Birmingham Public Library Blog

It was announced on June 24 that Neil Gaiman 's teen novel, The Graveyard Book , won the Carnegie Medal for 2010. Gaiman is the first author to ever win a Carnegie and a Newbery Medal for the same book. Carnegie Medal winners receive a golden medal and £500 worth of books to donate to a public or school library. The Carnegie Medal is one of UK's most prestigious awards for children's and teen literature. Gaiman considers it a great honor because the Carnegie Medal was the first literary prize he remembers being aware of as a child: "When I was seven I got the Narnia books for my birthday. I had read a couple before, but I got the box set, and I got to The Last Battle and it said winner of the Carnegie Medal. I thought wow. It was a couple of years later that I bought A Wrinkle in Time and became aware of the Newbery. They are the first literary awards of any kind I was ever aware of and I've got both of them—it's amazing." The Graveyard Book is about a...

The World Without Us asks the daunting question, “What would happen to the Earth if people vanished?” Not what would happen if we ruined the environment so completely we all went with it or if we blew ourselves up in an all-out nuclear war. Just that: disappeared. To get a rough idea of what it’d be like, Alan Weisman visited places that have become devoid of people (the no-man’s land between North and South Korea) and places that have never had people to begin with (the Bialowieza Puszcza, Europe’s only remaining old-growth forest) as well as Chambura Gorge and Gombe Stream, two islands of untouched land in North Africa that are “all that remain of the forest that birthed” the human race. What’s even more intriguing are the chapters (the meat of the book) where the author interviews experts on what might and will happen to specific places after we’re whisked away. Manhattan, for instance. I’ve walked all over it but never realized that 40 streams run under it. Never realized it becau...

The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) hosts the opening night gala for Heads Up Alabama! Psychology Promotes Healthy Living on July 22 in the Central Library Atrium from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Through the medium of public art, Heads Up Alabama! explores the critical role that emotion and behavior play in an individual’s overall health and wellness. Twenty professional artists, whose designs were selected through a juried competition, were commissioned to create art from a basic fiberglass head that is approximately three feet tall. The heads will be mounted on 40-inch pedestals placed throughout the library. Tickets are available for $25 to the general public through the www.alapsych.org , under Calendar of Events. Food, drink, and entertainment included. Proceeds benefit the Alabama Psychological Association Foundation . The exhibit will be on display in the library July 23 - August 10 free of charge. In a collaborative public health education campaign to bring attention to the importanc...

Photo courtesy of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Join us as Dr. Richard Megraw, University of Alabama American Studies professor, gives us an overview of Negro League baseball and its relationship to black community formation and civil rights struggle. Wednesday, June 30, 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.

Do magazines seem to magically pile up on your coffee table? The environmental impact of this pile may surprise you: The production of Discover Magazine alone releases the equivalent of “ 170 tons of CO2 ” into the atmosphere. U.S. magazine publishing results in more than 35 million trees being cut down each year. Even those magazines that dedicate themselves to nature preservation, like National Geographic, make little use of recycled paper. 60-70%, of the magazines on newsstands in the U.S. doesn’t actually get read by anyone and become waste. Want a more eco-friendly option? Visit Birmingham Public Library (BPL) and get green. The library subscribes to a multitude of print magazines , but unlike the typical magazine, periodicals at BPL are repeatedly reused. This reuse significantly lessens the environmental impact per read. BPL also offers electronic versions of magazines which are even more environmentally friendly. Our electronic resources consist of books, journals, newspape...

Neil Gaiman 's adult fiction is a little too whimsical for my taste, but since I expect a picture book to contain its fair share of whimsy, his newest juvenile fiction gets a thumbs up from me. Instructions: Everything You'll Need To Know on Your Journey is about a bipedal cat who must follow a set of instructions if he is to exit back through the wooden gate where his journey began. Beyond the wall the garden looks tranquil at first glance. Cinderella 's pumpkin carriage is parked behind some trees. The Three Little Pigs are having a picnic. The Frog Prince rests on the lawn. But here's the question: do these old friends from fairy tale lore serve to calm with their familiarity or warn against the perils to come? When the cat is instructed not to touch a metal imp doorknocker because it will bite, the journey takes a deliciously dark turn. Within the wood glowing eyes peer from gnarled trees, an old woman waits to barter, strawberries grow in December's frost, a...

