Birmingham Public Library Blog

By Jim Murray | Business, Science & Technology Department, Central Library   What: Get Your Local Business on Google Search and Maps When: Tuesday, April 13, 2021 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. CST Details: Free but registration is required. Make reservations through the BPL events calendar .  If you want to be a successful small business owner, you need to know how to engage with customers online in order to continue to generate leads, make sales, and grow revenue. To make this happen, your online presence should be geared towards ensuring that customers can find accurate, up to date information about your local business on Google Search and Google Maps, no matter which device they use.   In this virtual marketing webinar, participants will explore Google My Business , a free tool for local businesses and nonprofits that want to connect with customers on Google Search and Maps. This is a deeper dive into Google My Business profiles and the many features and tools you can ...

BPL's conversation with John Archibald will take place on its Facebook page on Monday, April 5.     What:  The Birmingham Public Library Presents "A Conversation with Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author  John Archibald" When:  Monday, April 5, 6:00 p.m. Where:  Live on the Birmingham Public Library  Facebook page Details:  BPL Archives Department Head Jim Baggett will talk live with John Archibald about his new book  "Shaking the Gates of Hell,"  released this week by Allen A. Knopf.  A journalist and columnist at The Birmingham News and AL.com, Archibald was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. On Monday, April 5, at 6:00 p.m., the Birmingham Public Library will hosting “A Conversation with Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author John Archibald.” BPL Archives Department Head Jim Baggett will talk live with Archibald on  BPL's Facebook page  about his new book  "Shaking the Gates of Hell,"  which was release...

Calling all library lovers.  Support the Birmingham Public Library on Wednesday, April 7, by participating in 2021 Library Giving Day. #LibraryGivingDay   Go to the Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library website and click on the links to show your support.  As we know, public libraries are known for books and research materials, but they also offer many programs that promote lifelong learning, connect patrons to technology, and advance our knowledge. BPL has offered innovative virtual programs during the COVID-19 pandemic such as  Bards & Brews ,  Read-In for Justice ,  Wellness Wednesdays , and online story times.  Read-In for Justice's spotlight on Women's History Month was featured on WVTM NBC 13  last week. As part of BPL's Library Giving Day activities, the Central Library downtown will have food trucks allowing patrons to buy meals in support of BPL and the BPL Friends Bookstore will have a special sale. This one-day ...

  BPL's Wellness Wednesday fitness workouts are being led by instructor Regina Dickens.  Looking to lose weight or stay fit? Then join us on the Birmingham Public Library Facebook pag e this  Wednesday, March 31,  at 11:00 a.m. for a morning workout from the comfort of your own home.  BPL has partnered this month with instructor Regina Dickens of Moving Fearlessly LLC and PK Fitness , who will lead participants on an hour of easy workouts to help them stay in shape. She has been helping viewers stay in shape by hosting morning workouts during Wellness Wednesdays throughout March as part of Women's History Month.  We hope you can join us this Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. on the BPL Facebook page.  Let's get moving! Stay tuned on the BPL website, www.cobpl.org ,  for more details soon.   For more information about PK Fitness, click here . 

     What: Birmingham Public Library Bookmobile Media Day Date:  Thursday, March 25, 2021 Time: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Location:  BJCTA-MAX Central Station, 1701 Morris Ave. Birmingham, Alabama 35203 Details:  The Board of Directors from BJCTA unveils the donation of a para-transit bus to the BPL Board of Trustees to provide mobile library services by bookmobile to the 99 neighborhoods of the City of Birmingham. This valuable service is an innovative approach to bridging the digital divide and expanding citizen services to underserved communities. “We are delighted to be able to donate a decommissioned paratransit vehicle to the Birmingham Public Library, as well as to partner with them to offer access to library services to our customers while they wait at Central Station or travel on our buses,” said Frank T. Martin, Executive Director and CEO of BJCTA. Birmingham, Ala. –  The Board of Directors from  Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authorit...

BPL's Southern History Department has resources to help you find female ancestors.  By Mary Beth Newbill|  Central Library 's Southern History Department      As we celebrate Women’s History Month, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at some lesser-known sources for finding our female ancestors. Women can be notoriously difficult to locate in historical records thanks to name changes and social structures that limited their involvement and representation in the wider world. However, there are some wonderful resources that can be a great addition to your took-kit and can provide details about the elusive women that came before us.   Travel to faraway places may be easier and faster now that at any point in history, but our ancestors could and did travel. Passports were not required for international travel until the mid-twentieth century, but they were recommended. Luckily, those passport applications have been digitized and can be vie...

