Birmingham Public Library Blog

Playing with your baby is not only important for bonding, but is also an educational experience for your child. We are providing a special time and place for you to come to the public library and spend one-on-one time playing with your child. This five-week program involves children birth through age 3 and their parents or caregivers. The library will have age appropriate toys, books, and art activities just for you and your child. Also, we have invited special guests from the community to join us each week to answer your questions about parenting. 1-2-3 Play with Me emphasizes the role of parents as the first teachers of their children, facilitates early intervention, and teaches strategies for healthy child development and early literacy. 1-2-3 Play with Me Schedule Avondale  Library – September 6-October 4, 2017 – every Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. West End Library – September 12-October 10, 2017 – every Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. Springville Road Library – September 14-Octo...

by Richard Grooms, Fiction Department, Central Library Getting Stoned With Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu J. Maarten Troost Just as in his previous book that I’ve blogged, The Sex Lives Of Cannibals , Maarten Troost has provided another highly readable travel book on the South Pacific which sports a title that is pulpy, doesn’t give a good indication of the book’s contents, and speaks more of crass publisher marketing than author-chosen design. Once again, this doesn’t matter much because the book is entertaining, funny, and insightful. After their Tarawa stay documented in Sex Lives , Maarten and his wife Sylvia, now back home in the U.S., have gotten fed up with their hectic and materialistic life here. They miss the Pacific. Not its craziness, danger, and deprivation, but its simplicity, quiet, and relaxed way of life. Knowing you can’t have that second group without the first, Sylvia jumps at a Vanuatu development aid job. Maarten tags along as usu...

What: Photography exhibit A Romantic Journey by Bre Conley Saxon & Rachel McElroy Where: Central Library , Fourth Floor Gallery When: September 2-October 14, 2017, during library hours. Meet the Artist opening reception is Sunday, September 10, 2:00-5:00 p.m., in the Fourth Floor Gallery. Details: Exhibit features photographs that Birmingham photographers Bre Conley Saxon & Rachel McElroy captured during a trip to Italy. Free and open to the public. Call Jiemin Fan at 205-226-3601 for more information. A new exhibit featuring photographs in Italy by two Birmingham photographers will kick off Saturday, September 2, in the Fourth Floor Gallery of the Central Library.  A Romantic Journey depicts photographs that Bre Conley Saxon of Say Bre Photography and Rachel McElroy of Rachel McElroy Imagery captured during a trip to Italy. A description of the exhibit:  A Romantic Journey b y Bre Conley Saxon and Rachel McElroy It seems an impossible task to write...

by Mollie McFarland, Springville Road Regional Branch Library Ms. Bixby’s Last Day John David Anderson We all have those special teachers that we’ll never forget. They might not come along often, but everyone has at least a couple growing up. Ms. Bixby was one such teacher. Her sixth grade students were enjoying their last year before middle school when they’re blindsided by the news: Ms. Bixby is sick. So sick that she will have to leave them the month before school dismisses for the summer. Her students are shocked and devastated, but Ms. Bixby is calm enough to soothe everyone’s nerves. On her last day teaching, her students were going to throw her a farewell party, or more like a “see you later” party. But she didn’t show up. Without the chance to wish her luck or give her a gift, three best friends set out to find their teacher and give her the last day of school that she deserves. The premise of this story may sound downright depressing, but it’s not what it seems. All...

Emcee Brian "Voice Porter" Hawkins addresses a B&B crowd What: Bards & Brews Open Mic Poetry Event Where: Central Library When: Friday, September 8, 6:30-9:00 p.m. Details: Free and open to the public 18 and older; must be 21 and older to sample beer. IDs will be checked. Bards & Brews returns to the downtown library for an open mic event on September 8. There will be beer and spoken word poetry, as well as a musical performance by SamU'Elle Blackspeare . As always, Master of Ceremonies Brian “Voice Porter” Hawkins will deftly guide both novice and veteran poets through an evening of verse with topics that may include relationships, politics, social justice, and the availability of eclipse glasses for 2024. Local craft beer will be available to sample at the event. The J. Clyde will be serving the beer. SamU'Elle Blackspeare will begin performing at 6:30 p.m. and the poetry will begin just after 7:00 p.m. Join us!

