Birmingham Public Library Blog

Rabbi Ira Flax, retired military chaplain, discusses his camp experiences. Wednesday, April 7, 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 4th floor of the Linn-Henley Research Library, 2100 Park Place.

The Southern Roots Juried Show at the Birmingham Public Library Gallery scheduled for April 5 - May 14 has been canceled. The Alabama Illustrated exhibit will continue in the Birmingham Public Library Gallery until May 14. In the 19th century many Americans received news and learned about the world beyond their home towns by reading illustrated newspapers. Prior to the 1890s, the technology did not exist to economically publish photographs in newspapers, so some publishers employed artists to draw and engrave images. From the 1850s to the 1890s, more than 250 engraved images of Alabama were published in national and international papers. This exhibition contains 30 of those engravings showing Alabama at work, at play, and at war. Details Alabama Illustrated exhibit Fourth Floor Gallery Central Library February 13 - May 14, 2010

The fifth annual Alabama Book Festival will be held in historic downtown Montgomery at Old Alabama Town on April 17, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free public event is the state’s premier book festival—with more than 4,000 people from around the state converging in the capital to meet with and hear from their favorite authors and scholars. A children’s activity area organized by Alabama Public Television is sure to make this a day of fun for the entire family. From children’s authors like Charles “Father Goose” Ghigna to adult favorites like Pulitzer Prize winner Rick Bragg , the 2010 event will continue the festival’s tradition of promoting reading and literacy to Alabamians of all ages and backgrounds.

Spring is an excellent time to visit the Birmingham Botanical Gardens . If you visit later this week, you will see blooming cherry blossoms, irises, hyacinths, daffodils and wildflowers. The weather will be warm and beautiful. Whether you choose to take a walk, jog, or view beautiful flowers in a natural setting, just spend time outdoors. The gardens exist to provide beauty, education, and stimulate curiosity about our natural world. The natural world soothes our spirit, stimulates our mind and expands our interest in the environment. Best of all, it's always free. Did you know that Alabama's biodiversity is the 5th highest in the United States? (Facts taken from Birmingham Botanical Gardens Website ) Please visit your local library to check out books and other materials relating to flowers and gardening , particularly about gardening in the south. The Central Business, Science and Technology Department , as well as the Botanical Gardens Library both have excellent gardening c

Author Faye Gibbons talks about "How I Read Mark Twain to My Younger Siblings and Thereby Changed Our Lives." Chandra Sparks-Taylor, author of The Promise discusses "The Importance of Friendships in Tom Sawyer." Dr Alan Gribben , a Twain Scholar, discusses "Why Tom Sawyer Has Been Overlooked Recently and Why That Neglect Is a Mistake." Ted Dunagan, author of A Yellow Watermelon , talks about "How I Discovered Tom Sawyer and How It Affected and Inspired Me." For more see the Panel Questions and Answer session. Alabama Bound 2010 focused on The Big Read: Alabama Reads. an initiative inspired by the national reading campaign, The Big Read. Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts.

It's down to the Final Four: Duke, West Virginia, Butler, and Michigan State. Who could have predicted that only one top seed, Duke , would make it to the Final Four. Kansas lost to Northern Iowa in the second round. Syracuse lost to Butler in the Sweet 16 and Kentucky lost to West Virginia in the Elite 8. Like I always say, that's the beauty of March Madness. Michigan State has reached the Final Four for the second straight season and the team has redemption on its mind. They lost the 2009 championship game to North Carolina and I'm sure they want to take the trophy home this year. Butler has homecourt advantage by getting to play in Indianapolis. They would love to win in front of the home crowd. Duke hasn't been in the Final Four since 2004 and hasn't won since 2001, so rest assured that Coach K will have his team ready to play. West Virginia last appeared in the Final Four in 1959, so this team, which has already made its mark in school history, is hungry t

Visit Birmingham Public Library to catch our often surprising wave of services such as free computer training. This video was created and published during a free public computer class on learning to make short videos. The students worked together to create this video and learned about online video sharing. Interested in free computer training? Click here for a full listing of Computer Classes Space is limited. Please call the location hosting the class to register.

To celebrate The Big Read: Alabama Reads "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," Flying Jenny performs music of Mark Twain's era at Alabama Bound 2010. Part one of the concert is above and part two below.

