Birmingham Public Library Blog

By Gelenda Norman |  Central Library  The fourth edition of the Birmingham Public Library ’s Read-In for Justice program is spotlighting Hispanic heritage. Join us on Saturday, September 12, 2020, between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., on the BPL Facebook page. Read-In for Justice, which was spotlighted by the Urban Libraries Council in August , is BPL’s monthly focus on reading books that showcase race and social justice issues. September’s program will celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month , which is observed annually from September 15 to October 15.  Read-In for Justice Through Our Eyes: Our Stories, Our Lives,  will use books to educate viewers about the many contributions made by Hispanic Americans as well as their influences to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. Some of the books will be read in Spanish for Latino viewers. Rachel Estes, outreach director at Canterbury United Methodist Church in Mountain Brook, is collabora...

By Jim Murray |  Business, Science and Technology Department  |  Central Library Although the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the NCAA Basketball Tournament this past spring, and is making the College Football Playoff scheduled for this coming January look like an iffy proposition, it has not ruined all opportunities for Alabamians to enjoy an exciting bracket competition that awards the winner a big prize. Yes, the Alabama Census Bowl , which runs from September 2 to September 30, can hopefully help fill the void left by the absence of athletic contests by offering us instead a clash between 32 counties in the state that are competing to determine which has the greatest increase in 2020 Census self-response among their residents. The stakes of the competition are high not only because the winning county will receive $65,000 to support its public schools, but because the future economic and political health of the entire state depends upon the overall respons...

By David Ryan | Central Library Of all the different mnemonics or memory tricks I’ve come across over the years, I’ve always found the memory palace to be the most fascinating. The palace is a place—real or imagined—that allows you to logically store your facts and figures in an orderly fashion. You can store nearly any fact or figure in your memory palace from countries of the world in order of population to French verbs. The memory palace is incredibly versatile. I first came across the concept of memory palaces in, of all places, a Hannibal Lecter novel. The murderous Dr. Lecter uses memory palaces as a type of mental library for souvenirs both gruesome and beautiful. Several years later I discovered what is considered the most authoritative of memory books, and learned that a memory palace is more traditionally used to hold facts and figures. Published in 1966,  The Art of Memory by Frances Yates was so influential that in 1999 it landed on the New York Times top 100 nonfic...

In celebration of Black Breastfeeding Week, the Birmingham Public Library Diversity Committee will present a special program on Thursday, August 27 at 11:00 a.m. on the BPL Facebook page . In its eighth year,  Black Breastfeeding Week  is being observed Tuesday, August 25 through Monday, August 31. The discussion Thursday will be facilitated by former BPL employee and doula Chauntel Norris and her partner, Danica Davis, of Baobab Birth Collective. Baobab Birth Collective (  https://www.baobabbirth.com/ ) was founded in 2014 by Norris and Davis, a pair of doulas with a passion for women's healthcare. They chose the name Baobab for their company because the Baobab tree is known as the "tree of life" because of its ability to thrive in harsh conditions and give life to people by providing nutritious food and shelter. Black Breastfeeding Week was founded in 2013 by three black mothers to counter four decades of disparity between breastfeeding by white women vs. black...

By Shea Robinson | Central Library  Fall in love this season with a favorite summer romance. These films, along with many more, are being featured on Hoopla ! Chocolat Nobody could have imagined the impact Vianne would make when she arrived in a small French town. In her very unusual chocolate shop, she begins to craft delectable confections that almost magically inspire the straitlaced villagers to abandon themselves to temptation and happiness. But it is not until another stranger, the handsome Roux, arrives in town that she finally recognizes her own desires.  Moonlight A look at three defining chapters in the life of Chiron, a young black man growing up in Miami. His epic journey to manhood is guided by the kindness, support, and love of the community that helps raise him. Bride and Prejudice In this modern musical retelling of Jane Austen 's classic, sparks fly as a love/hate relationship ignites between a small-town beauty and a wealthy American who's visiting her modes...