Join us at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, April 2, as Bards & Brews, the Birmingham Public Library's popular spoken word poetry/craft beer event, celebrates one year of virtual programming.  Tune in from the comfort of  your own home or on the road via your smart phone device as some of the country's most talented poets share their voices on the Bards & Brews Facebook page.  Poets interested in registering for this event should forward their contact information to Bards.Brews@cobpl.org.  In its 11th year, Bards & Brews has gained positive recognition for its ability to bring patrons of all age and races together, to promote the Birmingham area craft beer industry, and as a vehicle for spoken word poets to share their talents. Bards has also become known as an event that unifies the metro Birmingham cultural arts community, as highlighted in  this April 2019 Birmingham Times article .   "During  these times, we want to stay connected and have an ...

  Central Library Teen Department display, "Pac'd With New Books" pays tribute to Pac-Man Game By Caitlin Jackson | Central Library Teen Librarian Pac-Man was designed by Toru Iwatani and released in Japan on May 21, 1980, which means this May will be the 41st anniversary of the game. Within one year of its release, Pac-Man had been played on 100,000 machines each week!  Check out this article for more fun information on Pac-Man :  Also, if you don’t have a Pac-Man game, don’t worry! You can play it on Google .  Pac-Man was a creative and innovate idea that was a huge success.  At the Birmingham Public Library, we want to encourage the same creativity and skill in the children and teens that visit us through reading and programs like Engineers BHM, which introduces students to coding, game design, and other STEM concepts.  The initial program, Teen Engineers BHM, was a 2019 nominee for an Innovative Award from the Urban Libraries Council.  So, be insp...

What : Bookmobile Media Day for the Birmingham Public Library and Birmingham-Jefferson  Date:  Thursday, March 25, 2021 Time: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Location:  BJCTA-MAX Central Station, 1701 Morris Ave. Birmingham, Alabama 35203 Details:  The Board of Directors from BJCTA unveils the donation of a para-transit bus to the BPL Board of Trustees to provide mobile library services by bookmobile to the 99 neighborhoods of the City of Birmingham. This valuable service is an innovative approach to bridging the digital divide and expanding citizen services to underserved communities. “We are delighted to be able to donate a decommissioned paratransit vehicle to the Birmingham Public Library, as well as to partner with them to offer access to library services to our customers while they wait at Central Station or travel on our buses,” said Frank T. Martin, Executive Director and CEO of BJCTA. Birmingham, Ala. –  The Board of Directors from  Birmingham Jefferson Cou...

  By Joan Inman | Avondale Regional Library  As Women's History Month draws to a close, Avondale Regional Library is paying tribute to women writers who inspire us. Avondale Library is hosting an open panel discussion, "The Tea: Women in Literature," this Sunday, March 28. The discussion will begin at 4:00 p.m. live on the Avondale Library Facebook Page .  During the event, five Avondale Librarians will discuss our personal choices of "Women in Literature." The conversation will also address how our favorite female figures in literature shape our inspirations as individuals and how, as collective choices, they create a beautiful discourse on cross-generational womanhood. Click below to view a Women in Literature program Avondale Library hosted earlier this month on its Facebook page. 

 Pamela Gordon Library Assistant III, left, and Joy Jackson, building service worker, at North Birmingham  and Inglenook Libraries.  By Karnecia Williams | Branch Manager  Inglenook Library & North Birmingham Library What: Spoken Word Performances by the Women of North Birmingham and Inglenook Libraries in Honor of Women’s History Month When : Friday, March 26, 2021, 3:00 p.m.  Where: North Birmingham Library Facebook page  Details: In celebration of Women’s History Month , the women of the North Birmingham and Inglenook Libraries’ teams will use their voices to uplift, inspire, and celebrate the strength, courage, and fortitude of all women and the impact that they have had and continue to have on the world. Additionally, women will not only be celebrated for their accomplishments, but will also be inspired to connect with the value of who they are within. For more information, call North Birmingham Library at (205) 226-4025. 

  By Gelenda Norman | Central Library The Birmingham Public Library’s Read-In for Justice will celebrate Women’s History Month on Saturday, March 27, 2021. Join us virtually, via Birmingham Public Library’s Facebook page, beginning at 10:00 a.m.  this Saturday for “Read-In for Justice: I’m Every Woman.” LADIES…..LADIES….LADIES…“I’M EVERY WOMAN -HERstory is HER strength!”  In recent years, the world is witnessing women exercising their power. Women are using their voices to break down walls. Women are using their voice to break ceilings. Women are using their voices to break shackles. Women are using their voices to make changes.  Women are using their voices to bring about healing. Women are using their voices to change HERstory. Women are using their voices to tell HERstory!  In celebrating  the “I’m Every Woman,” Read-In For Justice will celebrate Women’s History Month this month by keeping in line with the theme: “Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to b...

