Birmingham Public Library Blog

Birmingham, Ala. - Internet access is back up and all Birmingham Public Library and Jefferson County Library Cooperative (JCLC) locations are operating as normal now. We appreciate our patron's patience the past two days. The Internet outage began Thursday morning, April 28, and was not a result of any internal IT issues at our libraries. It was caused by a cut fiber issue - think of this as like a power line being down, but in this case Internet repairs being done. Other businesses in the Birmingham area also experienced Internet outages as result of this fiber cut. BPL locations remained open during the Internet outage as library employees continued to provide good customer service for our patrons. Again, we are so appreciative of our patrons' understanding about this issue that was beyond our control. Now that we are back open, remembe r BPL provides online services - including access to check out books and DVDs - online 24 hours, 7 days a week - even when our physical ...

It's Bards & Brews time! Flyer designed by Lisa Mitchell. Birmingham, Ala.— Bards & Brews is holding their next Open Mic Night at the Central Library on Friday, May 6. Nathifa Dance Company and Outreach , an African drumming and dance company, will open the night with a special performance and then poets will take the stage to share original spoken word poetry. 

China Miéville's first novel in his Bas-Lag series, Perdido Street Station , takes its title from the massive skyrail station that sits at the center of New Crobuzon , a city set in a murky world that defies easy description.  Miéville's world is densely packed with unfamiliar figures and hazy technologies, populated by humanoid and nonhumanoid races that are far from the usual fantasy conventions. 

The climate crisis is causing many people to examine both the larger, systemic environmental issues and their individual contributions. While fighting for change at the highest level should be our main priority, a mindset shift on our own actions must also take place.  Take clothes, for example. 

Make Spring into Fitness a part of your workout routine. Flyer from West End Branch Library. Come out of your shell and join in as participants in "Spring Into Fitness" at the West End Branch Library . Each class will address health, nutrition, wellness, and fitness. Classes are free, and you can join any time. 

Math...many kids think it is the bane of existence while in school. I remember attending the class with dread. Math and Science are often the two subjects that students tell me they require tutoring for as well. 

Birmingham, Ala.— Join the Birmingham Public Library at the Central Library for an International Jazz Day program on Thursday, April 28, from 12:00—2:00 p.m. featuring live music by Fred Jones Jr . and food trucks! This program is free and open to the public.

  Birmingham, Ala. - Join author Dr. Robert Mayer at the Central Library on May 2, 2022, as he discusses his new book,  "In the Name of Emmett Till: How the Children of the Mississippi Freedom Struggle Showed Us Tomorrow" Dr. Mayer's book talk will take place from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. May 2 in the Arrington Auditorium, 2100 Park Place.     In the Name of Emmett Till" was released on September 14, 2021, by NewSouth Books.  It has received rave reviews, such as this one by Charles C. Bolton, professor of history, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro: "In the Name of Emmett Till" vividly explains how the brutal killing in 1955 of a fourteen-year-old boy in the Mississippi Delta inspired a generation of young people to fight for Black freedom. Mayer’s narrative details how the courageous activism of scores of Mississippi youth in the decade after Till's murder played a decisive role in dismantling the state's system of racial apartheid. This b...

Auntie Litter leaves no litter behind. Graphic design by Lisa Mitchell. You may remember Auntie Litter from local Earth Day parades or a classroom program. See her at the BPL this Saturday, April 23, for an Earth Day Celebration! Bring your children and join us in the Youth Department at the Central Library to learn more about earth stewardship and what you can do!

Say hello to Rico Drakes, the Director of TRIO EOC. Photo by Zach Lukemire. Plan out your education with the TRIO Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) at the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) ! Learn more about the TRIO EOC and which BPL locations you can find them at. 

  BPL hotspots are back!!!  The Birmingham Public Library's public Wi-Fi is a popular feature for patrons visiting our 18 locations across the city. Did you know BPL also offers mobile Wi-Fi hotspots for checkout at each of our libraries?   Mobile  Wi-Fi hotspots are devices that allow you to have Internet access when you are traveling, away from home, or working outside the office.  BPL's hotspots can connect more than just laptops to the web. They'll work with up to 10 devices at once, including tablets, cameras, and pretty much any other Wi-Fi-enabled device.   Here are the details you need to know:  * BPL's hotspots can be checked out for up to 1 week. You must have be a  BPL patron with a library card to check them out. * Patrons must be at least 21 years old and fill out a mobile hotspot checkout form. You must be a Birmingham resident. * Hotspots can also be placed on reserve so that the patron can be contacted when they are avai...