Mercy. That figure is difficult to fathom. It means more than one-third of all Americans aged 14 and older used a library's computer or wifi access point. This is according to the first-ever national study on library computer use. It goes to show us that libraries ARE important. To further illustrate this idea, consider the fact that the library is the only place that accepts everyone into its doors. BPL accepts people of all ages, creeds, religions, races, political affiliations, etc. The public library is still one of the greatest legacies of our country's founders. It is, in fact, democracy in action. Our hope is that you will continue to support BPL as you have in the past. Last year, the Birmingham Public Library patrons used the 300-plus computers over half a million times. We still need your support. We are in somewhat perilous times in terms of our funding. Your voice and your support are as important as ever.

Photo:Linda Stelter, The Birmingham News Birmingham Public Library recently hosted free XO Laptop Computer Camps at our Springville Road and West End locations. Read more about it in the Birmingham News Articles below. Powering up the XO laptops, Birmingham 1st and 2nd graders learn what the computers can do! Spring break at the West End Library

The Wright Flying School in Montgomery, AL, 1910 In 1910 Orville and Wilbur Wright opened the first ever civilian flight school in the United States in Montgomery, Alabama. Join us as author Julie Williams shares a story not just of airplanes, but of a city in flight staring over the horizon at the shape of its potential destiny. Wednesday, March 31, 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 just finished listening to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (great job of narration by Martin Wenner). This is a fantastic murder mystery with some of the best plot and character development I've seen in thriller fiction in a while. Lisbeth Salander is a firecracker of a woman whose bad side you do not want to get on. She's a 20-something tattooed goth with a photographic memory and a world-class talent for hacking into computers. These skills serve her well in her job as a part-time private investigator. Lisbeth's boss gives her an assignment to scour the life of Mikael Blomkvist, a financial journalist hired to investigate the three-decade-old disappearance and possible murder of Harriet Vanger, a grandniece of the powerful and wealthy Henrik Vanger. Every year on Harriet's birthday Henrik receives a pressed flower through the mail—one of Harriet's favorite hobbies. He assumes they are sent by the killer as a token of torment. In a last ditch e

The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) is excited to bring back the popular acting troupe Muse of Fire for its April 2010 BPL@Night program series. Scenes from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet will be the focus of the program scheduled for Thursday, April 8, 2010. The free event begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Atrium of the Central Library located at 2100 Park Place. Muse of Fire, Birmingham’s self-described “deconstructed Shakespeare project,” is known for its “guerilla-style” theater, including unconventional costuming and audience participation. The group will perform Romeo and Juliet in its entirety for the Shakespeare at Sloss Spring Festival production at Sloss Furnaces in May. The unconventional and historic landmark provides an intimate and unusual setting for the troupe’s unexpected interpretations of the Bard of Avon’s masterpieces. This is the fourth year that Muse of Fire has performed at BPL. The previous three years were huge successes. This year’s performance is sure to

Ms. Santana Sanders of the 2010 U.S. Census Office will be on hand in Central Library 's atrium to answer any questions library users may have regarding the census. She will be available Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays from 12:00-3:00 p.m. thru April 30.

What makes your library special to your community? How does it enrich the lives of you and your neighbors? Tell us about it in an essay of 700 words or less. Up to four women’s stories will be featured in an upcoming issue of Woman’s Day and/or on WomansDay.com . Enter between February 9 and May 9, 2010. Visit the ALA Contest & Rules page for more details. This initiative continues a nine-year partnership between the magazine and American Library Association’s (ALA) Campaign for America’s Libraries —ALA’s public awareness campaign that promotes the value of libraries and librarians and has generated millions of dollars worth of editorial coverage for libraries. Since 2002 Woman’s Day has asked its readers to write in about “how the library has changed my life,” “how the library helped improve my health” and “how the library helped me deal with the tough economy.” Thousands of libraries of all types – across the country and around the globe - use the Campaign’s @ your library® bra

Click on image to view Moore's iconic photographs Charles Moore was born in Hackleburg, Alabama, in 1931. His place in history as a photographer documenting the Civil Rights Movement wasn't intentional. In 1958 he was working for the Montgomery Advertiser and just happened to be the only photographer present when Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested. His later friendship with King allowed him a front row seat to the events that made the world take notice and led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 . Moore was contracted by Life magazine to travel the south and cover events in the Movement. In addition to photographing police officers taking King to jail, Moore was also present at the University of Mississippi when James Meredith enrolled; in Birmingham, Alabama , when teenagers were sprayed with hoses and attacked by police dogs; in Selma, Alabama, on Bloody Sunday when peaceful protesters marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge; and at a North Carolina Ku Klux K