Want to keep up with national news related to the presidential election and COVID-19? Then take advantage of the Birmingham Public Library ’s virtual news database. Thanks to BPL's online media partners, library cardholders can gain access to some of the nation's leading newspapers such as the New York Times and similar online news from local, national, and world newspapers. Stretch your budget further, avoid newspaper subscriptions by utilizing your library card. You can get the latest news on the Democratic National Presidential Convention that concluded Thursday night, next week’s Republican National Convention, and updates on the coronavirus pandemic. For more information on BPL's many news resources, click here    https://bplolinenews.blogspot.com/2020/08/bpl-virtual-resources-spotlight-news.html     Remember, BPL is ALWAYS open 24/7 through our website ( www.cobpl.org ) and BPL's social media channels including Facebook , Instagram and Twitter . ...

By Jennifer Hancock | Central Library Although many older readers remember the beginnings of Dungeons & Dragons, it is making a comeback among our youth and teens. The Endless Quest series is aimed toward our juvenile audience, and is set in a “choose your own adventure” format that fits well with those who are used to actually playing in DnD campaigns. And each book in the series is from the perspective of a certain “type” of character. For example, To Catch a Thief  ( Dungeons & Dragons: Endless Quest) by Matt Forbeck  is from the perspective of a Rogue . . . a Halfling to be precise. This series is not, though, based on a connected timeline, so there does not appear to be a particular order in which they must be read. In this book, our Halfling “hero,” a skilled lock-pick and thief, is careless enough to be caught by the authorities and is forced into service to retrieve a stolen item from the leader of the Thieves’ Guild.  From this point, the story is up to...

By Shea Robinson |  Central Library  Based on a true story, The Whole Wide World depicts the relationship between the infamous pulp writer, Robert E.Howard , and Novalyne Price. Novalyne, portrayed by actress Renée Zellweger , is a schoolteacher with dreams of becoming a published author. She seeks out Robert, portrayed by actor Vincent D’Onofrio , for writing advice to advance her career. The two begin a rather unconventional friendship as Robert is a somewhat difficult man to know, given that his life is mainly comprised of developing his elaborate tales of fantasy and caring for his ailing mother. Robert is a man of strong opinions and it leads to several disagreements between the two, given that Novalyne is no shrinking violet either.   However, she remains drawn to his passion for writing and the imaginative creation of his characters, most especially Conan the Barbarian . Against the backdrop of sunset picnics and moonlit walks, the couple develops a relationsh...

Five Points West Library's StoryWalk features the book If You're Happy and You Know It Two  Birmingham Public Library  regional locations are installing StoryWalks, allowing patrons to experience the joy of reading while enjoying fresh air and sunshine at the same time. Five Points West Regional Branch Library ’s StoryWalk in Learning Tree Park outside the library is already open. Avondale Regional Branch Library ’s StoryWalk will take place the entire month of September. The StoryWalk® Project is an outdoor reading experience created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont, and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Storywalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson. With StoryWalk, laminated pages from a chosen children's book are mounted along a path. As you stroll down the path, you're directed to the next page in the story. Installed by Library Assistant III Carla Threats, Five Points West Library’s StoryWalk feature...

By Jonathan Newman | Avondale Regional Branch Library Paulette Jiles is a novelist, poet, and memoirist. She is the author of the memoir  Cousins , and the novels Enemy Women , Stormy Weather , The Color of Lightning , Lighthouse Island , and News of the World , which was a finalist for the 2016 National Book Award . She lives on a ranch near San Antonio, Texas. Following a theme established in her earlier novel News of the World , Jiles gives us a sweeping western story with a good number of twists and turns in Simon the Fiddler . Her book records the experiences of a young man pursuing his dream of music and trying to stay out of the Civil War 's last gasps.  It is the spring of 1865 and young Simon Boudin finds himself an unwilling soldier in the rapidly dissolving Confederate army on the Texas coast. Having dodged the draft for some time by pretending to be underage, Simon finds himself with little more than his beloved fiddle and the clothes on his back. Now with a m...

