Birmingham Public Library Blog

  As African-American Music Month draws to a close today, Wednesday, June 30, a new movie documentary ("Summer of Soul") is educating many about a 1969 summer concert series featuring top Black musical artists, an event that many known little about.  The Harlem Cultural Festival is now in the spotlight as the documentary will be released on the  streaming service Hulu and in movie theaters on Friday, July 2.  While the three-day Woodstock concert in August 1969 attracted international media attention many attendees used to protest the Vietnam War, television cameras ignored the Harlem Cultural Festival, another New York concert series held that summer featuring stars like Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and Mahalia Jackson. The peaceful concert event attracted 300,000 people, but was seemingly left out of the history books and off television.  Often called Black Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was organized to celebrate African-American culture and promot

  Allison Scanlan, president of the Jefferson County Library Cooperative Board of Directors and director of the Pinson Public Library, and Charles Scribner, executive director of Black Warrior Riverkeeper, show off the "Southern Exposure" DVDs Pinson, Ala. — Alabama Rivers Alliance  and  Black Warrior Riverkeeper  have partnered to donate to the  Jefferson County Library Cooperative (JCLC)  44 copies of the latest editions of  Southern Exposure , an award-winning film series dedicated to educating the public about Alabama’s natural resources. The DVDs should be in JCLC member libraries this week. Each of JCLC’s 40 locations will now have a DVD copy of both the 2020 and 2019 editions of  Southern Exposure , a series of documentaries on various Alabama environmental topics by independent filmmakers. DVDs of previous  Southern Exposure  editions are available at all  JCLC  locations due to Alabama Rivers Alliance and Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s prior donations.  "The Jeffer

  BPL's $50,000 ALA COVID Library Relief Fund Grant will be used to expand collections & resources.     Birmingham, Ala.  - The American Library Association (ALA) has announced the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) as a recipient of the ALA COVID Library Relief Fund. BPL will receive $50,000 to support library services and operations. BPL is among 34 grantees representing academic, public, school, and tribal libraries across the United States that have experienced substantial economic hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic. The ALA COVID Library Relief Fund provides grants between $30,000 and $50,000 and represents a significant non-federal grant opportunity for libraries. Grants support libraries' efforts to increase and enhance technology access, collection development, digital instruction, staffing, and outreach, while maintaining and amplifying existing services through the end of 2021. ALA announced the recipients of a combined $1.25 million in COVID Library Relief Fun

  Allison Scanlan, president of the Jefferson County Library Cooperative Board of Directors and director of the Pinson Public Library, and Charles Scribner, executive director of Black Warrior Riverkeeper, show off the "Southern Exposure" DVDs Pinson, Ala. — Alabama Rivers Alliance and Black Warrior Riverkeeper have partnered to donate to the Jefferson County Library Cooperative (JCLC) 44 copies of the latest editions of Southern Exposure , an award-winning film series dedicated to educating the public about Alabama’s natural resources. Each of JCLC’s 40 locations will now have a DVD copy of both the 2020 and 2019 editions of Southern Exposure , a series of documentaries on various Alabama environmental topics by independent filmmakers.  DVDs of previous Southern Exposure editions are available at all JCLC locations due to Alabama Rivers Alliance and Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s prior donations.  "The Jefferson County Library Cooperative is proud to continue our part

  You can now shop at the BPL Friends Bookstore in the Central Library without appointments. Good news for book lovers looking for deals: The BPL Friends Bookstore, located on the first floor of the Central Library in downtown Birmingham, is now open for the public with no appointments necessary, and has plenty of deals available. After the City of Birmingham ended its mask mandate and loosened COVID restrictions, the bookstore recently ended its appointment requirement.  BPL Friends Bookstore currently has several books, DVDs and other products available at a discount thanks to recent donations.  Proceeds help the  Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library Friends Foundation  support all 18 BPL locations.   The BPL Friends Bookstore held a soft opening on February 8, 2021  after being closed nearly a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  The bookstore is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.  Whether you are looking for CDs, DVDs, audio books,

  The Birmingham Public Library has been chosen as one of 10 nationwide organizations to receive the 2021 Infy Maker Award. BPL was the only winner from Alabama.  The announcement took place on Wednesday, June 23, during the 2021 Infymaker Award virtual ceremony. BPL will receive a $10,000 grant, funded by Infosys Foundation USA, to provide new STEM programming for 3rd through 12th grade students.  BPL will create maker kits for distribution at its afterschool programs and for youth-serving agencies  close to library locations across Birmingham. These kits will be used for maker activities, including coding, robotics, electrical engineering, and design-based engineering.  The BPL Infymaker project manager will be Central Library Youth Librarian Caitlin Jackson. BPL's Chris Reid served as videographer and Katelyn Miller serves as a high school STEM mentor.  To view BPL's award-winning video that describes its Infy Maker Program, tap on the link here .   To see a video announcing

  The Central Library downtown will be closed on Saturday, June 26, 2021. Those desiring in-person library services are encouraged to visit one of these three BPL regional locations that will be open this Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.:  - Avondale , Springville Road , and Five Points West .  Remember, even when our library locations are closed, BPL remains open virtually to serve patrons online at www.cobpl.org . You can also watch our 2021 Summer Learning programs on our BPL Facebook page .  