by Jim Murray, Department Head, Business, Science and Technology Department What: Vocational Readiness workshop series When: Every Friday in September 2017 Time: 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Where: Central Library, Linn-Henley Research Library, Regional Library Computer Center, 4th floor Details: The series consists of four workshops:  (1) Vocational Introduction Readiness Workshop, (2) Resume Builder, (3) New Age Online Application Process, and (4) Interview Bootcamp Choosing a career is not any easy undertaking. Likewise, once you’ve chosen a career, finding a job can be a pretty difficult task as well. When you consider that throughout your lifetime you spend more hours at your job than you do anywhere else, you really need to put the time and effort into making good decisions in regards to career selection and job searching. This is not only true for young people who are entering the job market for the first time, but also for adults who are either reentering the jo...

by David Ryan, Business, Science and Technology Department, Central Library MacArthur’s Spies: The Soldier, the Singer, and the Spymaster Who Defied the Japanese in World War II Peter Eisner I got three passports, a couple of visas You don't even know my real name "Life During Wartime" –Talking Heads I’m always interested in how people react in the face of war and the moral questions that follow such conflicts. Will they listen to their "better angels" and fight the good fight, pull the covers over their head and wait for the black clouds to pass, or will they work with the Devil? Some have dubbed Manila the Pacific Casablanca, but there was nothing glamorous about the city, the oppressors, or the choices Filipinos had to make. MacArthur’s Spies by Peter Eisner is the story of Claire Phillips, an American of complex citizenship living in Manila during the occupation, who faced these moral options and chose to fight the good fight. Phillips was no...

by Kelly Laney, Springville Road Regional Branch Library You know those lists of recommended “must reads” that include classic works of literature? I used to go through one of those occasionally and check them off: “Read that, read that, read that…” and smugly considered myself to be fairly well-read and on top of my game. I mean, after all, a lot of us read these musty oldies in high school, right, so why waste any of our precious later years on re-reading them? But our book club at the Springville Road Library, The Reading Roadies, has a tradition of reading at least one classic work of fiction every year. (This year’s pick is Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert, if anyone would like to join us for the discussion on September 18 at 6:30 p.m.) Last year we picked Wuthering Heights , and I made an interesting observation. I remember thinking Heathcliff was the bomb and Cathy was fabulous—when I was in high school. As an adult, I just wanted to slap the fool out of b...

by Mary Anne Ellis, Southern History Department , Central Library Greetings from Alabama: A Pictorial History in Vintage Postcards From the Wade Hall Collection of Historical Picture Postcards from Alabama Wade H. Hall with Nancy B. Dupree and Christopher Sawula Remember postcards? They don’t get much attention now when you can take a selfie with your smartphone and send it to your friends so they have instant coverage of your vacation. But this time of year I always think of the family trips we used to take in an era before the new school year started in August, and Greetings from Alabama is a nostalgic look into a time when postcards were treasured souvenirs. Remember the Wigwam Village on the Bessemer Super Highway? There are now few examples left of this charming motel chain, but the postcard of Wigwam Village no. 5 will give you a look at how it was set up and why children probably clamored to stay there. For the dedicated road trip fan who seeks out unusual accommodati...

Hoopla will soon be available for Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire—making hoopla even more accessible for patrons. With no wait lists, hoopla content is always available, and with these new additions you will have the ability to stream over 33,000 movie and TV selections directly through your televisions. Stay tuned.

by Ellen Griffin Shade, Avondale Regional Branch Library At the Avondale Regional Branch Library  we are very excited to announce the launch of the Avondale Crafting Collection—patrons can now check out the paper bead winders, knitting looms, and jewelry-making tools that we use in our adult craft programs! All items must be picked up and returned at the Avondale Library Circulation Desk. Call 226-4000 or drop by the circulation desk for more information. Upcoming Craft Programs Wednesday, August 23, 2:00 p.m. Fiber Arts on Fifth Avenue – Knitters, crocheters, and other "fiber artists" of all skill levels can bring their supplies to this informal group to share tips and ideas. The library will have a limited supply of needles and yarn available on a first come, first served basis. Wednesday, August 30, 2:00 p.m. Wildcard Wednesday: Adventures in Art – Join us for a fun art project and complete your own masterpiece to take home. Instruction and materials are provid...

Who: Birmingham Public Library What: Corporate Meet & Greet reception Where: Central Library, 2100 Park Place, Birmingham, AL 35203 When: Thursday, August 24, 2017, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Details: Attendance must be confirmed no later than August 21 to Tiffanie Jeter at 205-226-3747 or tsjeter@bham.lib.al.us The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) is hosting a meet and greet reception for Birmingham's business, nonprofit, and community leaders on Thursday, August 24, 2017, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., at the Central Library. This event will include music and light refreshments. The purpose of the Corporate Meet and Greet is to promote the library's education programs, technology services, exhibits, and signature events that are available to assist business owners and nonprofits as well as the general public. The event is also designed to introduce business/nonprofit leaders desiring to partner with or make donations to the Birmingham Public Library 19 loc...

