Birmingham Public Library Blog

  Ottessa Moshfegh's debut book, "Eileen," won the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award in 2015 . By Catherine Oseas|BPL Archives Department   Ottessa Moshfegh is an American author. Born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1981, Moshfegh published her first novel, Eileen , in 2015.  Eileen won the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award , was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and was a fiction finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Her subsequent novels have been in a similar style to her first, taking a first person narrative to an otherworldly dimension.  “Moshfegh’s characters tend to be amoral, frank, bleakly funny, very smart, and perverse in their motivations, in ways that destabilize the reader’s assumptions about what is ugly, what is desirable, what is permissible, and what is real” (The New Yorker, July 2, 2018).  If you are looking for an interesting read, I recommend starting with Moshfegh’s second  novel, My Year of Rest and Relaxation . My b...

  Jefferson County, Ala. – The Public Libraries in Jefferson County will participate in the 7th annual “Food for Fines,” a canned food drive held each September that allows patrons to pay off up to $10 toward their library fines by donating canned or boxed foods.   One dollar in fines will be waived for each item of food donated at any of the 40 JCLC members, which include the Birmingham Public Library' s 18 locations . The waived fees apply to fines only. The food drive is open to anyone, even if they do not have overdue materials. Expiration dates on food must be visible on all donated food items. Librarians in Jefferson County hope this campaign will be the boost several nonprofit food groups need as they approach the fall holidays. The libraries plan to donate goods to Central Food Bank of Central Alabama, Magic City Harvest and more. Individual libraries may also decide to donate items to a local church or charity of their choice. 21,135 cans/boxed items were colle...

  Voice Porter was longtime host and creative director of Bards & Brews. Heartfelt tributes are pouring in across social media after the death of Brian Hawkins, the popular Birmingham spoken word artist and community activist best known by his stage name “Voice Porter.” Hawkins was found dead in his Warrior home at age 42 this morning, Wednesday, August 25, according to an article by Shauna Stuart of al.com.  Officials say the cause of death has not been determined.  Voice Porter was the longtime host and creative director of Bards & Brews , the Birmingham Public Library’s popular monthly spoken word poetry/craft beer event celebrating its 11th year. BPL is working on details for a tribute to Voice Porter that will be announced soon.  Voice Porter made his last public appearance as host of Bards & Brews during its poetry event held August 13 at the Central Library.   Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin made a Facebook post in tribute to Voice Port...

  By Jill Lollar | Central Library Circulation/Information Desk  Tana French is a writer who is known for twisting plots, brutal psychological portraits, and haunting endings. In her most recent book, she is trying her hand at something new, a Wild West story transposed on the beautiful, rugged Irish countryside.  French, the author of the Dublin Murder Squad Series, has penned a standalone novel entitled The Searcher . It follows the journey of Cal Hooper, who is a retired Chicago police officer, in pursuit of an idyllic retirement.  Instead of finding peace and tranquility, his days are plagued by eccentric villagers, missing teenagers, long kept secrets, superstitions, and mysteriously slaughtered sheep.   If you are a fan of classic UK village mysteries or Western novels, you might enjoy this unique blend. You can find it on BPL’s Best Sellers list or in our Central Library Adult Fiction Departments.  Check out The Searcher and other books by Ta...

Back to School, a comedy starring Rodney Dangerfield, was released in 1986     By William Anthony|Citizen Services Department, Central Library It is time for all the students to head back to the classroom. One of those students is Thornton Melon, played by Rodney Dangerfield, in the 1986 comedy, Back to School .   He is a successful millionaire who runs his own business, but there is just one problem. Melon never went to college, even after his father told him about the importance of getting an education when he was a young child.  After this self-made businessman finds out that his son, Jason, is having doubts about finishing his education, he decides to enroll as a freshman at this university. This is when all the schoolwork and extracurricular activities take a surprising and an even more fun turn. It is not everyday that a father and a son both hit the books in order get their diplomas.  Dangerfield’s signature, clever zingers are the main re...

