Birmingham Public Library Blog

Have you been thinking about purchasing a home, but feel a little uncertain about the financial consequences involved in such a decision? Well, perhaps the Birmingham Public Library can be the source of some clarification. On Monday, September 30, 2013, at 6:30 p.m., BPL’s Avondale branch will host a program titled, Own Your Own Home . The purpose of the program is to provide information that will help attendees better understand the home buying process. For further details, please contact the Avondale Library at 226-4000. This program is part of the MakingCents: Resources to make your money grow and Smart investing@your library® series, a partnership between the American Library Association and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation .

Change is inevitable, but is not always easy. The Alabama College and Career Ready Standards (Alabama Common Core Standards), which was adopted by Alabama in 2010, will be fully implemented in 2014 and it’s time to prepare our students for a change that will likely challenge them beyond what they are comfortable with. The Alabama College and Career Ready Standards (CCRS) were designed to prepare students grades K-12 for college, the job market, and the real world. Additionally, the students will be expected to meet a set of standards at the end of each year that will lead to a set of skills that will meet the intended goal. Public librarians need to prepare for the change as well as the relationship between school and public librarians will be crucial in helping students reach theses benchmarks. Let’s begin strengthening or establishing relationships with our school librarians to ensure that our students succeed and benefit from the skills that they’ll be introduced to. Submitted b...

Maritima by Judith Aronson of Mobile The Watercolor Society of Alabama (WSA) will host its annual Members’ Showcase at Birmingham Public’s Central Library in the Fourth Floor Exhibition Gallery beginning September 24 through October 31, 2013. Approximately 50 aqua media paintings executed by watercolorists from across Alabama will be selected for the exhibition. An opening reception and awards presentation will be held on Sunday, September 29,  2:30 to 4:30 p.m., in the Fourth Floor Gallery. The library is located at 2100 Park Place. Tampa resident Taylor Ikin will be the selection judge for the WSA show. Ikin’s art hangs in many corporate and private collections—even in The Vatican in Rome, Italy. Known as the “Yupo Queen,” Ikin has been painting on the unique surface of Yupo for over 14 years and has shared her discoveries and skills in many workshops. There are numerous articles and publications featuring her work on Yupo in art books and magazines. As an arti...

Today we celebrate the birthday of one of America’s greatest legends and folk heroes, Johnny Appleseed. The real Johnny Appleseed was born John Chapman in 1774, in Leominster, Massachusetts. He lived his life by a strict code of morality, honesty and kindness to all creatures. John was a pioneer, probably the country’s first nurseryman, one of its great agriculturists, and without a doubt, a great man. John’s adventures began in 1792 at the age of eighteen. He headed west following the steady stream of immigrants. Although he lived most of his life alone, he was a stranger to no one. His frequent visits to the settlements were well received. To the men and women he was a news carrier and to the children he was a friend and storyteller. In this way, he was the frontier’s first librarian! John was very religious and often preached to people along his way; his favorite book was his Bible. While he appeared to be poor, this was not the case. He made money by selling his...

Gifts of a Wordsmith is a free adult poetry workshop held on the first Tuesday of every month from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the Story Castle on the second floor of Central Library . The next workshop is scheduled for October 1 . The class will cover how to get your thoughts down on paper, overcoming writer's block, copyright issues, self-publishing, how to perform, and more. The Friends of the Birmingham Public Library funds the workshops. The workshops will be led by Atiya Robertson, a local writer, poet, and agent of change from Birmingham Alabama. She is also the founder of It Doesn’t Have 2 Be This Way, a local nonprofit program dealing with suicide prevention and abuse counseling debuting Spring of 2014. “I believe that we each have the power to create change in our world, and when we use that power to empower others, we change the world.” For more information on Robertson, visit her website www.AtiyaRobertsonWriter.com and blog www.SavingSomeForYourself.blogspot...