Join award winning performer, recording artist, and writer Dolores Hydock for an exploration of the magical thinking in Mark Twain's masterful stories. Don't miss this talented storyteller perform,"Dead Cats and Spunk Water" this Saturday at Alabama Bound. Location: Birmingham Public Library, 2100 Park Place, Birmingham, AL 35203 Date: Saturday, March 20, 2010 Time: Dolores Hydock will be on stage at 2:10 p.m., but join us all day as we celebrate The Big Read: Alabama Reads "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer".

The Image Permanence Institute (IPI) at the Rochester Institute of Technology has chosen BPL as a partner for their recently announced project on sustainability practices for library special collections. The purpose of the investigation is to discover if controlled shutdowns of environmental control units for special collections can realize energy savings without endangering the collections. BPL's Rare Book Room, one of the areas to be investigated by the project BPL was asked to be a partner after we began using IPI's program to monitor the environmental conditions of our special collections. We are one of only two public library systems in the U.S. that monitor our collections with IPI's program. The other is the New York Public Library (NYPL). BPL joins the libraries at Yale University, Cornell University, UCLA, and NYPL as partners for the project, which is funded by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services through its National Leadership Grant Program. IPI

“Stutts looks so much like Mark Twain one is tempted to ask for the author’s autograph … Stutts’ choice of material, his timing and delivery are impeccable!” -- Philadelphia Inquirer Will Stutts , an Alabama native, has acted in and/or directed at virtually every major regional theater in the U.S. His specialty is the one-person play. Stutts has been bringing Mark Twain to life in such plays for more than 40 years . Join us on Saturday, March 20 at 10 a.m. to see a free performance of this nationally renowned “Master of the one man show” as he, in the character of Mark Twain, leads off this year's Alabama Bound. This all day event will be a celebration of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" as part of the state-wide Big Read: Alabama Reads. The Big Read: Alabama Reads. is an initiative inspired by the national reading campaign, The Big Read. Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Samford University professor, Chris Metress, joins us to talk about one of Mark Twain ’s best known works, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer . Wednesday, March 24, 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.

To celebrate The Big Read: Alabama Reads "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", Flying Jenny performs dance music of Mark Twain's era on Tuesday, Feb 16, 2010. If you missed this performance, you have another chance to see Flying Jenny play this Saturday at Alabama Bound. Location: Birmingham Public Library, 2100 Park Place, Birmingham, AL 35203 Date: Saturday, March 20, 2010 Time: Flying Jenny will be playing at 11:30, but join us all day as we celebrate The Big Read: Alabama Reads "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer". See part two of the Feb 16 Flying Jenny performance here.

Sixty-four teams enter, one team leaves. It’s called March Madness and it starts Thursday, March 18. The top 4 seeds are Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse, and Duke. The usual suspects, sure, but guess who’s not there: UConn and North Carolina! What? Can we have an NCAA Tournament without those two teams? That’s the beauty of March Madness. Winthrop plays Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Tuesday night to determine who will compete against Duke in the first round. What if one of these two teams is crowned national champion? Anything can happen in the tournament and often does. If you saw the SEC Championship game on Sunday, you know exactly what I mean. Mississippi State gave Kentucky all they could handle and didn’t get selected to play in the NCAA Tournament. Kentucky only won by one point in overtime. The same thing could happen again, but Kentucky may lose this time. That’s why I love March Madness. Check out the Basketball subject guide to find books, websites, and other information about the Tour

In the tutorial above, viewers are guided in accessing and using Oxford African American Studies Center . The Oxford African American Studies Center brings together the work of over four thousand international scholars to provide users with the most comprehensive and authoritative online resource available in the field.

Daylight Saving Time (DST) officially begins on Sunday, March 14, at 2:00 a.m. So don't forget to set your clocks ahead one hour when you go to bed Saturday night. DST was instituted during WWI to save energy for war production. After WWII states chose whether to observe DST, but the Uniform Time Act was passed in 1966 in order to standardize time in the United States. In 2007 DST was extended by four weeks in an attempt to save even more energy.

