Birmingham Public Library Blog

  By Jill Lollar | Central Library Circulation/Information Desk Have you ever wondered what your life would be been like if you had made different choices? In The Midnight Library , author Matt Haig poses this daunting question to his readers.  On the verge of a terrible decision, the central character, Nora, stumbles across the "Midnight Library."  This is a magical place existing between life and death that allows Nora to explore all the alternative paths her life could have taken.   Mrs. Elm, the Midnight Librarian, wisely directs Nora’s search for the best version of herself, and soon we begin to realize that Nora is exactly where she is supposed to be.  This book deals with difficult subjects, but is funny and uplifting. It shows us that life is filled with infinite possibilities. It also reminds us that even if we do not become Olympic swimmers or rock stars our lives still have value and affect those around us in positive ways.   You’l...

  By Bill Owens|  Springville Road Regional Library  Charles Dickens’ classic novel "Great Expectations" was published in serial format in his periodical All the Year Round from December 1860 to August 1861. It is a coming-of-age, first-person story set in Kent and London during the early to mid-19th century. Pip, the main character, receives a mysterious gift from an unknown donor, which catapults him into wealthy society. The theme revolves around a fortune he expects to come.  The book opens with one of the most famous scenes in literature. Pip, wandering about the moors close to home, is accosted by a convict who threatens to kill him unless Pip brings him food.  Pip dutifully obeys. True to his word, the convict allows him to live. Pip, upon returning to the village, relates his tale to the policemen and a group of villagers search for the convict. To their surprise, they find two convicts fighting. The police arrest both. This event foreshadows the rest of Pip...

   By  Tisha George| West End/ Titusville Branch Libraries Travel Literature : Any account of long or short term travel, or of visiting a certain place or places, which is based on first-hand experience.      What have you done to combat the stress of being largely isolated over the past year and a half? For me, the fiction section of my local library has provided a much-needed escape. I  am a very visual person, and when I find a great story, I can fully immerse myself in it. With some stories, it’s quite a jolt to come back to reality life. The nonfiction section, on the other hand, is my source for information, something I have always turned to for inspiration when learning new skills or gaining new perspectives.      But travel literature. What a magical melding of both worlds.  Travel literature is nonfiction. All are true accounts of actual journeys and very real places. But, if the author is good, their stories can read like...

  On April 10, 1963, Miles College students, including Shelly Millender  (pictured), staged a sit- in at  the Birmingham Public Library. The library  leadership agreed to end segregation in the institution, making it one of  the  few  public f acilities in Birmingham that was peacefully de- segregated.  Courtesy of the  Alabama Department of Archives and History Shelly Millender Jr., who as a Miles College student in 1963 participated in a sit-in of the downtown Birmingham Public Library that eventually led to the desegregation of BPL, has died. He was 86.  Millender passed away on July 17, 2021, according to his obituary on Legacy.com.  On April 10, 1963, Millender and former U.S. Federal Judge U.W. Clemon were among Miles College students who staged a sit-in at the downtown Birmingham Public Library protesting a policy that banned blacks. The library leadership agreed to end segregation in the institution, making it one of the f...

By Paul Boncella, Map Conservator| Southern History Department  Next time you visit the Central Library downtown, check out its new display on the first floor entrance paying tribute to the City of Birmingham's 150th birthday.   The display contains vintage photos from the BPL Archives showcasing downtown Birmingham.   Birmingham was officially incorporated on December 19, 1871, and the City will be celebrating its 150th anniversary throughout the rest of 2021.  The Birmingham Public Library officially celebrated the city's 150th anniversary by hosting its first three live programs in more than a year the weekend of June 4-6 - Bards & Brews, 2021 Summer Learning kickoff, and a Soulful Sundays concert.  The Magic City has seen many changes over the past century and a half, but some things have remained constant over time. Indeed, although the streetcar wires and the horse-drawn vehicles seen in old photographs are things of the past, many of the bu...