The Committee To Develop Birmingham's scheduled June 16 town hall meeting at the Five Points West Regional Library has been cancelled.

The video above shows our summer reading sign-up event for all three summer reading programs (children, teens, and adults) at the Linn Park fountain. Please do as the Chick-Fil-A cow suggests during the video. I know summer does not officially begin until June 21, but there is no need to wait. Visit the closest Birmingham Public Library location and dive into summer reading today!

Baseball in Birmingham , by Clarence Watkins, is a photo journal of baseball's existence in Birmingham. The Birmingham Barons were a charter member of the old Southern League in 1885. Built in 1910, Rickwood Field, longtime home of the Barons, is recognized as the oldest surviving, professional baseball park in the nation. In spite of the popularity of football in Alabama, Birmingham has been and continues to be a leader in minor league baseball. Join us as Mr. Watkins shares the stories of the game of summer. Wednesday, June 23, 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.

Is there anything new to add to the vampire myth ? Justin Cronin thinks so. There’s a deafening buzz about his new book The Passage , a story about a group of twelve felons and one six-year-old girl named Amy who are the failed result of a government experiment to create immortal supersoldiers. These government guinea pigs have many nicknames—virals, flyers, slims, and smokes—and they escape their prison to hunt and infect the rest of the population. Fast forward ninety-three years and Amy, who has slowly aged into a teenager, reaches one of the last human settlements after the viral attack. At the compound the juice is running out on the 24-hour batteries, and the vampires are getting bolder. Check out Trish Ping's interview with Justin Cronin at Bookpage.com . The idea for The Passage came about as Cronin's daughter rode her bike beside him on his daily jogs. His daughter wanted a story about a young girl who saves the world, and they created characters and bounced ideas ...

Natalee Holloway's mysterious disappearance from Aruba five years ago has once again made it into the headlines. Find out more by checking out these books: Aruba : the tragic untold story of Natalee Holloway and corruption in paradise by Dave Holloway with R. Stephanie Good and Larry Garrison Loving Natalee : a mother's testament of hope and faith by Beth Holloway with Sunny Tillman Want to catch up on the news coverage? Check out our databases . Type in "Natalee Holloway" and hit search. Still need more help? Contact the Social Sciences Department at 205-226-3640, or fill out our Ask a Librarian form.

Thanks to all who have registered for the Cotchery Foundation's Skills and Drills Football Camp on June 26 at Legion Field. Registration for the Skills and Drills Camp is closed. However, it is not too late to join Make Waves at Your Library and attend the Teen Tailgate Party at the Birmingham Public Library on Friday, June 25, 2010. The celebration will take place on the first floor of the Central Library , located at 2100 Park Place, from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. There will be music, dancing, photo ops with Jerricho Cotchery, food and lots of fun. Visit any Birmingham Public Library for registration materials and additional information.

The verdict is still out on whether year-round schools are better for students, but that thing educators call “summer slide” will cause many children to take a few steps back in their learning during the summer months if they don’t engage in educational activities while on break. This means that some children are in danger of losing up to two month’s worth of reading and math skills. My husband was deflated when he heard my son’s excited talk about getting out of school for the summer. He took it to mean that our son didn’t enjoy school. I had to remind him how glad all children are to break free for a few months from rules, lessons, and schedules. But along with our family’s summer fun, I plan on "summer schooling" my child with some of these tips so that he'll be better prepared come August. Combine activities with books : Going to a zoo ? A baseball game ? A beach ? Before you drive off, visit the library and check out books about the places your family will be visiti...