A team of six Birmingham-area teens competed in the Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Festival held August 7-11, 2013 in Chicago. Until this year, the competition has never had a team from Alabama. The teens decided to call their team “ #KnowDisclaimer ”. These young poets will be honored at a reception on Sunday, September 29 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the downtown Birmingham Public Library located at 2100 Park Place. The program will be held in the Arrington Auditorium. The team members are Chase Essary , recent graduate of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program at Shades Valley High School; Jacob Bryant of Huffman High School,   Jordan Montgomery , Minor High School, Eboni Wallace of Tarrant High School, Miaya Webster   of the Alabama School of Fine Arts, and Justin Wright , a recent graduate of IB. The project began when Birmingham Public Library Arts Literature and Sports Department Head Haruyo Miyagawa and John Paul Taylor, Founder and Executive...

Please join the Woodlawn Business Association this week as they host a financial program called MakingCents - Banking and Credit. This event is free to the public and will be held on Thursday, September 26, at 5:30 p.m., at the SocialVenture building (5529 1st Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35212) in Woodlawn . Dr. Andreas Rauterkus will be presenting information in this session that will help you determine your banking needs, manage a personal checking account, obtain and interpret your credit score, and make wise choices about credit cards. This program is part of the MakingCents: Resources to make your money grow and Smart investing@your library® series, a partnership between the American Library Association and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation .

Have you been thinking about purchasing a home, but feel a little uncertain about the financial consequences involved in such a decision? Well, perhaps the Birmingham Public Library can be the source of some clarification. On Monday, September 30, 2013, at 6:30 p.m., BPL’s Avondale branch will host a program titled, Own Your Own Home . The purpose of the program is to provide information that will help attendees better understand the home buying process. For further details, please contact the Avondale Library at 226-4000. This program is part of the MakingCents: Resources to make your money grow and Smart investing@your library® series, a partnership between the American Library Association and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation .

You may not be ready to deck the halls yet, but publishers are ready to get you into the Christmas spirit.   I know getting holiday merchandise into stores takes time, but I'm still amazed to see all the new Christmas releases when we’re barely into fall.   Just in case you have started making your wish list, here are some upcoming titles you can drop hints about to make sure they’re under the tree or in your stocking. Descriptions are from the publisher. Candlelight Christmas   by Susan Wiggs A single father who yearns to be a family man, Logan O'Donnell is determined to create the perfect Christmas for his son, Charlie. The entire O'Donnell clan arrives to spend the holidays in Avalon, a postcard-pretty town on the shores of Willow Lake. One of the guests is a newcomer to Willow Lake--Darcy Fitzgerald. Sharp-witted, independent and intent on guarding her heart, she's the last person Logan can see himself falling for. And Darcy is convinced that a relationship ...

Wonder  R.J. Palacio August, a fifth-grade boy who has a facial anomaly, has to navigate school for the first time. It's a difficult journey to make friends, deal with bullies, and learn just how much he is needed in the world. This was a wonderful audio! Diana Steele and Nick Podehl were top form. I adore Kate Rudd ’s voice every time I hear it. Diana Steele voiced the main character, August, in a raspy voice that fit a fifth-grade boy with a facial anomaly. Those around him are the ones with the problems. This might be a wonderful audio for someone on our younger side, who is dealing with bullying. Submitted by Lynn Carpenter Five Points West Library

Even in the best of economic times, searching for a job can be a tedious and anxiety producing experience. The library has a variety of resources to not only simplify your job search, but decrease some of the anxiety. The first step in any job search is pursuing your passion. The library has several databases, not to mention books, which will help you decide on a rewarding career. I suggest staring with Ferguson’s Career Guidance Center . Having this database at your fingertips is like having your own personal career counselor. This database boasts career assessment tests, job and industry profiles, and information on internships. I’m just scratching the surface of this database. This database also has resume writing tips and much more. The source of all occupational information in America is the federal Bureau of Labor and their number one source is the Occupational Outlook Handbook . The Bureau of Labor collects all types of information about jobs and careers. For instance, o...