Congratulations to the WORD UP! 2010 Winners: Will Gillette (1st place), Jordan Croft (2nd place tie), and Illyshia Parker (2nd place tie). This year's contestants got inspiration from the major themes of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, the book selected for Alabama’s first-ever state-wide Big Read . Students chose from among the following themes: The power of imagination The power of friendship The power of persuasion Don't miss your chance to see these three poets perform LIVE at this year's Alabama Bound .

Ninjas, zombies, monsters, and vampires have infested the classics, and it seems the invasion has just begun. And it’s no use trying to make any sense or sensibility out of it. Just think of these as  Jane Austen  meets  Quentin Tarantino  meets  Resident Evil . Thus we have the holy trinity of monster mash-ups. If there was one to “blame” for the marriage of monsters and masterpieces, it would be Quirk Books editor Jason Rekulak who birth the concept of  Quirk Classics , a popular pastiche series of literary works. The Web site states its mission as “to enhance novels with pop culture phenomena.” And it seems the current landscape is covered with the undead, half-dead, soon-to-be dead, or wished-they-were dead folks. The 2009 launch of  Pride and Prejudice and Zombies  by Seth Grahame-Smith easily acquired a cult following. Apparently readers had an appetite for the timeless romance of marital arts expert Elizabeth Bennet and monster-hunter Mr. Darcy with the backdrop of an impendin

Improve your computer skills – Free classes are available on a variety of topics and skill levels. Consult the schedule and sign up. Click here Need an e-mail account? – Library staff can get you started. Studying for the GED? – Try the practice tests in the Learning Express database or use the online study guides. Click here Want to know the job outlook for a particular industry? – Take a look at the Career Guide to Industries. Click here Need a part-time job? – Try this site. Click here Looking for books on interviewing? – Use the library’s catalog. Click here Sending out resumes? – Compile a list of companies in your field using the Reference USA database. Click here Need help writing the resume? – Check out the guides on the Job Searching page. Click here Looking for Wi-Fi? – The library has it. Laptops can be checked out for one hour if you have a current library card and Alabama driver’s license. Find all this job search information in one convenient place? – Click here

The Nebula Awards are voted on by active members of SFWA . The winners will be announced at the Nebula Awards Banquet on May 15. The finalists are: Novel The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi The Love We Share Without Knowing by Christopher Barzak Flesh and Fire by Laura Anne Gilman The City & The City by China Mieville Boneshaker by Cherie Priest Finch by Jeff VanderMeer Short Story " Hooves and the Hovel of Abdel Jameela " by Saladin Ahmed "I Remember the Future" by Michael A. Burstein " Non-Zero Probabilities " by N. K. Jemisin " Spar " by Kij Johnson " Going Deep " by James Patrick Kelly " Bridesicle " by Will McIntosh Novelette The Gambler by Paolo Bacigalupi Vinegar Peace, or the Wrong-Way Used-Adult Orphanage by Michael Bishop I Needs Must Part, The Policeman Said by Richard Bowes Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast by Eugie Foster Divining Light by Ted Kosmatka A Memory

Join us for a trip down the musical Mississippi as Philip McEntee and Chuck King take us through the bends, narrows and the great wide expanses of a time long ago but not forgotten. Wednesday, March 17, 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.

Want to know what keeps staff busy and patrons coming back for more? Take a look at the Birmingham Public Library 2008-2009 Annual Report . BPL is a bustling institution in any given year, but the Library saw a 20% increase in requests from the previous year due to the economy’s downturn. People are taking advantage of every service available: from free Wi-Fi and computer classes to programming for adults and children to access to over 100 online databases. And patrons always manage to find something to entertain and educate them in the over 839,000 items housed in the BPL system. As one devoted patron says, the Birmingham Public Library is the “best kept secret in Birmingham.” But the statistics will show that the Library is one busy best kept secret. Or, as Yogi Berra would put it: “Nobody goes there anymore; it's too crowded.”

Tom Sawyer: “The master's arm performed until it was tired, and then the stock of switches notably diminished.” Norman Rockwell, Spanking, 1936 Mark Twain's characters Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn epitomize the idea of childhood mischief, with their roguish antics and penchant for troublemaking. Images of naughty children abound in nineteenth-century American visual culture, from the fine arts to the popular press. Dr. Graham C. Boettcher, The William Cary Hulsey Curator of American Art at the Birmingham Museum of Art , will explore the subject of mischievous children in American art and examine how such images played a role in cultivating and promoting new attitudes in child rearing. Details "Brats and Bullies: Mischievous Children in 19th Century American Art" Central Library, Linn-Henley Bldg., Arrington Auditorium, 4th floor Tuesday, March 23 6:30-7:30 p.m. Free and open to the public Light refreshments provided This BPL @Night program is made possible by grant

In the tutorial above, viewers are guided in accessing and using Read the Books . It contains reading lists for the Birmingham-area schools . You can find books to read by topic or reading level. The majority of the books are Accelerated Reader (AR) books. The Read the Books database covers K-8 grades.

