Birmingham Public Library Blog

  By Ellen Griffin Shade| Avondale Regional Branch Library   At Avondale Library we LOVE crafting, and we especially love sharing it with our patrons.  In order to keep doing that, we've modified our adult arts and crafts programs into monthly Grab & Go kits for Grown-ups that can be picked up curbside or inside the library.  And we've added a monthly Club Create Craft & Chat zoom so that we can hang out with our favorite crafters!   Drop by the library to pick up your kit, and don't forget to register for the zoom. Happy Crafting!

The Birmingham African American Genealogy Group (BAAGG) is hosting its 21st Black Heritage Fair virtually this year due to COVID-19.  The annual event, which pays tribute to African-American heritage and shares tips on how to research your family tree, will take place virtually beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, February 6. You can register for free on Eventbrite (see link below)  The theme of the 2021 Black Heritage Fair is “The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity.” The guest speaker is Sharon Gillins, a professional genealogist from Galveston, Texas. 2021 Black Heritage Fair events will include various speakers, educational displays, family history discussions, youth speakers, black history facts and more.  Mary Beth Newbill of the Birmingham Public Library’s Southern History Department will share details of three virtual genealogy workshops her department is hosting during February and how BPL can assist African-Americans in their genealogy research.   To regi

  As part of the Birmingham Public Library's 2021 Black History Month Celebration, the Southern History Department is hosting three genealogy programs during the month of February.  The three programs are as follows (registration information later in this blog) I ntro to Genealogy, Wednesday, February 3, 10-11 a.m.  African American Genealogy Resources: Websites, Database, and Webinars, Wednesday, February 17, 10-11 a.m.  Online: Good, Bad, and Ugly: Accessing and Assessing the WPA Slave Narratives, Wednesday, February 24, 10-11 a.m.  Read below for descriptions of each of the Southern History Department’s genealogy programs Intro to Genealogy, Wednesday, February 3, 10 - 11 a.m. Virtual. Registration required. Want to learn how to do genealogical research? Come to this introductory class that will help get you started on your genealogical journey. The staff in the Southern History Department covers such topics as vital records, courthouse and church records, and the Federal Cens

The Birmingham Public Library is hosting nearly 20 programs and activities, mostly online, to celebrate the 2021 Black History Month. Programs begin on Monday, February 1. Here is a listing by day, time and location: Avondale Community Interview Series With Author Tony Christon-Walker, author of "Fatherhood: Walking in Truth," Monday, February 1, 10:00 a.m. (Virtual Program) The Avondale Community Interview Series returns as Avondale Library’s Joan Inman talks to Tony Christon-Walker, the Director of Prevention & Community Partnerships at AIDS Alabama. Click here for a blog about the interview series https://bplolinenews.blogspot.com/2021/01/avondale-library-community-interview.html  Five Points West Black History Month Spotlight, February 1-25 (virtual program, Five Points West Library Facebook Page)  In conjunction with the Black History Month Theme 2021: The Black Family, Representation, Identity and Diversity, each week one family African-American family of the 21st

  By Joan Inman | Avondale Regional Branch Library Beginning next week, the Avondale Regional Branch Library Adult Department’s interview series returns. Started last fall as the Avondale Neighborhood Interview Series, this time facilitator Joan Inman of Avondale Library is calling the weekly sessions taking place every Monday during the month of February the Avondale Community Interview Series. Each week, Inman will interview representatives of non-profits, small business owners, authors and artists in Avondale and the surrounding communities.  The Avondale Community Interview Series will kick off the Birmingham Public Library’s Black History Month programs with a virtual interview of Tony Christon-Walker, author of "Fatherhood: Walking in Truth." The interview will be at 10:00 a.m. Monday, February 1, on the  Avondale Library Facebook page . Christon-Walker is the director of Prevention and Community Partnerships at AIDS Alabama.  Pre-recorded last August as a conversation