Maritima by Judith Aronson of Mobile The Watercolor Society of Alabama (WSA) will host its annual Members’ Showcase at Birmingham Public’s Central Library in the Fourth Floor Exhibition Gallery beginning September 24 through October 31, 2013. Approximately 50 aqua media paintings executed by watercolorists from across Alabama will be selected for the exhibition. An opening reception and awards presentation will be held on Sunday, September 29, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Fourth Floor Gallery. The library is located at 2100 Park Place. Tampa resident Taylor Ikin will be the selection judge for the WSA show. Ikin’s art hangs in many corporate and private collections—even in The Vatican in Rome, Italy. Known as the “Yupo Queen,” Ikin has been painting on the unique surface of Yupo for over 14 years and has shared her discoveries and skills in many workshops. There are numerous articles and publications featuring her work on Yupo in art books and magazines. As an artist...

Learning a new language with Mango Languages is free for all Birmingham Public Library patrons, and offers a fast and convenient solution for our community’s increasing language-learning needs. Each lesson combines real life situations and audio from native speakers with simple, clear instructions. The courses are presented with an appreciation for cultural nuance and real-world application that integrates components of vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar and culture. Users learn actual conversation, breaking down complex linguistic elements within an audio-visual framework that draws important connections and builds on information they have already learned. Founded in 2007, Mango Languages is recognized as a leading provider of online language learning services to libraries, government agencies, corporations and the general public. Designed by a team of linguists, teachers, software developers, human interface specialists, writers, voice talents and designers, the company’s award...

Banksy: the Man Behind the Wall Will Ellsworth-Jones Banksy, Baby! In 2012 Will Ellsworth-Jones (formerly of the Sunday Times of London) produced the first full account of the street artist/cult icon known as Banksy. This is irresistibly intriguing and welcome given the fact that the wildly famous Banksy proudly conceals his identity and has not given a face-to-face interview since 2003. Time magazine showcased the most influential people of 2010 (including Banksy, Barack Obama, Steve Jobs, and Lady Gaga, among others). Banksy supplied the magazine with a photograph of himself with a paper bag over his head. Given these conditions the author, in order to research this account, had to rely on interviews with gallery owners, street artists and members of the Pest Control. (Banksy created the agency, Pest Control, to authenticate his works and to serve as his representatives in his commercial pursuits while shielding his own identity.)  Banksy was born in 1974 and spent h...

As part of the Big Library Read program, Jefferson County Libraries will be featuring Nancy Clancy, Super  Sleuth in both eBook and audiobook formats from September 16–30. During this two-week reading period, Book 1 from the Nancy Cl ancy series will be available for every patron that wishes to read it—no holds, no wait lists. By participating in the Big Library Read, you can join a global movement of passionate readers and library patrons who support the availability of eBooks and audiobooks at your local branch.

 Surfacing (Vision) Oil and spray paint on canvas Sandpapering, bleaching, pleating… these aren’t typical techniques artists employ in creating paintings. But Sky Shineman uses these and other unusual methods to achieve intriguing effects in her work. She will give insight into her creative process in a public talk on Thursday, September 19 at 1:30 p.m. at the downtown Birmingham Public Library (BPL) located at 2100 Park Place. The event will be held in the Arrington Auditorium and is co-sponsored by BPL and the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. It is free and open to the public. After the talk, Shineman will conduct a tour of the exhibit of her work which is currently on view in the Fourth Floor Exhibition Gallery of the library. The exhibit, titled Surfacing: The Paintings of Sky Shineman runs through September 19, 2013 and is on view during regular hours of operation. "In painting I am interested in physical pr...

Dolores Hydock If you are looking for a more entertaining approach to learning about personal finance, please join us at the Five Points West Library on Wednesday, September 18, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Famed storyteller Dolores Hydock will present a collection of funny, sweet, and surprising stories about first jobs, spending sprees, and the unexpected value of a penny. This program is part of the MakingCents: Resources to make your money grow and Smart investing@your library® series, a partnership between the American Library Association and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation .

The Digital Bookmobile National Tour will showcase the free e-book download service from Birmingham Public Library’s Central location at 2100 Park Place on Wednesday, October 16, 2013, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. At this free event, readers of all ages will learn how to download e-books from the library through interactive demonstrations and high-definition instructional videos. A gadget gallery—featuring Samsung Galaxy Tablet, Windows Phone 8, Kindle Fire, Nook HD+, Sony Reader, Creative Zen, iPad Mini, Creative Zen X-Fi, and much more—will help visitors discover portable devices that are compatible with the library’s download service. “When the Digital Bookmobile stopped at our location in 2010, we had hundreds of visitors to walk through and become familiar with downloadable devices,” said Birmingham Public Library Director Renee Blalock. “As a result, we have increased our collection of e-books and other downloadable items. We are committed to keeping pace with changing technology ...