   By Jim Murray | Business, Science and Technology Department, Central Library  What: Let’s Talk About Medicare: Questions and Answers   When: 12-1 p.m. First Thursday every month September through December 2021; September 2, October 7, November 4, December 2  Where: In-person class BPL Research Library, 4th Floor, 2100 Park Place, Birmingham, AL 35203 or tune in to Facebook Live on the Birmingham Public Library Facebook page .  Details: Program presenter Albert McWilliams, Sr., a licensed insurance adviser in Birmingham since 2001, will share tips for the public on how to maneuver the complex world of Medicare. Free and open to the public, but advanced registration required for in-person classes due to space limitations. For details, contact Jim Murray of Central Library’s Business, Science and Technology Department via email at jim.murray@cobpl.org or call 205-226-3640.  Birmingham, Ala.- If you would like to learn more about your options and el...

  By Jacqueline Winston |  Powderly Branch Library Still in the Olympics spirit? Powderly Branch Library has created this video that shows patrons how to make their own Summer-Winter Olympics inspired torch craft.  Check out the video by clicking here.    The kit includes materials on how to make the Olympics-Inspired Torch Craft. One of our young patrons, Carl Davis, used the instructions to create his own Olympics Torch Craft. I wanted to highlight the Olympics for the younger generation to inspire their curiosity about the various sports and encourage their interest to become an Olympic champion, also. Although the Summer Olympics in Tokyo just ended, the 2022 Winter Olympics begin in less than six months  (February 4-20, 2022) in Beijing, China.    We are Olympic Readers! 

  By Noelle Gueringer| Titusville Branch Library Fairytales: stories full of magic, wonder, and life lessons. Old fairytales have a tendency to raise the beautiful and gracious on a pedestal, letting their happiness shine bright by story’s end. The ugly are meant to be wicked and their fates reflect their looks and mannerisms. The morals are clear-cut and concise: be kind and beautiful and you will be blessed. If you have a sharp tongue and are disagreeable, your punishment will make for an unhappy end. New fairytales are more complex and we find that fate is no longer so strongly tied to the color of our skin or our satirical nature.  Toads and Diamonds , a retelling of the French fairytale by Heather Tomlinson. takes the old story ( originally written by Charles Perrault ) and flips it on its head. Set in India, this story is about two girls, one beautiful and kind and the other plain-looking but clever. They each meet a fairy and, through their own deeds, are bestowed a gif...

  By Linda McFarland| Titusville Branch Library   If you like adventure and action, Lee Child has a series for you!  Our hero, Jack Reacher, born into a military family, is a former Army Military Police Major. After he is “downsized”, he roams the States discovering areas he missed out on while moving from station to station around the world.  In Die Trying , Reacher coming to the aid of a woman using a crutch with her dry cleaning, accidently gets caught up in a kidnapping. Armed gunmen force FBI agent Holly Johnson and Reacher into a car, and the drama begins. They are handcuffed together in the back of a van, and end up in a high mountain setting, in the evil hands of Beau Borken, the vicious militia leader.  Written in 1997, our villain bears similarities to a 21st century political figure. Reacher, gifted with near-omnipotence, stays one step ahead, most of the time, using psychology, and his large, strong stature to outwit the enemy. You can check o...

                 What : Bards & Brews Open Mic Poetry When : Friday, August 13, 2021, 6:00 p.m.  Where : Central Library,   2100 Park Place in downtown Birmingham Details : Ever wanted to share your original poetry before a live audience? BPL will host its popular spoken word poetry/craft beer event  Bards & Brews   as an open mic this Friday at 6:00 p.m. in the Central Library.    No advanced registration is required; sign up to participate in person. Masks required.  The emcee will be  Voice Porter,  a veteran Birmingham poet who was featured in a 2019  national spotlight by Starbucks Coffee .  Join us as some of the nation's most talented spoken word artists share their talent. Or cheer on friends, family or strangers who bravely go before the audience to read original poetry. Attendees must wear facemasks to comply with the City of Birmingham’s mask mandate insi...

  "In light of today’s medical circumstances amidst the  COVID-19 pandemic,   Bringing Out the Dead  also made me realize that there are only a handful of films that explore the relentless chaos that comes with being an EMT or a paramedic. They are society’s heroes right now, and they should be."-From Movie Review by William Anthony of Central Library Citizens Services Department By William Anthony, Citizens Services Department| Central Library Bringing Out the Dead involves an unlikely collaboration. Legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese directs the eccentric, typically over-the-top Nicolas Cage in this movie about a sleepless, fed-up paramedic who must endure the continuous, demanding stress of his job. In fact, this is the only time that Scorsese and Cage have worked together on a film.  As an actor, Cage is notorious for overacting or just not hesitating to go completely insane. However, his role as Frank Pierce actually helps him to restrain his standard i...

