Birmingham Public Library Blog

In the tutorial above, viewers are introduced to LearningExpress Library. LearningExpress Library is a comprehensive, interactive online learning platform of practice tests and tutorial courses designed to help users improve basic skills in reading, writing, and math, as well as prepare for tests such as the GED, ACT, SAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, GMAT, ASVAB, CLEP and others. LearningExpress Library includes self-paced interactive study, instant scoring, and diagnostic feedback, and can be accessed from any computer with Internet access. Users will need to create an account using the barcode from your JCLC library card as your Username and making up your own Password.

The Birmingham News published an article in today's paper about the library's historical map collection. You can read reporter Hannah K. Wolfson's article online at www.al.com . To view over 900 of the maps in the collection check out BPL's digital collection . Photo: Detail of 1544 map

In the tutorial above, viewers are guided in accessing and using Biography Resource Center . Want to easily locate an authoritative biography on a particular person? Want to find lists of famous people by era, ethnicity, gender, or occupation? Biography Resource Center includes concise and in-depth biographical information on more than a million notable individuals. Try it today!

I will be the first one to finish because I know the most about MLK." Children of all ages are invited to visit any Birmingham Public Library January 4-15 to participate in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Scavenger Hunt. Preschoolers are encouraged to locate each of the ten hidden game pieces while older children are encouraged to locate the hidden game piece and complete the fill-in-the-blank activity. Each game piece includes a photo of Dr. King along with an interesting fact. Did you know that Dr. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964? Participants who successfully complete the scavenger hunt may enter their names into a drawing for a free book about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Each Birmingham Public Library will draw three winners. One of the give-away books is the biography, Free at Last: The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Angela Bull.

Miss Eve Parker from Avondale shares her version of Shark in the Park by Nick Sharratt during the Storyteller Swap Workshop at Springville Road Library on Monday. Birmingham Public Library storytellers traded ideas for the upcoming summer reading program. The theme for the 2010 Summer Reading Program for the children's departments is "Make a Splash at Your Library - READ."

Yummy warm cocoa and sugar cookies fill bellies while watching "The Polar Express" Saturday at Springville Road. - Posted using BlogPress from Farah's iPhone

It's pajama time at Springville Road to watch "The Polar Express." - Posted using BlogPress from Farah's iPhone

The tutorial above guides viewers in finding and accessing our online magazine holdings. If you are looking for articles in a specific newspaper, magazine, or journal, use the BPL Electronic Magazine Holdings listing to find out which magazine databases provide coverage. Simply type in the name of the newspaper, magazine, or journal you're looking for in the search box, and Electronic Magazine Holdings will display links to our databases containing the full text of the title and tell you the date ranges of full-text coverage. You can then click onto one of the databases in the list to access the articles. Expanded Academic ASAP , a database featuring magazine and journal articles, is also shown as an example within this tutorial. Expanded Academic ASAP allows users to find articles by topic, relevance, or keyword. Other features of this database include the ability to narrow subjects by subdivision, limit results by date or to a specific publication, broaden the search to expanded

Due to construction the Archives & Manuscripts Department at Central Library will be closed to the public until December 21. Because unforeseen problems may occur, patrons are encouraged to visit the BPL Website for updated information before visiting Archives.

Tonya Clarke, Judy Dick, and Leonette Jackson sort through the endless piles of props at Springville Road during inventory day.

The Jefferson County Public Library Association Library (JCPLA) Champion Awards were presented at the JCPLA Holiday Luncheon on December 8, 2009. The Library Champion Award is presented annually by the Jefferson County Public Library Association. The Award recognizes an individual or organization who has made a significant contribution(s) to libraries and/or librarianship in Jefferson County, Alabama. The 2009 recipients of the Library Champion Awards are: Linda Wilson Holt Nominated by: Bessemer Public Library Ms. Holt started a Friends of the Library group for Bessemer Public Library and organized and opened a Friends of the Library book store. The book store has been so successful that it has already outgrown it’s original space and had to expand to another room. Ms. Holt’s contribution of time and talent shows true friendship and support of the Bessemer Public Library. Although new to the area, she has been steadfast in the face of adversity and has shown determination in reaching

In the tutorial above, viewers are guided in accessing and using Auto Repair Reference Center online. Auto Repair Reference Center gives you online access to repair information, service bulletins, and wiring diagrams for most major domestic and imported vehicles from 1954 to the present. Whether you are replacing brakes or just changing your oil, Auto Repair Reference Center provides clear instructions and step-by-step illustrations to help you do the job. Not mechanically inclined? With features like maintenance schedules, labor estimator, and recall information, this database is useful for all car owners even if you are not going to do it yourself. Best of all, Auto Repair Reference Center is constantly updated, so you can be sure that the information you find will be current.