The Birmingham Museum of Art will display art created by area high school students inspired by Mark Twain ’s classic, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer . The Big Read: Tom Sawyer Exhibition began Sunday, Feb. 28, and will be on display every Tuesday-Saturday from 10:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m. and Sundays from 12:00-5:00 p.m. until May 23. The artwork is based upon the idea that The Adventures of Tom Sawyer established America’s vision of childhood and reminded adults that children were not angels, but fellow human beings. The exhibit is in coordination with The Big Read: Alabama Reads The Adventures of Tom Sawyer , a statewide campaign designed to encourage library usage and increase literacy rates. Alabama Reads is an initiative inspired by the national reading campaign, The Big Read. Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts , The Big Read supports communities across the country in reading one book. Contact your local public library for more information, and visit www.alabamareads.org .

Last year I raved about country singer Trisha Yearwood ’s cookbook, Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen: Recipes from My Family to Yours . This year it’s The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Cook by Ree Drummond. Drummond, a city girl who fell in love with a Marlboro Man she spied across the room in a smoky bar, was a former vegetarian and self-confessed food snob. She had to clean out her recipe box when she found out cowboys don't take kindly to being served Ahi tuna and sesame noodles but prefer meat and potatoes. Not only does this cookbook have simple yet delicious stick-to-your-ribs country recipes, but every one of them is illustrated with step-by-step photos that were taken in the natural light of Drummond's kitchen. The Pioneer Woman Cooks was written and designed without a staff of assistants, using clip art she'd been saving for years, and illustrated by her friends. Like Yearwood's book, Drummond's book is filled with family

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer will make its way across Jefferson County in a Read it Forward event inspired by the book Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde , about an 8th grader who decides to change the world by passing on good deeds for others, The 40 public libraries of Jefferson County invite you to participate in the Read it Forward event on Tuesday, March 9. Participants are asked to read a copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain , pass it forward to a friend, and log on to the JCLC web site to comment on the book. Tracking registration can be found by clicking on Read it Forward at www.jclc.org . The kick-off will be held at the Regions Harbert Plaza Tuesday, March 9. A limited number of free books will be given out. Books will also be dropped in coffee shops, laundry mats, malls, gyms, prisons, offices, and the public libraries, so go to a location nearest you. Read it Forward is in collaboration with The Big Read: Alabama Reads The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by

The Birmingham Public Library Central Buildings are the focus of this year's Birmingham News Itty-Bitty Magic City Scavenger Hunt. Look into Sunday, March 7,2010 Birmingham News Lifestyle section for the photographs and entry form. All of the photographs were taken at Birmingham Public Library - Central . To aid you in your quest might we offer our virtual tours to familiarize yourself with the Central library. Linn Henley Research Building - Library Archives (Basement) Linn Henley Research Building - Southern History and Literature (1st Floor) Linn Henley Research Building - Mezzanine (2nd Floor) Linn Henley Research Building - 3nd Floor Central East Building 1st Floor Central East Building 2nd Floor Central East Building 3rd Floor Central East Building 4th Floor Central Library 360 (Atrium and Southern History) Visit us soon to start the search. Entries are due March 26. Happy Hunting!

The community is invited to join the discussion on what makes The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain an enduring American classic, at The Birmingham Public Library’s Alabama Bound 2010 on Saturday, March 20, from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Alabama Bound 2010 will feature programming aimed to enhance understanding and appreciation of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Mark Twain as a person and a writer. Performances by Will Stutts, Dolores Hydock, and a book discussion by a panel of scholars and authors will be taking place throughout the day. The popular band, Flying Jenny , will entertain audiences with music of Twain’s era. The event is in collaboration with the statewide literacy campaign, The Big Read: Alabama Reads . Alabama Reads is designed to increase library usage and literacy rates in the state by encouraging citizens to read the Mark Twain classic. The book was chosen to correspond with the Alabama Department of Tourism’s Year of Small Towns and Twain’s 175th birthday. The

If you don't know a "loose tooth" from a "lose tooth" and are in the habit of abusing the apostrophe the way cheesy hair bands abuse the umlaut, BPL has the grammar and punctuation resources to help you navigate the turbulent waters of the English language. So pay us a visit and stop making the annoying mistakes that make the grammar police go nucular on you. Happy National Grammar Day!