  Shelly Millender III, with his wife and children, holding a proclamation presented to him by the BPL Board of Trustees Tuesday honoring his late father, Shelly Millender Jr., who as a Miles College student in 1963 led a sit-in that persuaded Birmingham Public Library leadership to desegregate city libraries.    The Board of Trustees of the Birmingham Public Library presented a resolution to the family of the late Shelly Millender Jr., who as a  Miles College  student in 1963 led a sit-in of the downtown Birmingham Public Library that eventually led to the desegregation of BPL. Millender passed away at age 86 on July 17, 2021.   The meeting took place Tuesday, August 10, in Arrington Auditorium of the BPL Research Library at 2100 Park Place, which at the time served as the downtown Birmingham Public Library.    In the presentation to Shelly Millender III, his wife and two children, Board of Trustees President Eunice Johnson Rogers commended ...

  On April 10, 1963, Miles College students, including Shelly Millender , 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 The Board of Trustees of the Birmingham Public Library today will present a resolution to the family of the late 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. Millender passed away at age 86 on July 17, 2021.   The BPL trustees will honor Millender for his bravery that opened up libraries for people of color in Birmingham during its board meeting that begins at 4:30 p.m. today, Tuesday, August 10, in the Arrington Auditorium on the 4th Floor of the R...

  In celebration of National Book Lover’s Day, the Powderly Branch Library produced this image of book lovers from across the country.  By Erika White, Library Assistant III & Elizabeth Moore, Library Assistant II|  Powderly Branch Library  Today, Monday, August 09, is National Book Lover’s Day and in celebration, the Powderly Branch of the Birmingham Public Library has brought together book lovers from across the country (and even across the pond too!).  Most of the people reading books on the flyer produced by the library are members of Powderly Library Assistant II Elizabeth Moore's family. Her relatives on the flyer are pictured reading at locations in Birmingham, Chester, Va.; Fayetteville, N.C., and St. Ives, United Kingdom by the Great Ouse River.    Grab a book and show your love and support! Celebrated every year, National Book Lovers Day is dedicated to showing appreciation for books. Readers are encouraged to visit their local book stor...

  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.  Face masks will be required of attendees of the book sale to comply with the City of Birmingham's face mask requirement in all city-owned facilities, including the Birmingham Public Library.  Proceeds benefit the  Birmingham Public Library . Join us, take advantage of great deals on books, DVDs and other items, and Support BPL! During the three-day sales event, BPL Friends Bookstore will continue its popular $12 fill-a-bag sale and add a special $5 fill-a-bag sale as well (plus tax).   The  Friends of the Birmingham Public Library Facebook page  shared the following details on the sale:  "We are overrun with DVDs, LPs, CDs and books for everyone! We have an amazing inventory of children's books including easy...

  By William Anthony | Citizen Services, Central Library  Are you tired of being stuck at home? Now is the perfect time to plan your dream vacation. You can apply for your passport or renew it today, and travel when the time is right. Did you know that the Birmingham Public Library is a Passport Acceptance Facility? We have many passport acceptance agents who can help you navigate the application process. Call (205) 226-3705 or stop by the Citizen Services desk at the Central Library to find out more.  You can start your passport application process at both the  Central Library   a nd the Avondale Regional Branch Library. Central Library passport hours for walk-in service are Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Saturdays by appointment only.  Avondale Library.  offers passport application services by appointment only. Call (205) 226-4000 to reserve your spot. See details on the flyer above on the documents you need for your pa...

An illustration of Mars Rover Perseverance landing safely on the red planet.  By Alvin Guillen - Library Assistant III |Springville Road Regional Library  Today, Friday, August 6, marks the ninth anniversary of exploration by NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars. The car-sized robot launched from NASA's Jet Propulsion laboratory in California November 2011 and landed inside Mars' Gale Crater on August 6, 2012. Curiosity has played a major role in helping scientists understand the habitat of Mars and how it has evolved.  Space exploration by NASA on Mars captivated the nation earlier this year when NASA'S Perseverance rover landed on the red planet. When I first began writing this blog in February, NASA’s Perseverance rover had been on the planet Mars for 5 days, 4 hours, and 45 minutes. It successfully landed on the planet on Thursday, February 18, 2021 at 3:55 p.m. EST. Early today, NASA's official Perseverance Twitter account released photos after the rover drilled its...