  Poetry lovers, rejoice: The Birmingham Public Library is celebrating the rich legacy of African-American poetry as part of it 2021 Black History Month programming. “Bards & Brews: Lift Every Voice” will feature some of Alabama’s best spoken word artists at 6 p.m. on Friday, February 5. Join us virtually on the Facebook pages of both Bards & Brews a nd the Birmingham Public Library. The virtual platform will continue to illuminate the anthology of black poetry published in the last 250 years. “Lift Every Voice: The Nationwide Celebration of 250 Years of African America Poetry” is powered by the Library of America and will pay homage to notable poets such as Langston Hughes, Nicci Giovanni, Maya Angelou and many more. This celebration of black heritage is an empowering event for a diverse community.  Click here for details on the February 5 Bards & Brews  Click here for details on BPL's February 20 Read-In for Justice.    Lift Every Voice ( https://www.africanamericanp

  By Gelenda Norman| Central Library Youth Department The Birmingham Public Library’s Read-In for Justice will return in February by celebrating the theme of 2021 Black History Month: “The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity.”  Join us virtually, via BPL Facebook Live, at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 20, 2021.  This virtual program, entitled “Read-In for Justice: A Poetic Look at the Black Family,” will embark upon a poetic journey that will highlight and celebrate the beauty and richness of the African-American family and its heritage. Readers representing multiple generations will lend their voices to works written by African American poets, past and present, as well as themselves.  The program is funded by a grant BPL received in the fall 2020 from “Lift Every Voice: The Nationwide Celebration of 250 Years of African American Poetry”.  This award allowed BPL to host two virtual programs, Read-In for Justice (10:00 a.m. Saturday, February 20) and Bards &

Amanda Gorman delivers "The Hill We Climb" during Biden-Harris Inauguration on Jan. 20, 2021.   In a poem delivered on the steps of the U.S. Capitol just two weeks after pro-Trump demonstrators stormed the building in an attempt to overthrow the election results, Amanda Gorman on January 20 challenged Americans to unify against those desiring to tear the nation apart. "Somehow we've weathered and witnessed a nation that isn't broken, but simply unfinished,” said Gorman, 22, the youngest person ever to deliver the Presidential Inauguration Poem. "We learned that quiet isn't always peace, and the norms and notions of what 'just is' isn't always justice." Poets who participate in the Birmingham Public Library’s Bards & Brews say the power of the spoken word was on full display as Gorman captivated the nation with her six-minute performance. Bards & Brews is a monthly spoken word poetry/craft beer event hosted by BPL.  The next Bard

  Hank Aaron, the Mobile, Ala. native who endured racist threats before breaking Babe Ruth’s home run record in 1974, died today, Friday, January 22, 2021. He was 86. The Atlanta Braves, Aaron’s longtime team, said he died peacefully in his sleep . No cause was given.  If you want to learn more about the man known as one of Major League Baseball’s greatest players, the Birmingham Public Library has several books and DVDs about Aaron.  Click here  to find books and DVDs about Aaron available for check out from BPL’s collection. On April 8, 1974, Aaron hit his 715th homerun , before an Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium record crowd of 53,775, breaking  Babe Ruth's legendary record of 714 that stood for nearly 40 years .    Aaron made his last public appearance just 2 1/2 weeks ago, when he was vaccinated against COVID-19 . Aaron joined former Atlanta Mayor/U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young and former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Louis Sullivan in getting the shot, saying he want

  By Lynn Hutchins | Citizen Services, Central Library What: Basic Notary Services When: Normal Operating Hours Where: Most of BPL's 18 locations Cost: $5 per notarization The Birmingham Public Library plays a vital role in the City of Birmingham, striving to transform lives through community, education and technology. Consistent with this vision, BPL offers basic notary services for the benefit of its patrons.   The service is based on the availability of BPL's library notaries. While a notary is usually available at most locations, it is a good idea to call ahead to make sure one will be there when you arrive. Click here for a listing of BPL locations and library operating hours:  Valid photo identification is required of any patron seeking notary service.  Notaries at the Birmingham Public Library may not notarize:  • Deeds, wills, living wills, living trusts, codicils, depositions, adoptions, mortgages or other real estate closing documents.  • I-9 forms or corporate