Committed – Elizabeth Gilbert The author of Eat, Pray, Love tries to untie the complicated knots of love and marriage as she delves into her relationship with a man she swore never to marry. Deeper Than the Dead – Tami Hoag The popular suspense writer returns in this novel about an FBI detective following a case that begins when three children stumble upon the victim of a new serial killer. Noah’s Compass – Anne Tyler After a 61-year-old teacher is forced to retire and is attacked in his home, he tries to come to terms with his life through a relationship with a woman half his age. The First Rule – Robert Crais Well-loved characters Joe Pike and Elvis Cole investigate the murder of the family of an old friend of Pike's and find themselves drawn into the world of the Russian Mob.

In the tutorial above, viewers are guided in accessing and using EBSCO Masterfile. Did you know that through EBSCO MasterFILE Premier you can easily search, view, email or print millions of full-text articles from more than 1,700 of the best known magazines, journals and newspapers? Masterfile also includes full text reference books, biographies, primary source documents, and an image collection of over 200,000 photos and maps.

The Birmingham Museum of Ar t and the Birmingham Public Library are proud to sponsor an exhibition highlighting the artistic achievement of students living in the Birmingham metro area. This competition is open to high school students who attend school in Jefferson County. Art works must be made in response to Mark Twain ’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer . Entries will be judged. Finalists will be displayed at the Birmingham Museum of Art. A reception will be held honoring the students. Click here for contest details.

It's true that Santa is a busy man, what with making that humongous list and checking it twice, but he still has time to visit good little boys and girls at their local library. Come visit him at these three remaining locations. There will be gifts, toys, and free pictures with Santa. Locations North Birmingham Branch Library Saturday, December 12 from 2:00-5:00 Five Points West Branch Library Sunday, December 13 from 2:00-5:00 Avondale Branch Library Sunday, December 20 from 2:00-5:00

The 2009 edition of Season's Readings contains a selection of books which have been read and enjoyed by staff members of the Birmingham Public Library system. Pick up a print copy at any Birmingham Public Library location. In addition to the beautiful print collection, a few of the Season's Readings reviewers recorded their reviews on video. In the video above,Felita Hawkins reviews, "Bring on the Blessings" by Beverly Jenkins.

Dr. Anthony Pattin, Professor of Music at the University of Montevallo and Director of Music at Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church , will present a diverse program of music performed on the piano. Come and enjoy the artistry of this talented and gifted pianist. Wednesday, December 16, noon. Feed your body and mind at BPL's Brown Bag Lunch Programs . You bring the lunch and we'll bring the drinks. Wednesdays at noon in the Arrington Auditorium located on the 3rd floor of the Linn-Henley Research Library, 2100 Park Place.

"I big. I talk, I eats, I cooks, I laugh, watch TV, do what my muver say. But I can see... I don't exist. Don't nobody want me. Don't nobody need me. I know who I am... I know who they say I am—vampire sucking the system's blood." Precious, now playing in select theaters , is based on Sapphire 's 1996 novel Push about obese, illiterate 16-year-old Claireece Precious Jones (Gabourey Sidibe) from Harlem who is physically and mentally abused by her mother (Mo'Nique) and sexually abused by her father. When she becomes pregnant with her father's second child at age 16, the school pushes her to drop out and attend an "Each One Teach One" GED program. With the help of her social worker ( Mariah Carey ) and teacher ( Paula Patton ), she learns how to read and write, building the confidence she needs to create a better life for herself and her children. Gabourey Sidibe was chosen out of 500 girls director Lee Daniels interviewed. This is her fi