Hailed from New York City as one of the best practitioners of the art, classical guitarist Peter Fletcher will grace the BPL@Night stage for a fine performance on March 18, 2010. The library is very excited to have such a unique talent to showcase. Mr. Fletcher has released several albums, the most recent of which is 2008’s Peter Fletcher Plays Baroque Music for Guitar . Peter Fletcher began guitar study at the age of seven under classical guitar instructor, John Sutherland. In December 1983 he made his formal debut at the age of fifteen under the auspices of The Brasstown Concert Association in North Carolina. The critic of The Cherokee Scout wrote, “He has technical facility but what one remembers about his playing is the nuances, the poetical phrasing, dynamic and tonal changes, his harmonics, his cadences.” Fletcher has recorded more than a half dozen albums and his works have been applauded throughout the country. He believes in carrying on the Segovia tradition of expanding the c

This Brown Bag Lunch Program has been canceled. Kelsey Scouten Bates, Assistant Archivist at the Birmingham Public Library and co-curator of the exhibition "Alabama Illustrated: Engravings from 19th century Newspapers," will discuss the engraving techniques used by 19th-century newspaper printers. Wednesday, March 10, 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.

All 8th grade students in Jefferson County, Alabama are invited to submit a poem written in any style, no more than 250 words in length, that reflects the theme "Roots of Courage; Branches of Hope." The Grand Prize Winner will read their poem during the "Roots of Courage; Branches of Hope" program on April 11, 2010 and will receive a cash prize of $250. Only one submission per student will be accepted. ALL students and teachers who participated in the Poetry Contest are invited to attend the Sunday program in Kelly Ingram Park. All entries must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 29, 2010. Information about the program : On Sunday, April 11, a beautiful ceremony will take place in which a Horse Chestnut Tree will be planted to symbolize the extraordinary courage necessary to face harsh intolerance, and how that courage has inspired our community's hope and growth. Anne Frank described a similar tree as she gazed out of a window when her family was forced t

“I don’t believe I’ve met anyone like Bobby in the ability to understand the soul of American music.” – Ken Burns Popular musician Bobby Horton will entertain the audience with music of Twain’s period and stories of Twain's years growing up along the Mississippi River. Horton has performed with the musical-comedy trio Three On A String throughout the United States and Canada for many years. He has also produced and performed music scores for ten Ken Burns films, including the documentary on Mark Twain. Tickets are on sale now: $10 adults/$5 children under 13 by phone at 205-975-2787 or visit the Alys Stephens Center. Tickets are available for purchase online . Details A Musical Afternoon with Bobby Horton and Mark Twain Alys Stephens Center Sunday, March 14 2:00-3:30 p.m.

Why does it seem that citizens have retreated from public life and do little about the issues that concern them? Is reclaiming the public’s role essential to our community’s prosperity? What should we do about it? A Birmingham Issues Forum on this issue will be conducted at the Five Points West Regional Library On Thursday, March 11, 2010 as a part of the Brown Bag Lunch Series . In a deliberative forum, citizens weigh carefully the attractions, weaknesses, costs, and consequences of differing perspectives on how to approach an issue. Most importantly, citizens identify acceptable and unacceptable tradeoffs among the differing approaches. By identifying what is acceptable and unacceptable, citizens create common ground for potentially more effective action on the issue. Birmingham Issues Forums is a part of the Alabama Issues Forums, a project of the David Mathews Center for Civic Life, in cooperation with the College of Liberal Arts at Auburn University and a number of partners arou

Please join us as BPL @ Night presents Priscilla Hancock Cooper for an evening of poetry: Location: North Birmingham Library Date: Tuesday, March 2, 2010 Time: 6:30 p.m. Cost: Free All ages welcome. Light refreshments will be provided. Ms. Priscilla Hancock Cooper is a poet, writer, and arts educator who currently serves as a Vice- President of Institutional Programs at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. She has written poetry, performed in stage productions across the country, and received awards for her work with arts education. Ms. Hancock Cooper believes in the power of the word to change lives for the better.