By Shea Robinson |  Central Library  The Alabama Theater, a downtown Birmingham staple, has cancelled their 2020 Summer Film Series due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To create the big screen experience at home, the following August film selections are available for checkout at Birmingham Public Library. Click here to support the Alabama Theatre during this unexpected closure.  The Sound of Music Rogers and Hammerstein 's cinematic treasure stars the incomparable Julie Andrews as Maria, the warmhearted young woman who brings joy and music to Captain von Trapp and his children. The Princess Bride Heartbroken over the death of her beloved Westley, beautiful Buttercup finally succumbs to the advances of the wicked Prince Humperdinck. Yet, when she's suddenly kidnapped by a motley band of deviants, what gallant hero comes to the rescue? None other than Westley—alive, well, and as wonderful as ever. But before these two can live happily ever after, they must first overcome for...

Friday, August 21, is National Senior Citizens Day. What: The Birmingham Public Library Celebrating Senior Citizens Week When: Monday through Friday, August 17-21, 2020 How to Participate: Tune in online Monday through Friday on the BPL Facebook page. As the U.S. prepares to hold National Senior Citizens Day on Friday, August 21, the BPL Diversity Committee is hosting a week-long series of programs designed to help older patrons in a variety of ways- from a pet presentation to self-defense Cane Fu class and online fitness classes. The week will culminate with a Senior Swag Giveaway at BPL’s regional libraries – Avondale, Five Points West, North Birmingham and Springville Road - on Friday, August 21, National Senior Citizens Day. All of the programs will take place virtually on the Birmingham Public Library Facebook page -  https://www.facebook.com/BirminghamPublicLibrary National Senior Citizens Day is set aside every year to show the elderly people in our lives we ...

By Tamiko Nixon | North Birmingham Regional Branch Library I absolutely loved this book! At first I thought, Oh no! Not another Cinderella retailing! Do not get me wrong, I have loved the story of Cinderella from a child until now. I was sure that the storyline would not be as predictable as some retellings and I was not disappointed in Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer.  Cinder is a second-class citizen because she is a cyborg. There is the usual evil stepmother and two stepsisters, but one is actually nice to her. She has a mechanic shop where she is a master at fixing things in futuristic Beijing. She has a mysterious past which will play a huge role in the end. One day Prince Kai comes to her shop and asks for her help in fixing his android. She is so human-like that he does not realize she is a cyborg and immediately begins to fall in love with her. The world has been suffering from a deadly disease that kills in a matter of days, and the cure depends ...

By Jim Murray |  Business, Science and Technology Department  | Central Library Wednesday, August 12, has been declared “Drop Everything, Get Counted Day”  in Alabama and businesses throughout the state are encouraged to celebrate the occasion by setting aside part of the work day to allow employees to complete the 2020 Census questionnaire . The state agencies and organizations that are taking the lead in this campaign are the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA), Alabama Counts! , the Business Council of Alabama , the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama , and the Alabama Chapter of the National Federation of Independent Businesses . As of today, the Census self-response rate in Alabama is approximately 61%, which is well below the 72% self-response rate that the state achieved in 2010. With the national deadline for responding to the Census being shortened to September 30, Alabamians are running out of time to be counted. According t...

By David Ryan | Central Library Since 1945 the ominous mushroom-shaped shadow of nuclear weapons has only occasionally lurched to the front of our national psyche. Rare incidents like the Cuban Missile Crisis , the 1983 downing of Korean airlines flight 007, and North Korea’s nuclear program have reminded us of the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki . However, for presidents, generals and admirals this shadow has been ubiquitous, a daily pall spawning a host of devilish catch-22s that haunt their work and dreams. In The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War  Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Fred Kaplan reveals the lethal evolution of nuclear weapons, and how these technical advances have forced our military leaders, politicians, and scholars to change how they answer the most basic of questions: When, if ever, is it strategically necessary to launch a nuclear attack? The strategic contradictions brought about by technical, nuclear advances su...