Lightweight Dyed canvas and bleach The exhibition titled Surfacing: The Paintings of Sky Shineman is scheduled to open on August 15, 2013 in the Fourth Floor Exhibition Gallery of the Central Library located at 2100 Park Place. An opening reception is scheduled for Saturday, August 17 from 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. in the Fourth Floor Board Room. The exhibition runs through September 20, 2013 and is on view during regular hours of operation. “In painting I am interested in physical processes and phenomenal imagery", Shineman states of the work in the “Surfacing” series. "By employing reductive methods such as sanding and bleaching, I attempt to bring awareness to the tactile qualities of the painting object while creating imagery that is connected to its making. Ideally the process and the product overlap and enrich one another providing a multi-sensory experience. The complex relationship between how something looks and how it has come to being is the compelling...

The City of Birmingham will present a Diversity Fair on Saturday, September 14 , in and around the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex as part of Empowerment Week. The free event will include the Second Annual International Street Fair, a health fair, cooking demonstrations, and more. Inside the BJCC’s South Exhibition Hall will be the Career Boot Camp, which will feature free resume critiques, mock job interviews, a Dress for Success fashion show by Belk, and door prizes. Birmingham Public Library representatives will demonstrate how to use online library resources to secure information on careers, jobs, and tuition. “We’ll be showing people how to find answers to their job search questions via our website, www.bplonline.org , books, and computer classes,’’ said Jim Murray, head of the Business, Science and Technology Department at Central. “Most employers today require you have an email address to even apply for a job. The library can help you set up an email account and ...

There will be no Flow Tactics Teen Open Mic session in September. Starting Thursday, October 17, the sessions will be held every 3rd Thursday of the month at the Desert Island Supply Co. (aka DISCO) located at 5500 First Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35212. *** Teens, get your poetry on at the Flow Tactics Teen Open Mic 3rd Thursday of the month from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Desert Island Supply Co. Admission is free. The sessions are for high school students only. To sign up to perform or for more information, e-mail johnpaul@reallifepoets.org.  Flow Tactics is sponsored by The Real Life Poets , the Mayor's Office Division of Youth Services , YMCA Youth Center , and the WORD UP! Student Poetry Slam Committee of the Jefferson County Library Cooperative. WORD UP! is an annual poetry slam for Jefferson County high school students hosted by the Birmingham Public Library.

Bards & Brews, August 2013 Birmingham Public Library’s (BPL) popular Bards & Brews poetry performance/beer tasting series will return to the Central Library on Friday, September 13, 2013 . The library is located at 2100 Park Place. The festivities begin at 6:30 p.m. with live music, and poetry performances start at 7:00. The September session will be OPEN MIC. Emcee Brian “Voice Porter” Hawkins will deftly guide both novice and veteran poets through an evening of verse with topics that run the gamut from romantic relationships to the local political scene. The program is free of charge and open to the public. Craft beer will be available for sampling courtesy of The J. Clyde and light refreshments will be served. Attendees must be 18 years or older to be admitted and 21 years or older to be served. IDs will be checked. Bards & Brews is usually held on the first Friday of the month at various locations around town. The next session will be held on Friday, Octob...

 Surfacing (Vision) Oil and spray paint on canvas Sandpapering, bleaching, pleating… these aren’t typical techniques artists employ in creating paintings. But Sky Shineman uses these and other unusual methods to achieve intriguing effects in her work. She will give insight into her creative process in a public talk on Thursday, September 19 at 1:30 p.m. at the downtown Birmingham Public Library (BPL) located at 2100 Park Place. The event will be held in the Arrington Auditorium and is co-sponsored by BPL and the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. It is free and open to the public. After the talk, Shineman will conduct a tour of the exhibit of her work which is currently on view in the Fourth Floor Exhibition Gallery of the library. The exhibit, titled “Surfacing : The Paintings of Sky Shineman” runs through September 19, 2013 and is on view during regular hours of operation. "In painting I am interested in physica...