The world has gathered in South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. The official website provides you with all the details you need to keep up with the action. Follow the latest news, browse the match schedule, discover the group in which your favorite team participates (USA – Group C), find in-depth information on teams and players, look at photos, video clips, and more. If you miss a match on ABC or ESPN, check it out later on ESPN3.com . ESPN3.com provides a list of completed matches that are available for replay. You can also watch live action and see a schedule of upcoming matches. "ESPN3.com is available at no charge to fans who receive their high-speed internet connection from an ESPN3.com affiliated internet service provider." Enjoy the competition and GO USA!!!! The World Cup, 1930-1990 : sixty glorious years of soccer's premier event The World Cup : the ultimate guide to the greatest sports spectacle in the world

You probably already know our libraries are a good value , an invaluable community resource , and that they contribute a great deal to local economic development. Yet you may not consider us as a simple way to be eco-friendly, but we are. If you take a moment to think about it, libraries are inherently green institutions. Instead of buying mountains of books, CDs, DVDs and magazines that you barely use, check materials out of the library. These materials are repeatedly reused and reduce the environmental impact as a result. According to the Carnegie Mellon EIO-LCA database , for every million wholesale dollars of book printing, over 700 MT of CO2 equivalents are produced. We also find that 30 million trees are used to produce books sold in the U.S. each year. That’s one big carbon footprint. Not to mention once an item is at your local library, it is local and thus reduces the amount of energy needed to transport them. The typical magazine, book or DVD travels hundreds and sometimes t...

If you haven't had the opportunity to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the Alabama Theatre or witnessed the Lyric Theatre in all its dilapidated beauty, this weekend is your opportunity. On Sunday, June 13 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., there will be an open house for the Alabama and the Lyric. The Birmingham Weekly has detailed information about this event and BPL's Digital Collection has photographs, newspaper articles, and programs covering the rich history of these two Birmingham treasures. BPL's Digital Collection : Alabama Theatre Photographs and Documents Newspaper Articles Lyric Theatre Photographs Newspaper Articles Program Oh, and if you go, take a look at the gorgeous white marble in the Lyric. I helped remove the awful green paint that hid its beauty. Photo : Oscar V. Hunt Collection. Birmingham Public Library Archives

Hands on Youth Activities Programs is preparing to host a series of exciting workshops at North Avondale Library that will allow participants to spread their creative wings while learning to develop an entrepreneurial spirit. Space is limited, so registration is required for each workshop . The deadline to register is June 11, 2010 . For more information about the workshop fees, and details about prerequisites for beginning, intermediate, and advanced participants, please call Juliette Watts at 205-244-1109. Yes I Can Purse Making Using Plastic Bags Workshop Every Monday June 14-July 12, 2010 1:00-3:00 p.m. Yes I Can Crochet Workshop Every Tuesday and Wednesday June 15-July 21, 2010 1:00-3:00 p.m. Yes I Can Lace Collar Making Workshop Every Thursday June 17-July 15, 2010 1:00-3:00 p.m. The Committee to Develop Birmingham will be conducting town hall meetings at two Birmingham Public libraries with Mayor William Bell in attendance. Attending these meetings would be an opportunity to ...

Of course, you have seen these pictures! The oil spill has been continually in the news since April 20, 2010 when the Deep Horizon oil rig exploded off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico. It is a disaster that will have long-reaching and long-lasting environmental and economic effects. Who is responsible? What is being done by the federal government, state and local officials, and the oil rig operators? What about the wildlife? What other energy sources are out there to replace oil? And the timely question for the summer: Is is safe to go to the beach? The Birmingham Public Library has the answers to these questions and more at the new subject guide on oil spills . Still need more help? Contact the Social Sciences department at 205-226-3640, or fill out our Ask a Librarian form. Photos courtesy of AP

Slide into home with storyteller Dolores Hydock and some old-fashioned summertime baseball stories. No baseball knowledge required! Wednesday, June 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 4th floor of the Linn-Henley Research Library, 2100 Park Place.