When: Saturday, August. 19, 2017, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Where: Central Library , 2100 Park Place, Birmingham, AL 35203 About the 2017 Local Authors Expo: Event featuring over 40 authors selling their books and sharing writing/publishing tips for the public. Keynote speakers are Chandra Sparks Splond (10:30 a.m.), author of nine books, and Nia Mya Reese, 8, (1:00 p.m.) author of the best-selling children's book How to Deal With and Care For Your Annoying Little Brother Want to meet 40 authors from across Alabama, buy their books, and learn more about the book publishing process? Then make plans to attend the Birmingham Public Library's annual Local Authors Expo this Saturday, Aug. 19, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Central Library, 2100 Park Place in downtown Birmingham. The free event will showcase authors, including many from the Birmingham area, selling and signing their books and sharing their writing process. Drop by and visit your favorite author, learn more abou...

by Karnecia Williams, Inglenook Branch Library Ready to pamper and honor the women of Inglenook  Turn screaming alarm clock off. Check. Roll out of bed and crawl to the bathroom and take care of daily personal hygiene. Check. Make sure lunches are fixed, clothes are ironed, children’s homework is completed, gas is in the car, etc. Check. Cook breakfast. Check. Turn into a drill sergeant to get children out of bed and ready for school. Check. Load groggy, slow moving children and all of their things in the car and manage not to leave anything. Check. Fight unrelenting school traffic to get kids to school. Check. Now, time to go to work! More and more households are being led by women. In addition to filling the traditional roles, women are tasked with providing for their households. Many complete these tasks without assistance, leaving them exhausted and depleted. With that in mind, the Inglenook Branch Library created a program titled An Expression of Appreciation for the...

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could have anything you bought delivered directly to your house for free? Companies, like the Birmingham-based Shipt, firmly believe that the convenience of having someone shop for your groceries and deliver them to your door outweigh the added cost from using this service. Grocery and store delivery used to be the custom instead of it being an innovative service. In 1917, the citizens of Birmingham were accustomed to go into a store picking up what they wanted and having the goods delivered to their house. One of the reasons for this was because not everyone owned a car. With the outbreak of World War I, merchants saw an opportunity to cut back on delivery service and reduce their overhead. Under the guise of patriotic duty and a war measure, Birmingham merchants reduced their delivery service to once a day and charged an additional 10 cents fee for special deliveries. The slogan was “A bundle in hand is a badge of patriotism.” Hill Grocery Co...

Unfortunately, all BPL locations are OUT of solar eclipse glasses. See the image above on how to safely view the solar eclipse without special glasses. Here's a link to a video showing you how to make your own viewer:  https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/how-make-solar-eclipse-sun-viewer . Be safe and happy viewing!

Author Jade Stewart About the Author: Jade Stewart, 23, is a graduate of Loyola University New Orleans, obtaining a BA in English Writing with a minor in French. She is currently attending Columbia University to pursue an MFA in writing. She lives in Irondale, Alabama, with her parents, James and Kimberly Stewart, and brother Christian, 18. Book:   Fate How to reach the author: fatenovel@gmail.com, https://twitter.com/_ja_stewart, and https://www.facebook.com/fate.jastewart/?ref=bookmarks Quote Stewart uses as a guide in life: “No matter the obstacle, always persevere.” Jade Stewart is a living witness to the power of perseverance and never giving up on your dream. Seven years ago while attending Jefferson County International Baccalaureate (JCIB) High School, the Irondale native came up with the idea of a book about a teenage girl adapting to life in a new school and supernatural forces combating her. Bit by bit while taking rigorous classes at her IB high school and pu...

What: Innovation Week at the Birmingham Public Library When: August 17-24, 2017 Where: Central Library, Linn-Henley Research Library, Regional Library Computer Center (RLCC), 4th floor It’s August and that means it’s time for Birmingham Innovation Week . Since 2014 Birmingham’s entrepreneurial minded community has set aside a week each year to celebrate and provide inspiration for those individuals, agencies, organizations, and businesses engaged in creative activities that stimulate local economic growth and opportunity. This year the Birmingham Public Library will be hosting five programs during Innovation Week that promote the resources the library has to help its patrons develop their innovative ideas. Here are the descriptions of the individual programs and the days and times that they will be offered: Thursday August 17, 2017, 12:00-1:30 p.m. Using Google to Grow Your Business: Getting Started with Social Media and Email Marketing using Google The Birmingham ...