  This is similar to what the BPL Bookmobile will look like after conversion from a BJCTA vehicle.   What : Bookmobile Media Day for the Birmingham Public Library and Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority Date: Thursday, March 25, 2021 Time: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Location: BJCTA-MAX Central Station, 1701 Morris Ave. Birmingham, Alabama 35203 Details: The Board of Directors from BJCTA unveils the donation of a para-transit bus to the BPL Board of Trustees to provide mobile library services by bookmobile to the 99 neighborhoods of the City of Birmingham. This valuable service is an innovative approach to bridging the digital divide and expanding citizen services to underserved communities. “We are delighted to be able to donate a decommissioned paratransit vehicle to the Birmingham Public Library, as well as to partner with them to offer access to library services to our customers while they wait at Central Station or travel on our buses,” said Frank T. Martin, ...

  Zitkala-Sa was an American Indian author, educator, musician and activist.  By Tisha George | West End / Titusville Branch Library Meet Zitkala-Sa (1876-1938), an author, educator, musician, and Sioux Dakota activist. Zitkala-Sa was born on the Yankton Sioux Reservation and attended an “American Indian” reform school. Her time at this school was her first experience with the traumatic deculturation of the Native American people and instilled in her a strong sense of injustice. She used this experience as a catalyst for her writing and activism. Her writing was published in national magazines and she authored the first published Native American opera, The Sun Dance, combining music and the tradition of oral storytelling. In her writing, she strove to uphold Native American culture, values, and experiences. Wanting to do more, she and her family moved to Washington, D.C. where she worked for the Society for American Indians and American Indian Magazine.  While there, Zit...

We are all ready for things to get back to normal.  2020 was a particularly difficult year and we are not out of the woods yet.  Thankfully, things seem to be moving in the right direction.  By the right direction, I mean MARCH MADNESS IS BACK!!!  Whew!  Going through March without the NCAA Tournament last year was painful.  It was even more painful because I had tickets to the Final Four!!!  When I heard the tournament would be played without fans, I was very disappointed, but when I heard the tournament was canceled, I was devastated. I thought I could check the Final Four off my bucket list, but it was not to be. Indianapolis is not a possibility for this year’s Final Four, but maybe I can see it in New Orleans next year. For the first time, each round of the NCAA Tournament will be played in the same state.  All games will be played in the state of Indiana at different venues.  The NCAA has established guidelines for how teams will be re...

Tywanna Mickens of North Birmingham/Inglenook Library By Karnecia Williams | North Birmingham Regional Library / Inglenook Branch Library   Any good leader knows that the success of an organization is not his or hers to claim solely, but is also the team’s whose fulfillments and contributions propelled the success of the vision.  Having said that, team members at North Birmingham and Inglenook Libraries epitomize the effectiveness of a good team and are testaments to the level of success that can be achieved with one. Because of the awesomeness of this team and their contributions to the success of these libraries, I felt compelled to honor and recognize all their hard work by creating an “Employee of the Month Program.” The March 2021 employee of the month is Tywanna Mickens.  As public libraries, our model and very existence, as it should be, is built upon maximizing and enhancing the patron’s experience; however, without a good team, the patron’s experience become...

  By Cheryl Burgess | Library Assistant III, Central Library Youth/Teen/Arts, Literature, Sports  March is Women's History Month. If you are looking for some graphic novels that show the empowerment of women, look no further than these novels: Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal  This story starts Kamala Khan’s saga, a Pakistani-American girl from Jersey just trying to find her place in a world where she feels like she doesn’t belong. Kamala discovers her powers, and, along the way, also learns a lot about the person she is meant to be. While her powers seem too much for her to bear, can she find her inner hero within herself?  Here are some other great series of girls showing their strong side ( these books are available for checkout at many Birmingham Public Library and Jefferson County Library Cooperative locations) : Unbeatable Squirrel Girl series is about a young girl who is half human and half squirrel but all fun! She fights villains with the help of her friend...

  Gelenda Norman of the Central Library came up with the Be the "I" in Kind Wall.  Gelenda Norman|Library Assistant III, Central Library Arts, Literature, & Sports Department  Birmingham, Ala.- With so much going on in this world – violence, illnesses, injustice, unemployment, etc. – kindness seems to get lost in the chaos. Inspired by a pin on Pinterest , I decided to recreate this idea to encourage genuine kindness towards one another and to become aware of the kindness that lies within each of us.  Here at the  Birmingham Public Library , the act of showing kindness to patrons and one another lies at the heart and within the culture of this system. When patrons and staff stop on the 2nd Floor of the Central Library while climbing the stairs, they are greeted with the BE THE “I” IN KIND wall.  This wall is designed to encourage patrons (and staff) to show kindness towards others, as well as be open to receive kindness. We want you to take a moment an...

  Due to the threat of inclement weather, the Birmingham Public Library is postponing "A Conversation with Author John Archibald," which was originally to be held tonight at 6 p.m. on the BPL Facebook page.  A new date and updated flyer with details will be released later this week.  Be safe out there as a pending storm approaches metro Birmingham.