  Looking for end-of-summer book deals?  The BPL Friends Bookstore is hosting a Summer Book Sale from Tuesday, August 17 through Thursday, August 19. The sale will be held in the Grand Reading Room of the Central Library downtown from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. all three days.  Stay tuned to the Friends of the Birmingham Public Library Facebook page  for more details soon!  Proceeds benefit the Birmingham Public Library . Join us, take advantage of great deals on books, DVDs and other items, and Support BPL! For more information about the Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library, click on our website, www.friendsofthebpl.org   To learn more about the BPL Friends Bookstore, click here.  

  By William Anthony| Central Library Citizen Services Department When some people hear the title, Long Day’s Journey Into Night , they probably think about the play that Eugene O’Neill wrote . Bi Gan’s sophomore film of the same title is not a remake of this classic play. Instead, this film reminisces on a long-lost love that stays with its central character, Luo Hongwu, who also deals with personal losses. Set in Guizhou, China, Luo searches for an elegant, mysterious woman named Wan Qiwen. His precious memories spent with Wan flood his mind during his journey to find her current whereabouts. He cannot let go of that one romantic summer that he spent with Wan.  Luo’s conversations with people like a prisoner and a hotel manager help him recollect why she left a lasting impression on him. Luo still feels the heaviness of her absence.   During the last hour of Long Day’s Journey Into Night , Luo wanders into a movie theater, puts on a pair of 3D glasses and enters a...

  Bards & Brews, the Birmingham Public Library's popular spoken word poetry/craft beer program, had a successful debut in Trussville Thursday night as BPL partnered with the Trussville Public Library to present nearly a dozen storytellers and poets at Ferus Artisan Ales  in the Trussville Entertainment District.  A packed crowd of all ages gathered for "Short Tales & Ferus Ales: Building Community Through Inspiring and Heartwarming Stories," co-hosted by longtime Bards host Voice Porter and Caleb Calhoun , a spoken word artist who recently moved to Clay, Ala. from Ashville, North Carolina.  Bards & Brews has become known as an event that unifies the metro Birmingham cultural arts community. See scenes from the Bards & Brews held Thursday, July 15, below. You can see more photos from the event on the Birmingham Public Library Facebook page.    PHOTOS FROM BARDS & BREWS: "SHORT TALES & FERUS ALES" JULY 15, 2021  

  BPL blog readers will recall that back in May, Black Warrior Riverkeeper and Alabama Rivers Alliance donated the newest editions of Southern Exposure, a documentary series about Alabama's environment, to all BPL locations.    BPL subsequently informed readers about the documentary DVDs spreading further in June throughout the entire Jefferson County Library Cooperative .  Today, we were pleased to see a press release from Black Warrior Riverkeeper and Alabama Rivers Alliance announcing that t hese two clean water advocacy organizations have donated the DVDs to BPL's friends at the Tuscaloosa Public Library system.  Southern Exposure DVDs donated to Tuscaloosa Public Library Black Warrior Riverkeeper has recently delivered the educational DVDs to even more of our fellow members of the Alabama Library Association   this summer, including public libraries in Arley, Blountsville, Eutaw, Haleyville, Jasper, Moundville, Muscle Shoals, Phil Campbell, Oneonta, a...

Birmingham Police Officer Singh delivers boxes of books at the Central Library.    The Birmingham Police Department is showing its officers desire to spread the joy of reading. Over the past two weeks, BPD has donated 30-plus boxes of a variety of books to the Birmingham Public Library (BPL).  BPL appreciates the support from our men and women in blue who help keep Birmingham safe and protect our citizens. During a five-week period from February to early March 2020, BPL hosted several police officers who stopped by libraries across the city to read books to youth in programs called Reading with a Cop and Conversations with a Cop. 

  The Birmingham Public Library's Southern History Department is hosting a free genetic genealogy workshop via Zoom next month.  "2021 Genetic Genealogy News and Q & A" will be held from noon to 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 3, 2021. The workshop, presented via Zoom, is free to the public but advanced registration is required.  To register, click on this link to receive a Zoom invitation. DNA testing companies impact the practice of genetic genealogy, and popular culture shapes public perceptions of it . Presenter Paul Boncella, map conservator for the Southern History Department, will examine recent moves by major players in the industry and upgrades to their services. During the workshop, he will also assess statements made in a recent documentary that point to racial bias in the products and services of these companies. "Commentaries on the services of DNA testing companies appear in an ever growing number of sources, but how much of this material should you r...