This year I did not take tax-free weekend, all those television commercials, or department store fliers seriously. Even the parents who came in to register their children for school online didn't give me a clue. Unlike all the students who made the journey back to school this week, the new school year literally crept up on me. I kept seeing children throughout the day in the library and I thought the opening of the school year was weeks away. Every year it gets a little earlier. The Facebook photos of people's children going back to school really should have tipped me off. As a student, I personally did not enjoy going back to school. It meant the end of my opportunity to sleep late every morning, particularly as a teenager. My grandmother was up every morning at first light and it drove her crazy how long I wanted to stay in bed. She would start banging pots and pans in the kitchen to wake me up, but it didn't phase me. Finally, she would simply yell upstairs for me t...

by Jim Baggett, Archives Department, Central Library A Project of the Birmingham Public Library Archives The Alabama Decorative Arts Survey, begun in 1985 and directed by the Birmingham Museum of Art , was a nine-year state-wide search for 19th and early 20th century ceramics, quilts, coverlets, furniture, carvings, paintings, photographs, metals, textiles, and grave markers created by Alabama artisans. The records of the survey are now preserved in the Birmingham Public Library Archives and the Archives has created an online, searchable database containing digitized photographs and information for hundreds of objects. The database will be expanded to include additional objects as funding becomes available. Explore the Alabama Decorative Arts Survey Database at www.bplonline.org/ADAS . The creation of this database was made possible by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts .

This Saturday, August 12, at 10:00 a.m. , the Southern History Department will offer another workshop in our popular Beyond the Basics of Genealogy series. This fast-paced workshop will focus on how to research your ancestors' occupation, place of employment, or family-owned business. Given how much time we spend at our jobs and careers, knowing what our ancestors did for a living gives us a much fuller picture of what their lives were like on a day-to-day basis. We'll take a look at some familiar sources (city directories, census records, newspapers) and show you how to use them to piece together the history of a business or simply determine what your ancestors did for a living. We'll also be looking at the Alabama Secretary of State's Business Entity database which can be useful for finding out when and where a small business was established. As we all know, genealogical information can turn up in the strangest places. Was your ancestor an inventor? Was he or s...

Author Doug Segrest Books:   A Storm Came Up (Author House 2011) and The Sea of Mississippi (in progress) How to reach the author: e - mail Doug Segrest at dsegrest@gmail.com or visit him at https://www.amazon.com/Storm-Came-Up-Doug-Segrest/dp/1463413971, https://www.facebook.com/A-Storm-Came-Up-192367397489549/, or twitter: @dsegrest Quote Segrest uses as a guide in life: “I just follow the Golden Rule.” Quote from author about being involved in Local Authors Expo: “This will be my second appearance at the Local Authors Expo. I was blown away the first time by the talent of the other authors from across Birmingham and Alabama, the size of the crowd, and how accessible everyone was that day. If you are an avid reader or an aspiring author, this day is a treasure trove of opportunity.” Doug Segrest will be one of over 30 authors featured in the Birmingham Public Library’s 2017 Local Authors Expo, taking place on Saturday, August 19, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. , at the Central...

Author SL Stoutermire Books: Strength: It’s What I Found When I Removed My Makeup ; I Said Yes How to reach the author:  e-mail SL Stoutermire at author@slstoutermire.com or visit her website at www.slstoutermire.com Quote SL Stoutermire uses as a guide in life: Psalm 138:7-8 New King James Version (NKJV) 7 – Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me. 8 The LORD will fulfill [his purpose] for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever—do not abandon the works of your hands. SL Stoutermire will be one of over 30 authors featured in the Birmingham Public Library’s 2017 Local Authors Expo , taking place on Saturday, August 19, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. , at the Central Library . SL Stoutermire was introduced to books at a very early age by her role model and aunt. She fell in love with books and would read everything she could get her hands on. The library was the greate...