Looking for fun activities to do from the comfort of home this week on a hot summer day or when stuck inside due to rainy weather? The Birmingham Public Library's 2021 Summer Learning Program has virtual programs for all ages this week.  You can download our programs and find out more by going to www.cobpl.org/SummerReading.aspx     Storytime with Avondale's Mrs. Eve     •  Tails and Tales with Mrs. Eve, Tuesday, June 22, 8:00 a.m.  Join Mrs. Eve as she shares two of her favorite world tales: A Cuban folktale, "The Barking Mouse," and a folktale from Asia, "The Mouse Bride."  Birmingham’s NBC 13 last year 2 spotlighted the popularity of Mrs. Eve's  virtual storytelling during the COVID-19 pandemic.  •  “Ask the Zoo!", Tuesday, June 22, 10:00 a.m.  Join the Birmingham Zoo live for a virtual meet and greet with some of our ambassador animals! You’ll get the 3 chance to see our ambassadors up close and personal while learning about them and their cou

  Good news book lovers/library patrons in Jefferson County: The Jefferson County Library Cooperative  (which includes the Birmingham Public Library )   has a new improved catalog system .   The Vega system makes it easier for patrons to search for their favorite books, DVDs and other items, and easier to place items on hold. Besides a new look, patrons of the JCLC can enjoy these new features on Vega:  * Patrons can manage their own virtual bookshelf. Create your own lists to organize your saved items. For example, you might want to create a list for cookbooks, a list for pleasure reading, and a list for DVDs.  * You can save items to the Bookmarks tab on My Bookshelf for later use .  * You must sign in to Vega to create a new list . Lists that you create remain on the system until you delete them.  If you save items to My Bookshelf and later sign in, Vega also saves the items. If you don't sign in, you can only use the default list named For Later, and Vega removes your list ite

By Chelsea Rodriguez | Central Library  Rainbow Book Month™ is an initiative of the American Library Association, and is a nationwide celebration of the authors and writings that reflect the lives and experiences of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, pansexual, genderqueer, queer, intersex, agender, and asexual community. Here are some suggestions of books for Pride Month , which is being observed throughout June by the Birmingham Public Library.   Picture Books  My Rainbow by DeShanna Neal and Trinity Neal  On one quiet day, playtime leads to an important realization: Trinity wants long hair like her dolls. She needs it to express who she truly is. This picture book is lovely and the illustrations are vibrant. Share this book with your 4-8 year olds today.   Julian at the Wedding by Jessica Love   And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell  Be Amazing: A History of Pride by Desmond Napoles  Pride 123 by Michael Joosten  Chapter books   King and the Dragonflies

  Fox 6 anchor Steve Crocker and Lady Woo, a popular DJ with 94.9 FM in Birmingham, are among the speakers who will be "Telling the Stories" Friday at the Birmingham Public Library’s first in-person Read-In for Justice. DeJuana Thompson, Interim CEO of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, will also be one of the speakers.  The public is invited to attend this nationally-recognized program taking place from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Friday, June 18,  in  Learning Tree Park  adjacent to the  Five Points West Library , 4812 Ave. W (across from the  Birmingham Complex ). It takes place on the eve of the annual  Juneteenth   celebration Previous Read-In for Justice programs were held virtually on the  Birmingham Public Library Facebook page .  This will be the first held outdoors for the public, allowing in-person participation.  Read-In for Justice was formed in June 2020 amid national protests of racial injustice sparked by the  death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapol

Saturday's Juneteenth events - the United States' oldest known celebration of the end of slavery - will take on special meaning  this year. On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives  overwhelmingly joined the U.S. Senate in making Juneteenth a federal holiday. President Joe Biden today signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, granting every federal employee a day off annually on June 19 to commemorate the day Black slaves learned they had been freed.  The Birmingham Public Library will celebrate Juneteenth weekend by hosting its nationally-recognized "Read-In for Justice" program on Friday, June 18, beginning at 10:00 a.m. at Learning Tree Park outside the Five Points West Regional Library . The public is invited as area citizens and leaders read works about the issue of race and social justice.   What is Juneteenth? Juneteenth stands for June 19, 1865, the day enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, discovered President Abraham Lincoln's