Children pose with their sea-themed goggles. Parents and children participated in Family Read Tuesday night at Springville Road Library. Family Read is a story-sharing, story-learning family fun experience. For more information on registering for the program, call 226-4085. Location: Springville Rd,Birmingham,United States

It's been ten years since The New Yorker chose its last "20 Under 40" little-known writers worth watching. In 1999 the relatively unknown writers Jhumpa Lahiri , Michael Chabon , and Jeffrey Eugenides made the list. The current list's process began in January, when editors e-mailed agents, publishers, and other writers for potential candidates. This initial list was whittled down to forty writers who fell within the age guideline. The writers who made the shortlist were asked to submit a short story or excerpt from a novel that would later be published in the magazine. Eight of the writers’ submissions will run in the Summer Fiction issue; the remaining twelve will run in later issues over the course of the summer. Ten men, ten women; from places as distant as Miami to Ethiopia, and Chicago to Peru; writers all born after 1970: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie , 32; Chris Adrian , 39; Daniel Alarcón , 33; David Bezmozgis , 37; Sarah Shun-lien Bynum , 38; Joshua Ferris , 35;...

The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) will host acclaimed storyteller Dolores Hydock and the swinging sounds of the Birmingham Heritage Band in its July BPL@Night programming line-up. Dolores Hydock will regale baseball fans with old-fashioned summertime baseball stories in the Central Library’s Arrington Auditorium on Thursday, July 8, and the Birmingham Heritage Band will bring back the legendary music of the Big Band era at the North Birmingham Library on Tuesday, July 27. These events are free and open to the public. BPL@Night is a series of high quality evening performances offered free-of-charge by Birmingham Public Library in an effort to bring enriching cultural programs to downtown Birmingham and the city’s neighborhoods. BPL@Night highlights local and regional performers that reflect the diversity of our community and draw from a wide range of personal experience. Through programs such as these, the library seeks to provide Birmingham citizens of all ages opportunities for ente...

If you haven’t signed your child up for the “Make a Splash” Summer Reading program, it’s not too late. Yes, it’s summer, and everyone wants a break (especially moms and dads). But that doesn't mean you can't read and have fun at the same time! Did you know that research has shown that students who do not read during the summer can experience significant learning loss? On the other hand, children who are actively engaged in reading and learning enter the following school year with an advantage. The Birmingham Public Library works to partner with parents, educators, and the community in motivating and helping children learn and succeed. Here are some of our resources online: ·         Read the Books not only offers a library list of books but also currently displays the summer reading list for Birmingham City Schools. ·         The “Make a Splash” site has "Tips on Raising a Reader.” ·      ...

The Smithfield Branch of the Birmingham Public Library is getting a new roof. The library will close at the end of the day on Friday, June 4, and reopen on Monday, August 2. All summer reading programs scheduled for Smithfield will be held at Parker High School. For information call 231-2898.

This spring, author Chandra Sparks Taylor led after-school creative writing workshops at 16 Birmingham Public Libraries. Students of all ages participated. The inspiration for the project was the 2010 Summer Reading themes, "Make a Splash…READ!” and “Make Waves at Your Library.” The poetry has been posted on BPL's Cyberkid Summer Reading page . Check out the creations here !

Larry Moore, The Magic Man, joins the “Make a Splash” Summer Reading Program celebration with his Beach Bash magic and comedy show. Here, he poses with a young victim – er, fan – during his show at Springville Road Public Library on Wednesday, June 2. Moore has been performing and entertaining children of all ages with magic and comedy for more than 40 years. (Yes, he’s OLD.) He is able to get children laughing, moving, dancing, and captivated (a feat in itself). Catch The Magic Man’s Beach Bash program at your local branch. Check the Event Keeper Calendar of Events for more information and more programs.

Never been to Cooperstown? Now is your chance to take a virtual visit to the National Baseball Hall of Fame . We will be touring the Pride and Passion exhibit with the expert staff from the Hall of Fame as our guide for the day. Don’t miss the trip! Wednesday, June 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 4th floor of the Linn-Henley Research Library, 2100 Park Place.

Wednesday, June 2 – 6:00 p.m. – Council Chambers The citizens of the city of Birmingham are invited to attend a public hearing on the budget that Mayor William Bell has presented to the city council. The proposed budget includes a 10% pay cut to all city employees and the recommended temporary closing of five libraries and seven recreation centers. At Wednesday’s hearing before the council, the public will be able to speak their concerns and offer suggestions in regards to the city’s plans. We at BPL want to continue providing the highest quality service to our community in these troubled economic times. For those who wish to show their support for the library and all it provides to our city, now is the time to let your voice be heard!