by Heather McWilliams, Smithfield Branch Library The Smithfield Branch Library will be having a full week of crafts and activities leading up to the solar eclipse. Our events will begin Monday, August 14, with free eclipse glasses. We will be giving them out on a first come, first serve basis, one per patron. We will have a craft every afternoon at 4:00 pm. Our schedule is as follows: Monday, August 14 – Galactic Coasters Tuesday, August 15 – Moonrocks Wednesday, August 16 – Galaxy Jars Thursday, August 17 – Cosmic Space Dough Friday, August 18 – Galaxy Slime Our main event will take place on Monday, August 21 . We will be having an eclipse viewing party from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. This schedule is following the eclipse and how long it will be visible in the Birmingham area. We will have free eclipse glasses, games, crafts, trivia, and snacks for all ages. Before the eclipse, we will have space bingo, Saturn ring toss, eclipse trivia, and we will be talking about safely vie...

by David Blake, Fiction Department, Central Fiction In Search of Lost Time: The Prisoner and The Fugitive Marcel Proust By all accounts Marcel Proust was a neurotically possessive friend. In his The Prisoner and The Fugitive , Proust’s full powers are directed toward portrayal of a passion he understood intimately— obsessive jealousy and its ruinous impacts. Often published separately, volumes five and six of In Search of Lost Time: The Prisoner and The Fugitive were published from his drafts after Proust died. The two linked narratives are bridges to the penultimate volume seven Time Regained , wherein the design of his great work is revealed. Possessive jealously is an affliction well covered in the four previous volumes of In Search of Lost Time . The Narrator and his mother, Swann and Odette, Robert St Loup and Rachel, the Baron and Morel, all of their destructive obsessions have been observed and reported in excruciating detail by the Narrator. Yet, knowing all the pai...

What: Using Google to Grow Your Business seminar series When:  Thursday August 17, 2017 – "Getting Started with Social Media and Email Marketing" Time: 12:00-1:30 p.m. Where: Central Library, Linn-Henley Research Library, Regional Library Computer Center, 4th floor Details: Free but registration is required The final seminar in the Using Google to Grow Your Business series is "Getting Started with Social Media and Email Marketing." This session will be held from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. in the Central Library's Regional Library Computer Center, located on the 4th floor of the Linn-Henley Research Building. The seminar series is sponsored by the City of Birmingham’s Office of Economic Development and Zeekee , a local digital marketing agency. The program presenters will be Zeekee’s marketing and IT specialists. The seminar is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register, please contact Andy Mayo in the City of Birmingham’s Offi...

Update: All locations of BPL are OUT of solar eclipse glasses. On Monday, August 21, a total solar eclipse will be viewable from much of the continental United States for the first time in 38 years. Nine Birmingham Public Library locations are among libraries across the country that have received free solar eclipse glasses that are being distributed to the public on a first-come, first-served basis to view this phenomenon. Millions of Americans will see the moon’s shadow crossing the country from Oregon to South Carolina. Participating BPL locations that have solar eclipse glasses available for patrons are as follows (call each location to get details as there is a limited supply): Avondale Regional Branch Library East Lake Branch Library Eastwood Branch Library Ensley Branch Library Five Points West Regional Branc Library North Birmingham Regional Branch Library Smithfield Branch Library Southside Branch Library Springville Road Regional Branch Library The Smithfie...

Urban legend has it that Ernest Hemingway wrote a six-word short story on a bet. The story has since been debunked, but many have challenged themselves to write a six-word story as effective as this one. Ever since legend recorded that Ernest Hemingway won a bet by writing his famous story, “ For sale: baby shoes, never worn ,” writers have been challenging themselves to squeeze as much emotion and impact as possible into six words. As part of our annual celebration of food, drink, and literature the Birmingham Public Library is having a six-word story contest. In only six words, tell us about your adventures with food using the form below, Twitter, Instagram, or e-mail. The contest will run from Friday, August 4, 2017, until Friday, September 30, 2017 . Stories must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on September 30 in order to be eligible. Four winners will be selected. Stories will be judged on creativity and originality. Here are the rules and eligibility: Submission Form El...

by Alisha Johnson, Ensley Branch Library Money Making Mom: How Every Woman Can Earn More and Make a Difference Crystal Paine For the last few years more and more people have been looking for ways to supplement their primary income, especially women. Many of them are running single family homes or seeking to accomplish long term financial security as a unit. However, Crystal Pain has written a book that is filled with inspiration and ideas to guide you in the right direction of financial freedom. This book is called Money Making Mom: How Every Woman Can Earn More and Make a Difference. Paine is a well-followed business owner, well-known blogger, speaker, and author. She exclaims that, “she sets out to spark your creativity, stir your heart and inject fresh financial vision into your life.” In this book, she encourages us all to find out what our unique skills and talents are and nurture them. She also points out that once we shift our perspective to live more generously for oth...