By Fontaine Alison |  Five Points West Regional Branch Library They killed my mother. They took our magic. They tried to bury us. Now we rise. Ok, four short sentences and I’m ready to read this book! And 525 pages (or 18 hours) later, I’m glad I did. Children of Blood and Bone , first novel of Nigerian American Tomi Adeyemi, contains the usual elements of successful young adult books: action, drama, romance, and teen triumph. But Adeyemi’s book is not just a superficial quest story. Her story is set in a multilayered world with levels of meaning for readers and listeners of all ages. The audiobook won Audiobook of the Year in 2019. The main character, Zélie, is a teenage girl whose parents were killed by the king from a rival clan. They were both maji, special people who possess magical powers. The king is determined to eradicate all magic from the realm and thus secure his power. He has subjugated Zelie’s people, forcing them to serve him. Zelie’s quest to...

By Jim Murray | Business, Science and Technology Department , Central Library  On Monday, August 3, the U.S. Census Bureau released a statement announcing that the deadline for responding to the Census was being moved back to September 30, 2020. This new deadline is not only for resident self-response, but also for all bureau field operations aimed at collecting population data for the 2020 Census. The bureau had previously extended the response deadline from July 31 to October 31  due to disruptions created by the COVID-19 pandemic . The implied reason for the shortened deadline was to ensure that the collection and processing of data would be completed in time to deliver the results to President Trump by December 31, 2020. The December 31 date is prescribed by statutory law in Title 13 of the United States Code , but earlier this year, due to the pandemic, the bureau asked Congress to extend that deadline six months to April 2021. The House voted to approve the exten...

James Walker and Wanda McGinnis show that the East Lake Library Tiny Garden can promote physical distancing, while the  scarecrow supervises. Patrons have been able to follow the project on the library Facebook page.  As the Birmingham Public Library joins libraries across the country adapting to new and creative ways to serve patrons and communicate virtually with the public, staffers from the East Lake Branch came up with an idea to combine a hobby with fun. The East Lake Branch Library Tiny Garden Project was born. According to Library Assistant III Wanda McGinnis, the East Lake garden idea began in two windows in the library foyer that would be used during summer programming. The original idea was to start plants and flowers from seedlings and give them to young patrons participating in 2020 Summer Learning programs. That plan was scratched due to virtual programming and no contact servicing enacted for safety reasons amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. “We deci...

 BPL Virtual Resources Spotlight: The News  By Caleb West | BPL Collection Management  BACKGROUND: Today is Part IV of the BPL Virtual Resources Spotlight, a new blog highlighting the Birmingham Public Library’s vast free online resources available to serve the public. This week, we spotlight The News. As more high school and college students will be taking classes online this fall, BPL has virtual resources via our newspaper partners to help them gain access to information for research papers.  For more information click here  The Birmingham Public Library is ALWAYS open 24/7 through our FREE online digital resources. For more about BPL’s virtual resources, click here http://www.bplonline.org/virtual/  BPL Virtual Resources Spotlight: The News  Birmingham, Ala. - The value of our virtual resources has been elevated the past few months during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Birmingham Public Library has continued to serve the public throu...

By Jim Murray | Business, Science and Technology Department , Central Library  What: Let’s Talk about Medicare: Questions and Answers Facebook Live program When: Thursday August 6, 2020 Time: 12:00–1:00 p.m. Where: Birmingham Public Library's Facebook page www.facebook.com/BirminghamPublicLibrary Details: Program presenter Albert McWilliams, Sr., a licensed insurance adviser in Birmingham since 2001, will share tips for the public on how to maneuver the complex world of Medicare. For more information, contact the Central Library’s Business, Science and Technology Department by email at cenbusiness@bham.lib.al.us or call (205) 226-3691. Although patrons are not able to access our buildings, the Birmingham Public Library continues to offer resources and programs to patrons using a variety of virtual platforms. If you are interested in taking part in an online learning experience that will help you gain a better understanding of your Medicare options and eligibility, ...