  Want to learn more about some of the fascinating animals at the Birmingham Zoo ? Then sign up for the Birmingham Public Library's "Ask the Zoo!" virtual program taking place viz Zoom at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 22.  Join workers from the Birmingham Zoo live for a virtual meet and greet with some of its ambassador animals! You’ll get the chance to see the animals up close and personal while learning about them and their counterparts in the wild. Registration is required.  To register, click here http://www.cobpl.org/calendar/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D152681612 Ask the Zoo! is among over 40 programs and 14 craft activities taking place as part of BPL's 2021 Summer Learning.  

  Regina Pickens is leading Wellness Wednesdays at 10 a.m. on the BPL Facebook page.   Looking to lose weight or stay in shape?  Join us on the Birmingham Public Library Facebook page for Wellness Wednesdays at 10 a.m. for a morning workout from the comfort of your home. Let’s get moving!   The next session will be Wednesday, June 16, beginning at 10:00 a.m.    The sessions are led by Regina Dickens of PK Fitness, LLC.   If you miss the session live, tune in later in your spare time for this short, yet effective workout!  Wellness Wednesdays is among more than 40 free activities for patrons of all ages being offered as part of BPL's 2021 Summer Learning Program.

   Want to do some fun craft activities from the comfort of your own home this summer? The Birmingham Public Library is hosting four   free "grab n go craft" activities for patrons of all ages this Friday, June 18.  Videos demonstrating how to do each craft will be posted on    BPL's Facebook page  on Friday every two hours beginning at 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. They are among 14 summer crafts being offered every week through mid-July as part of our 2021 BPL Summer Learning Program .  Swing by your local BPL branch to pick up free "grab n go" kits containing supplies needed to create your craft ahead of each scheduled craft event.  Below are the four "grab n go craft" activities taking place on Friday, June 18 (remember materials are available at BPL locations): * 8:00 a.m. - Macrame Leather Bracelet Teens and adults will make a stylish bracelet with just one simple, basic macrame knot. * 10:00 a.m. - Birmingham Museum of Art-sponsored Craft Learn ho

  By Joan Inman| Avondale Regional Library  In conjunction with the national 2021 Summer Reading theme,  Avondale Library   is hosting “Community: Tails and Tales,” a special set of interviews with authors, illustrators, historians, and animal care professionals in the Birmingham area.  The interview series kicks off at 10:00 a.m. today, Monday, June 14, and is slated to last until the end of August featuring new guests every Monday at 10:00 a.m. on Avondale Library’s Facebook page.  Part of Community , an ongoing oral histories interview project hosted by librarian Joan Inman, the series will kick off today with an interview featuring Madison Newport and Chelsea Wells of Pawms Pet Resort Birmingham.   To view past interviews, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj0dlJC1vzJFkkHtqqeS3YA To see a listing of more than 40 Summer Learning programs and 14 craft activities offered by the Birmingham Public Library's  2021 Summer Learning Program, click here 

The 2021 Pulitzer Prize winners in Journalism, Books, Drama and Music were announced on June 11th at Columbia University in New York City.  Biographical information on this year’s winners and finalists is available at Pulitzer.org .  The following is a list of the winners in Books, Drama, and Music. There are links to the catalog for items that are available in the library system. Books with an asterisk (*) are available in more than one format.  Fiction ** The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich (Harper) Finalists: A Registry of My Passage Upon the Earth by Daniel Mason (Little, Brown and Company) Telephone by Percival Everett (Graywolf Press) Drama The Hot Wing King by Katori Hall Finalists: Circle Jerk by Michael Breslin and Patrick Foley Stew by Zora Howard History Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America by Marcia Chatelain (Liveright/Norton) Finalists: The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America by Eric Cervini (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) The Thr

By Gelenda Norman| Central Library Youth Department Kick off your 2021 Juneteenth weekend by joining the Birmingham Public Library’s first in-person Read-In for Justice. This nationally-recognized program will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Friday, June 18, the eve of the annual Juneteenth  celebration. It will take place in Learning Tree Park adjacent to the Five Points West Library , 4812 Ave. W (across from the Birmingham Complex ).  Previous Read-In for Justice programs were held virtually on the Birmingham Public Library Facebook page .  This will be the first held outdoors for the public, allowing in-person participation.  Read-In for Justice was formed in June 2020 amid national protests of racial injustice sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police . After racial protests were held across the country including Birmingham , Rachel Estes, Outreach Coordinator of Canterbury United Methodist Church , learned of a similar event held in Hun