In an effort to educate seniors about their Medicare coverage options, North Shelby Library and Emmett O’Neal Library are taking part in National Medicare Education Week. Both libraries are hosting a program designed to bring awareness about recent changes in Medicare. In addition, participants will learn the basics of Medicare parts A, B, C, & D, and how to find coverage that best fit their personal health needs and budgets. Dates & Times September 18, 2013 @ 12:30 p.m. Emmett O’Neal Library 50 Oak Street Mountain Brook, AL 35213 September 19, 2013 @ 9:30 a.m. North Shelby Library 5521 Cahaba Valley Rd. Birmingham, AL 35242 If you are not able to attend one of the programs, the Birmingham Public Library Business, Science, & Technology Department created a subject resource page listing helpful Medicare websites as well as databases that provide general information. Submitted by Business, Science, & Technology Department

Dolores Hydock If you are looking for a more entertaining approach to learning about personal finance, please join us at the Five Points West Library on Wednesday, September 18, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Famed storyteller Dolores Hydock will present a collection of funny, sweet, and surprising stories about first jobs, spending sprees, and the unexpected value of a penny. This program is part of the MakingCents: Resources to make your money grow and Smart investing@your library® series, a partnership between the American Library Association and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation .

Carole Robertson Jack and Jill of America Inc. , Birmingham Chapter, and community members will celebrate Carole Robertson Day on Saturday, September 21, 2013, 10:30 a.m.–12:00p.m., at Smithfield Library . The event will look at the impact the bombing had on the community and the critical role children played in the Birmingham civil rights movement in 1963. Carole Robertson Day is dedicated in the memory of Carole Robertson, one of four girls killed in the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing on September 15, 1963. Robertson lived in the Smithfield community of Birmingham. At the time of her death, 14-year-old Robertson attended Parker High School and was a member of the marching band and science club. She was an avid reader and a straight "A" student. Robertson was very active in the Birmingham chapter of Jack and Jill. Her mother, Alpha Robertson, served as regional director of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., Southeastern Region. The other three girls killed...

Cloud Atlas David Mitchell If I was a novelist I’d be very jealous of David Mitchell. He shows in Cloud Atlas as much talent as almost any five excellent novelists put together. He can write historical fiction, science fiction, thrillers. He can invent worlds and the languages that go with them, or recreate eras in the historical real world. His characters move you very deeply, depress you, frighten you and finally inhabit you to no reasonable end. Reading Cloud Atlas isn’t a passive reading experience. How can a story set over many centuries and involving dozens of characters cohere so marvelously? How can it keep repeating themes, motifs and hallmarks which are, by the way, magnificently integrated and balanced? How does this symphony work? It works because Mitchell seems to be able to do anything. There are six interconnected storylines here, each set in a different time period: mid-1800s South Pacific; 1930s Europe; 1970s America; a future Seoul, Korea; a far-future Hawai...

Dr. Andreas Rauterkus If you are interested in getting your financial life in order this fall, then the Central Library is the place to be! Dr. Andreas Rauterkus, Associate Professor of Accounting and Finance at UAB, will be leading a series of programs that will focus on a variety of issues related to personal finance and investing. The series begins on Tuesday, September 10, 2013, at noon in the Arrington Auditorium and will continue at the same time and place on the second Tuesday of the month, October thru December. The individual programs are: Budgeting and Beyond Tuesday, September 10, 2013 12:00 p.m. Arrington Auditorium This program will cover setting financial goals, tracking daily spending, creating a personal spending plan, and estimating monthly income and expenses. An emphasis will be placed on identifying ways to increase income and decrease spending. Banking and Credit Tuesday, October 8, 2013 12:00 p.m. Arrington Auditorium Information will be pro...

