Birmingham Public Library Blog

What: BPL Presents "Soulful Sundays: Food Truck Fundraiser"  When:  Sunday, December 6, 2020  Time:  12:00 – 4:00 p.m.  Where:  Central Library, 2100 Park Place Admission : Donations of any amount. Proceeds will be allocated to the BPL Mobile Project.  Details :    Families will have the opportunity to take photos with Santa while maintaining social distances. Masks are required.    Birmingham, Ala. –  Families seeking opportunities to   take photos with Santa Claus in a safe, socially distant environment, good food and musical entertainment are invited to the Central Library in downtown Birmingham on Sunday, December 6.     The Birmingham Public Library presents "Soulful Sundays: Food Truck Fundraiser" from noon to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 6, 2020, at the Central Library, 2100 Park Place.     Several food truck vendors will be available: Underground Vegan, Broad Street Peaux Boys...

  Receiving feedback from patrons is a great way for librarians to know they are having a positive impact on the communities they serve.  Employees at the Avondale Regional Library are honored to provide quality services for nearby Red Mountain Community School , as highlighted in this Q&A with Melanie Walker-Malone, head of the school  (click here) Check out these patron testimonials from teachers at Red Mountain Community School on why they’re thankful for their library: Erin Keenan, 1st/2nd Grade Teacher   “Our school has loved using the Avondale library on our “Park Days”. The K-2nd grade set often shows up unannounced. The sweet staff always welcomes the busy, excited, not silent group of 18ish little people with open arms. They are quick to help our kids find just right books, make recommendations, and shower us with bookmarks, and other trinkets. We are so very grateful for the Avondale Library and look forward to visiting again soon.” Melissa Sh...

The Birmingham Public Library loves partnering with surrounding schools. Among them: Red Mountain Community School, a longtime user of nearby Avondale Regional Library . Founded in 2005 by a group of Birmingham residents, Red Mountain Community School relies completely on real books – not textbooks – to educate its students, said Head of School Melanie Walker-Malone. Avondale Regional Library has become “an invaluable resource for each classroom teacher and for the school as a whole,” she said. In a Q & A, Walker-Malone talked about why she loves BPL and why she is thankful for Red Mountain Community School’s strong relationship with Avondale Regional Library. Walker-Malone says she has been a BPL patron for her entire life, from being read books as a baby in 1962 to the present day. After graduating with an elementary education degree from UAB in 1983, Walker-Malone worked briefly as a storyteller in the Central Library Youth Department.  BPL: It is Thanksgiving season. Why...

  The Birmingham Public Library Board of Trustees has approved new BPL holiday hours for the week of Thanksgiving. Curbside service will be suspended at Avondale, Five Points West and Springville Road regional libraries during the Thanksgiving holiday.  The changes approved by the BPL board are as follows:  * Suspend Curbside Pickup Service at branch locations ( Avondale , Five Points West , Springville Road ) during Thanksgiving week. November 23-25, 2020.  *  Curbside pickup service will be available at Central (9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Monday through Wednesday) along with in-person service available (10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Monday through Wednesday) on East Building first floor only. * All BPL locations will be closed in observance of Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26, and Friday, November 27. Remember, BPL remains open online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, allowing patrons to check out items online and take advantage of services virtually via the BPL ...

Count Shelly Ann Edge among patrons thankful for the Birmingham Public Library.   Edge has been taking her 6-year-old daughter, Tallulah, to Avondale Regional Library since she was a toddler, and continues to take advantage of the library’s curbside services and views the weekly virtual programs on the Avondale Library Facebook page.  Since she is homeschooling her daughter this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Edge is relying on Avondale Library for the extensive weekly book list homeschooling requires. She checks out 15 books a week. In a Q & A, Edge talked about what she loves most about BPL.  BPL: It is the Thanksgiving season. Why are you thankful for the Birmingham Public Library? Edge : Without the Avondale Library, homeschooling would be far more challenging, and my family would have far fewer resources available to us to aid in our education. I am very thankful for the caring librarians, who know my daughter by name and help pick out the perfect books...

About this series: The Birmingham Public Library won a grant from the Public Library Association to help patrons sign up for the 2021 Health Insurance Marketplace. The Central Library downtown can assist by providing information and assisting with enrollment. If you don’t have health insurance coverage, we can help you enroll in the Health Insurance Marketplace during the open enrollment period. To make an appointment, go to https://younginvincibles.org/open-enrollment/ or call the library at 205-226-3600.   By Lynn Hutchins | Information and Circulation Department | Central Library    Top 3 reasons to get health insurance:  It helps you and your family stay healthy, with care such as: *  Free preventive care, including yearly checkups, flu shots, and cancer screenings *  Vision and dental care for kids  *  Care before, during, and after you have a baby  Peace of mind  Accidents happen – and when they do, they shouldn’t drain your fi...

All Birmingham Public Library locations will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday Thursday, November 26, through Friday, November 27.

