Birmingham Public Library Blog

August 29th, 2005 Hurrican Katrina struck land and changed the Gulf Coast forever. Read about the disaster and view a comprehensive list of librarian reviewed web sites at Librarians' Index to the Internet .

The library catalog will be unavailable August 30 while we upgrade our system. The databases will also be unavailable for use outside the library.

BPL's librarians are participating in the national Jumpstart Read for the Record program today. The program hopes to bring the largest shared reading experience ever to the country by having librarians, educators, and parents read The Little Engine That Could to young children. BPL Director Barbara Sirmans, as well as other librarians and staff, read to Birmingham's children this morning.

Bring your laptop, lunch and a beverage to Central's atrium and enjoy the cool atmosphere beneath the trees.

View the work of Tom Barnes, Rob Cox and Uta-Marie Krapf in Central's 4th Floor Gallery . The artists' paintings will be on display until September 15. James R. Nelson, visual arts critic for The Birmingham News, reviewed the show at al.com.

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Alabama State Fairgrounds and joined us for our annual Reading Rally . You made it a success and we hope to see you again next year! In case you weren't able to be there, look at some of the fun you missed .

Construction will begin at the Birmingham Public Central Library on August 15th to replace the ramp and make the parking lot entrance ADA compliant.The project is expected to take several weeks. The main entrance at the corner of Park Place and 21st street north and the entrance to the Linn-Henley building at Linn Park will be open as usual. Check the library’s webpage for progress reports and photographs .

Click here for additional information .

They are all in a database! Wednesday's noon time Brown Bag program at Central highlights four of our more specialized databases covering topics as diverse as car repair, legal forms, business information, and art. Come take a guided tour.

Public libraries offer help for homework By Rebecca Mitchell Sunday night, in any town in Alabama: "Mom, I have a three-page report on the planet Mars due at 8:15 in the morning!" Homework! Who dreads it more - children, parents or teachers? Luckily, there is help for Alabama's students. Best of all, it's free . Last year, Alabama became one of the first states in the nation to offer free online homework help for students grades four through college intro courses. Funded by a federal grant through the Alabama Public Library Service , homeworkalabama.org allows a student to log onto the Internet and get a live online tutor to help with a homework problem in math, social studies, science and English. http://www.homeworkalabama.org/ is available from 3 p.m. to midnight seven days a week. Any Alabama citizen can use the service by typing in an Alabama zip code, grade level and subject. Federal and state dollars will fund the service for fiscal year 2007. The homework ser

Need some help with those last minute reports that your child neglected to tell you about? Join us at Cental's Brown Bag Lunch Program this Wednesday for a visit to the 24/7 library that is always at your fingertips. Click here for more information .

Join us at the Alabama State Fairgrounds Bill Harris Arena Saturday, August 12 from 12 p.m. - 3 p.m. for our annual Reading Rally. There will be balloons, magic, games, prize walks, airbrush tattoos, arts & crafts and frozen treats. For more information call (205) 226-3655. See you there!