The Springville Road Branch Library opened its doors Sunday for its annual "Fun Day Sunday" Open House, kicking off the holiday season programming. Greeted with warm cocoa a nd cookies, patrons gathered all around the departments to do crafts, eat refreshments, mingle and spread a little holiday cheer. In the adult department, patrons wrote their holiday greetings for our troops serving abroad. In the youth department, families participated in crafts: build a marshmallow snowman and make a candycane ornament. There was facepainting and, of course, pictures with Santa Claus. Children younger than 12 were given toys or books after they said "Cheers" for the camera. The event brought in many members of the community. If you missed it this year, there's always next. In the meantime, join us for our family movie day on Saturday, December 19 at 2 pm for our "Polar Express" Pajama Party. Contact 226-4085 for more information. Click here for a slideshow of t

Sam's Club Trussville Representatives Wanda Adams, left, and Deena Oliver, right, present Rochelle Sides-Renda, Birmingham Public Library East Regional Coordinator, with a check for $1000 for the BPL Springville Road Branch. Mrs. Sides-Renda thanked Sam's Club for its generous donation and said the amount will be used toward library programs. Ms. Adams and Ms. Oliver were given a brief tour of the Youth Department after the check presentation.

The 2009 edition of Season's Readings is here. In this year's publication, Birmingham Public Library staff members have reviewed a variety of books, from children's titles to adult and teen books, including both fiction and nonfiction. Pick up a print copy at any Birmingham Public Library location. In addition to this beautiful print collection, a few of the Season's Readings reviewers recorded their reviews as videos. In the video above, Chris Hare reviews, "Ecological Intelligence: How Knowing the Hidden Impacts of What We Buy Can Change Everything" by Daniel Goleman.

In the tutorial above, viewers are guided in accessing and using Oxford Art Online . Oxford Art Online is an innovative gateway offering users the ability to access and search the vast content of Grove Art Online and Oxford art reference in one location. This full text, easily searchable database includes precise search and browse capabilities allow users to refine their results by source and subject categories. Users can also choose to view biographies, subject entries, or images when searching or browsing. This functionality allows users greater access to the more than 23,000 subject entries, 21,000 biographies, 500,000 bibliographic citations, 40,000 image links and 5,000 images.

Join us for all the fun at the 4th Annual Local Authors Expo! Meet over 140 authors , buy copies of their books, and have books autographed. It's the perfect opportunity to purchase holiday gifts for family and friends. Friday, December 4 and Saturday, December 5, 2009. 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. at the Central Library The Expo is sponsored by the Friends of the Birmingham Public Library .

The 2009 edition of Season's Readings is here. In this year's publication, Birmingham Public Library staff members have reviewed a variety of books, from children's titles to adult and teen books, including both fiction and nonfiction. Look for a print copy at any Birmingham Public Library location. In addition to this beautiful print collection, a few of the Season's Readings reviewers recorded their reviews as videos. In the video above, June Lacanski reviews, "I Ain't Gonna Paint No More!" by Karen Beaumont and David Catrow.

In the tutorial above, viewers are guided in accessing and using ReferenceUSA . ReferenceUSA is useful for finding both people and businesses by name, address, city, state, phone number. Who uses Reference USA ? Movers who want to find schools, places of worship, childcare, doctors, and other services. Job Seekers who want to locate and research businesses they want to work for. Small Business Owners who want to conduct market research. Students who want to research businesses. This and all library databases are available in every branch of the Birmingham Public Library and most can be accessed via the web using your library card .

The 2009 edition of Season's Readings is here. In this year's publication, Birmingham Public Library staff members have reviewed a variety of books, from children's titles to adult and teen books, including both fiction and nonfiction. Look for a print copy at any Birmingham Public Library location. In addition to the beautiful print collection, a few of the Season's Readings reviewers recorded their reviews on video. In the video above, Pamela Lyons reviews, "The House at the End of the Road: The Story of Three Generations of an Interracial Family in the American South" by W. Ralph Eubanks.

The holiday season does not begin until you see Dolores Hydock present Truman Capote ’s A Christmas Memory . Join us for our annual holiday treat and get the season into full swing! Wednesday, December 9, noon. Feed your body and mind at BPL's Brown Bag Lunch Programs . You bring the lunch and we'll bring the drinks. Wednesdays at noon in the Arrington Auditorium located on the 3rd floor of the Linn-Henley Research Library, 2100 Park Place.

This Friday and Saturday over 140 authors will be gathered at the Central Library to sell and autograph their books. It will be a perfect opportunity to purchase holiday gifts for family and friends. Check out the list of authors to see if your favorite is listed. Details Local Authors Expo Central Library December 4th & 5th, 2009 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Sponsored by The Friends of the Birmingham Public Library