   By Jim Murray | Business, Science and Technology Department, Central Library   What : A virtual workshop entitled  Power Your Job Search with Google Tools   Date: Thursday, December 3, 2020 Time : 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. CST Details: Registration required. Please go to  g.co/grow/Alabama The Birmingham Public Library is hosting a virtual workshop for job seekers entitled  Power Your Job Search with Google Tools  at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday December 3, 2020. The hour long workshop will be presented by a Grow with Google instructor who will cover the following topics:  • Discovering career opportunities using Job Search on Google  • Using Google Sheets to track the progress of job applications  • Creating a resume using Google Docs  At the conclusion of the workshop, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session with the instructor. The workshop is free, but registration is required.  To regis...

Author Vallean Jackson has answered the Birmingham Public Library Local Authors Reading Challenge. Jackson is the author of Adventures with Liyah Presents Colors at First Sight . The book tells the story of Liyah, a curious young girl who loves taking adventures and learns the colors of the world around her.  Click here for a link of Jackson reading a sample from her book on YouTube https://youtu.be/kK3HXxinHhA   Author Vallean Jackson In a Q&A with BPL’s PR Department, Jackson shared what inspired her to write the book. BPL: What is Adventures with Liyah Presents Colors at First Sight about?  Jackson: My book is about a little girl named Liyah taking adventures and along the way notices the different colors around her. This awareness of colors and illustrations encourage learning through the use of word/color association and related illustrations to match.  BPL: You are a journalist - What inspired you to start writing books? Jackson: I was inspired to wri...

  Count Tee Cunningham of Birmingham among the many patrons thankful that the Central Library has reopened. Desiring to get a passport for an upcoming family trip to Mexico, Cunningham was surprised when a friend told her that the Central Library in downtown Birmingham offered passport application services. Last week, Cunningham visited the Central Library and within an hour, she started her passport process, including getting a photo done.  ‘I’m so glad the Birmingham Public Library offers this service,” she said.  In addition to passport services, the Central Library allows patrons to come inside to get papers notarized, documents faxed, and use of public computers on the first floor.  For more information about BPL’s Citizens Services, call (205) 226-3600 or go to www.cobpl.org.  The Central Library began offering in-person visits by patrons on October 1.  BPL is also offering curbside pickups of new materials and drop-offs of old items at the Central L...

  By Lynn Hutchins  |  Information and Circulation Department | Central Library  The Central Branch of the Birmingham Public Library can help you by providing information and assisting with Healthcare Marketplace enrollment.  If you don’t have health insurance coverage, BPL can help you enroll in the Health Insurance Marketplace during the open enrollment period between November 1 and December 15, 2020.  Here are details:  • Most people who enroll on the Health Insurance Marketplace at HealthCare.gov get help paying for their health insurance  • Many people will pay $100 or less each month  • Plans and pricing change every year, so be sure to shop around on the Marketplace. You may find a plan that better meets your needs and budget. Schedule an appointment for Healthcare Marketplace enrollment at the Birmingham Public Library by clicking here  https://widget.getcoveredamerica.org/ Click here for a recent BPL blog that provides inform...

The Birmingham Public Library will be closed for Veterans Day Wednesday, November 11, 2020.

  Bards & Brews, the Birmingham Public Library's monthly spoken word poetry/craft beer event, will be held virtually this Friday, November 6, 2020.  Bards & Brews will air beginning at 6:00 p.m. on the Bards Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/BardsandBrews.   Candice Hardy, BPL's Outreach Librarian and creative director for Bards, says poets who desire to  participate can still register for a few slots open by emailing Bards.Brews@cobpl.org. The deadline to register is at noon this Friday, November 6.   Preparing to enter its 11th year this fall, Bards & Brews has become one of the Birmingham Public Library’s most successful programs, with its combination of spoken word poetry and craft beer attracting a diverse crowd of patrons of all races, both young and old.  Even after being switched online to the Bards & Brews Facebook page since April, the monthly program has continued to attract a large viewing audience. Prior to COVID-19 pandem...

  What: 2020 Birmingham Public Library Local Authors Expo  When: Saturday, November 7, 2020  Time: 10:00 a.m. Location: Virtual/Live-stream via Birmingham Public Library Facebook Page  Details: BPL is holding its annual Local Authors Expo virtually this year, featuring 10 authors from across Alabama. The program will be hosted by BPL Programming/Outreach Librarian Candice Hardy. Registration is closed; no other authors will be admitted. For information, contact Candice Hardy at (205) 226-3741. Participating Authors Link:   www.cobpl.org/LocalAuthors A 10-year-old student from Birmingham’s Glen Iris Elementary School is among the 10 participants in the 2020 Birmingham Public Library Local Authors Expo taking place virtually this Saturday, November 7. Ayrika Jones, author of How Did You Know It was Me, Mr. Tomato , was featured on WVTM NBC 13 in September and interviewed by Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin for his spotlight feature last week.  Birmingh...