If you missed the first three weeks of popular music performances, lectures, and films, you still have time to join in. The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) System has been awarded a $2,500 grant to host a twelve-week program series featuring documentary film screenings, scholar-led discussions, and performances of twentieth-century American popular music. The America’s Music: A Film History of Our Popular Music from Blues to Bluegrass to Broadway series has already enlightened audiences about uniquely American musical genres including blues and gospel, Broadway, jazz, bluegrass and country, rock n’ roll, mambo, and hip hop. With several more weeks of outstanding programming planned, upcoming performers include Cleve Eaton, Act of Congress, Cottonmouth Creek Trio, and Dr. Frank Adams. America’s Music is a project by the Tribeca Film Institute in collaboration with the American Library Association, Tribeca Flashpoint, and the Society for American Music. America’s Music has been m...

Bards & Brews, August 2013 Birmingham Public Library’s (BPL) popular Bards & Brews poetry performance/beer tasting series will return to the Central Library on Friday, September 13, 2013 . The library is located at 2100 Park Place. The festivities begin at 6:30 p.m. with live music, and poetry performances start at 7:00. The September session will be OPEN MIC. Emcee Brian “Voice Porter” Hawkins will deftly guide both novice and veteran poets through an evening of verse with topics that run the gamut from romantic relationships to the local political scene. The program is free of charge and open to the public. Craft beer will be available for sampling courtesy of The J. Clyde and light refreshments will be served. Attendees must be 18 years or older to be admitted and 21 years or older to be served. IDs will be checked. Bards & Brews is usually held on the first Friday of the month at various locations around town. The next session will be held on Friday, Octob...

The City of Birmingham will present a Diversity Fair on Saturday, September 14 , in and around the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex as part of Empowerment Week. The free event will include the Second Annual International Street Fair, a health fair, cooking demonstrations, and more. Inside the BJCC’s South Exhibition Hall will be the Career Boot Camp, which will feature free resume critiques, mock job interviews, a Dress for Success fashion show by Belk, and door prizes. Birmingham Public Library representatives will demonstrate how to use online library resources to secure information on careers, jobs, and tuition. “We’ll be showing people how to find answers to their job search questions via our website, www.bplonline.org , books, and computer classes,’’ said Jim Murray, head of the Business, Science and Technology Department at Central. “Most employers today require you have an email address to even apply for a job. The library can help you set up an email account and ...

Flow Tactics Teen Poetry Workshop for grades 6-12 is held the first Saturday of every month, 2:00-4:00 p.m., in the Youth Department Story Castle at Central Library . September's workshop is scheduled for Saturday, September 7 . John Paul Taylor of Real Life Poets, Inc. is the coordinator. For more information, call Taylor at 585-8271 or email him at johnpaul@reallifepoets.org.

August 28 th marked the first games of the 2013 college football season.  Although the state of Alabama has a special place in college football, boasting many of the strongest programs in the country, the sport began further north. The First Game Arnold Friberg, 1969  The first intercollegiate football game took place on Nov. 6, 1869 between neighboring Rutgers and Princeton Universities on College Field in New Brunswick, New Jersey.  Twenty-five players from each school took the field playing a game resembling a combination of football, rugby, and soccer. Over 100 animated bystanders cheered Rutgers to a 6-4 victory over Princeton. The November 1869 Rutgers Targum , the college newspaper, gave this account: “To sum up, Princeton had the most muscle, but didn't kick very well, and wanted organization. They evidently don't like to kick the ball on the ground. Our men, on the other hand, though comparatively weak, ran well, and kicked well throughout. But thei...

Consummate musicians and storytellers Kim and Reggie Harris are a mini festival of diversity. Combining traditional African-American spirituals and freedom songs with original folk, they sing of life, love, the quest for freedom, and care for the environment. In celebration of its Annual Author Visit, and as part of Birmingham’s 50th Commemoration of the civil rights movement, the Birmingham Public Library presents Kim and Reggie Harris and their presentation Dream Alive: A Celebration of African American History. The performers will make thirteen appearances at public library locations throughout Birmingham from September 9-13. All performances are free and open to the public. ABOUT THE PERFORMERS Kim and Reggie Harris have been affiliated with the John F. Kennedy Center’s Partners in Education program for over two decades, offering multimedia performances for students and community, and in-depth workshops for educators at all grade levels. Born and raised in Philadelphia, P...