebrating the diplomatic history and impact of jazz across the globe with events taking place in more than 180 countries.  The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) first officially designated April 30 as International Jazz Day in November 2011 to honor the genre’s history of expression and advocacy for equality. This day brings together communities, artists, historians, academics,

  Will Jacks, an assistant professor of art-photography at Troy University, is the visionary behind the r abbit, rabbit  exhibit opening May 3 at the Central Library's Fourth Floor Gallery downtown.       Photo credit: K. Weatherford Birmingham, Ala. -   The Birmingham Public Library is opening a new art exhibit, rabbit, rabbit , opening to the public on Friday, May 3, in the Fourth Floor Gallery of the Central Library downtown, 2100 Park Place. The  rabbit, rabbit exhibit was created by artist Will Jacks , an artist and assistant professor of art/photography at Troy University. (Please note the exhibition title is NOT capitalized at the request of the artist)   The exhibition is the latest in the Birmingham Public Library's visual arts series, "Art For Everyone," which debuted in January and is happening throughout 2024 at the Central Library downtown. The series is made possible by a grant that the  Alabama State Council on the Arts  awarded to the  Friends Foun

Rainbow Houses , Ken O’Loughlin, acrylic on canvas, 24” x 36”  Birmingham, Ala. -  This April, the Birmingham Public Library celebrates World Autism Month with an art exhibition titled A World in a Grain of Sand . The exhibition features works in various media by artists from Studio By The Tracks (SBTT).  Studio By The Tracks is a nonprofit community arts studio that has been serving artists with autism for 35 years.  A World in a Grain of Sand is the latest installment in BPL’s visual arts series, Art for Everyone , which débuted in January. The exhibition is on display in the First Floor Gallery at the Central Library  through Friday, May 31.  In conjunction with A World in a Grain of Sand , SBTT’s artist in residence Tara Stallworth Lee  will offer two workshops on the art of hand papermaking on Tuesday, May 7. A youth workshop will take place from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m., followed by a similar for adults from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Please stay tuned to the BPL website  for additional inform

Celebrate Earth Day with free seedlings while supplies last this week at Southside Branch Library.  Today, Monday, April 22, is Earth Day 2024 . For over 50 years, Earth Day has been celebrated across the country, and the globe, through the mobilization for environmental causes. While it is not a federally recognized holiday, many celebrate Earth Day through environmental education, awareness, and action.  In preparation for spring and in celebration of Earth Day, Southside Branch Library will be giving away free seedlings in pots from today, April 22, through Friday, April 26. Pick up a seedling and nurture and observe your plant as it changes through the season.  Our quantities are VERY LIMITED, so hurry in for the best selection. Can’t find a seedling that you want? No problem! You can browse our Seeds @ Southside Seed Library and find the perfect seeds to start in your home or garden.  For more information, call Southside Branch at 205-933-7776 or drop by our library at 1814 11t

During World War Ⅱ, 16,000 German prisoners of war called Alabama their temporary home. For many, their stay counted among the best of their wartime experiences, so good in fact that years later some would continue to return for reunions that kept them in touch with Alabamians. However, tensions existed too—some prisoners lived better and enjoyed more privileges than the farmers and townspeople who endured wartime rationing.

West Plains, Missouri, in direct path of last week's solar eclipse, went all-out for the event, hosting a charity concert, hot air balloon glow-up, and fireworks. BPL's Cyndi Barnett saw it in person.  By Cyndi Barnett   Birmingham, Ala. - When the opportunity to view the 100% totality of the solar eclipse was within my grasp, I knew I had to take it.  I drove 6.5 hours and 420 miles, one way, to West Plains, Missouri to meet up with my best friend and her son. The town went all-out  for the eclipse with a charity concert, hot air balloon glow-up, and fireworks.  On eclipse day, many tourists and citizens descended upon the Civic Center for a presentation on the history and science of eclipses from the Missouri State University Department of Physics, Astronomy and Materials Science. They even had telescopes with special filters so we could view the eclipse close-up. With no clouds in the sky, we sat on the lawn eagerly awaiting totality.  As the moon moved further and furt

It's time to explore your dreams. Dreams are a topic that has always fascinated me. The sheer randomness and madness behind what goes on in our minds during heavy sleep can make for a great conversation with any colleague. In fact, I am not afraid to admit that I have a dream diary. It has helped me understand my inner thoughts better and how they could be connected with one another.  Now, imagine if you were having an average or a possibly forgettable dream, not a nightmare or a burst of ecstatic activity. Let’s say that you were walking through a dilapidated neighborhood and there was a mailman crying because he saw a walrus playing soccer with his nieces and nephews. Then, out of the blue, actor  Nicolas Cage shows up and does nothing. He just stands there on the soccer field as if he belongs somewhere else. After a few minutes of awkwardly doing absolutely nothing, he becomes the referee for this soccer match.  This is the premise for the movie  Dream Scenario . Now, I hate to