Good news book lovers: All 18 locations of the Birmingham Public Library are now offering in-person services and curbside hours during weekdays.  The days and hours of service vary by location. See the above flyer or read below for details. Also, the Central Library is now offering Saturday in-person services. The Southern History Department and BPL Archives Department are open by appointment only  between Monday and Friday, and are closed on weekends. The following COVID-19 safety protocols have been implemented to protect BPL staff and patrons at each BPL location:  • All patrons entering library locations will be required to wear masks.  • Hand-sanitizing stations are set up throughout each library for patron’s use. • In compliance with city curfew laws, children under age 17 must be accompanied by parents or legal guardian while inside BPL locations during school hours, and children age 10 and under must be accompanied by an adult at all times while in the library.   In-person lib

  The Birmingham Public Library is hosting three virtual programs as part of its annual celebration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday. See details below:   • Thursday, January 14, MLK Storytime with Avondale Library’s Ms. Cas, Avondale Library and Birmingham Public Library Facebook page (Available anytime after 8:00 a.m. today)  Avondale Storyteller Ms. Cas presents a video storytime on peace and cooperation on Thursday, January 14. Ms. Cas shares that Martin Luther King, Jr. always inspires her to think on peace and the power of working together.  Ms. Cas tells a compelling version of the Tortoise and the Hare from Peggy Appiah’s book, Tales of an Ashanti Father. This classic story, viewed through the lens of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy, is sure to appeal to listeners young and old alike.  Although the reading began at 8:00 a.m. today, patrons can watch Ms. Cas’s video anytime, starting today, January 14, by visiting the Birmingham Public Library Facebook Page .  •

All locations of the Birmingham Public Library will be closed Monday, January 18 in observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

  BPL Book Review: Thumbs Up to Wild and Crazy Guys   By William Anthony| Business, Science, Technology Department Central Library   Some of the definitive and most frequently quoted comedies from the late 1970s to the early 1990s took that era of Hollywood by storm and embedded themselves into popular culture forever.  From Animal House and T he Jerk   to Planes, Trains, and Automobiles and Groundhog Day to Ghostbusters and Beverly Hills Cop , all of these movies and many more continue to make us laugh really hard to this very day. As everything just seems uncertain nowadays, Wild  and  Crazy Guys : How the Comedy Mavericks of the '80s Changed Hollywood Forever encapsulates a creative, fascinating time period full of laughing, crying, pratfalls, quick wit, blockbuster hits, and the cost of fame itself. We could all use a good chuckle reading about the following wild and crazy comedians.   Nick de Semlyn not only explores why these movies have stood the test of time, but, mor

  What: The Eighteenth Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Lecture "A Reckoning with Monuments, Memory and the Legacy of White Supremacy" When: Tuesday, January 19, 2021, 2:00 p.m.  Where : BPL Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/BirminghamPublicLibrary Details:  Author Connor O'Neill will discuss the legacy of white supremacy in this virtual event, the Birmingham Public Library's 18th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Lecture. No registration required. Birmingham, Ala. – For nearly two decades each January, the Birmingham Public Library’s Department of Archives and Manuscripts has sponsored Begin the Day: The Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Lecture as part of the celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  The 2021 Martin Luther King Lecture , to air virtually on the BPL Facebook page at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 19, will feature author Connor Towne O’Neill discussing his new book, Down Along with That Devil’s Bones: A Reckoning with Monuments, M

  As part of a citywide celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend, the Birmingham Public Library will host a panel discussion online on Saturday featuring African-American men sharing inspiring words of encouragement for youth. "Brothers and Bow Ties: A Vision Cast Virtual Event” will take place at 10:00 a.m. this Saturday, January 16, 2021, on the BPL Facebook page .  Cedric D. Sparks, Chief of Staff for the City of Birmingham, will serve as host and moderator of the event.  Brothers & Bow Ties is part of a citywide celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend, and will include a panel of black men offering words of encouragement to young boys and teenagers between the ages of 11 and 18.  The program will provide donations for those in need at the Central Library on MLK Day Monday, January 18, 2021, commemorating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a “Day of Service.” Brothers and Bow Ties is designed to motivate adolescent males between the ages