Birmingham, Ala . - Join  Inglenook Branch Library , 4100 40th Terrace North, for a discussion on heart disease and stroke prevention from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. this Friday, April 22, the latest in a series of free women's health workshops the Birmingham Public Library is hosting through June 2022. This Friday's event at  Inglenook Branch Library  will feature  Dr. Celeste Willis,   a board-certified family medicine physician specializing in urgent care. In addition to gaining valuable health care information from Dr. Willis, attendees will receive dinner, door prizes including gas cards, and take-home literature about health issues. There will also be free child care provided, fun family games, and more.  Registration in advance is required. Call (205) 226-4025 for more information. Upcoming programs include a women's health workshop from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, May 13 at North Birmingham Library, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, May 27, at In...

Learn how you can make a difference at the Birmingham Public Library. Photo by Parker Evans. It's somewhat deceptive that, at least in the reports I read, imminent increases in average global temperature are measured in degrees Celsius. At a glance, 1.5 degrees Celsius seems like a small number to those of us who are used to increments of Fahrenheit. For anyone like me, who conveniently forgets no matter how much we look it up, that's 34.7 degrees Fahrenheit. 

High school graduation is around the corner, and the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) is available to help in your college search and preparation for the next step in your educational journey. Maybe you’re getting ready to graduate, or currently working and looking to take your life in a new direction by boosting your knowledge.  It’s important to know all the resources you have available to you!  One of the best free resources BPL has for patrons preparing for college is College Scorecard ( https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/ )  Collegescorecard.ed.gov can tell you a lot about a school – from its graduation rate and the earnings of former students, to how much debt you can expect to take on. The site has been recently updated by the U.S. Department of Education, adding new data, details and restoring a few statistics that the Trump administration had scrapped.  The updated scorecard lets you compare schools based on graduates' earnings, then see how those earnings compa...

  All 18 Birmingham Public Library locations will be closed for the Easter holiday weekend this Friday, April 15 through Sunday, April 17.   Remember that even when our physical buildings are closed, patrons can still check out books and DVDs online via our BPL website using smart phones and computer devices. You can also take advantage of free activities available on many of our Facebook pages.   Have a wonderful Easter! See you Monday, April 18, when our library locations reopen.

The Titanic sank 110 years ago in April 1912, yet it has remained one of the most talked-about ships in history. For me, the voyage of the Titanic has always intersected my memories in one way or another. 

Virginia Bugg    The Jefferson County Public Library Association will hand out its 2022 Library Champion Awards virtually on Tuesday, April 12. The winners are the Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library (BPL ) and Virginia Bugg, a longtime supporter of the Homewood Public Library. Both will receive their awards during a ceremony being held online beginning at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 12, said Alisha Johnson, President of the Jefferson County Public Library Association.   Click on the Zoom link below to tune into the JCLA Library Champion Awards  Time: Apr 12, 2022 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)  Join Zoom Meeting Link https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87937532407?pwd=enJmZnJveXF3dy9DVEFXSHhmb2Z1dz09 Meeting ID: 879 3753 2407  Passcode: champions The Friends Foundation of BPL was nominated by Birmingham Public Library Executive Director Janine Langston. In her nomination letter, Langston said BPL is fortunate to have strong dedicate...

Invest in our planet with these books. Photo by Cheyenne Trujillo. Celebrate Earth Day (April 22) all April long as "Earth Month!" The theme for Earth Day 2022 is "Invest in our planet." Join the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) for some zero-waste and inventive programs recycling paper. 

  Birmingham artist Amy Peterson is donating this painting to A Novel Tasting 's silent auction. Birmingham, Ala. - Attendees to  A Novel Tasting , the BPL fundraiser taking place this Thursday, April 7, will get a chance to bid on a special item: a painting of BPL's Southern History Department. Amy R. Peterson, an artist/art teacher who lives in Trussville, last month did a painting of  BPL's Southern History Department and its famous Ezra Winter murals  that she is donating to A Novel Tasting's silent auction. A wife and mother of three children, Peterson has used her passion for art to paint famous buildings, landscapes and scenes in Birmingham for years. Check out some of the paintings on her website by clicking here  www.AmyRPeterson.com . While she worked other jobs pursuing her art in between, Peterson used to fantasize about where an art career might take her life. Now she smiles at where her life (particularly as a woman and a parent) takes her art! Lea...

Support your local library. Graphic design from the ALA. We're halfway through National Library Week , and the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) still has tons of events planned to celebrate libraries and their patrons! Keep reading to see what programs are happening at the BPL. 

Birmingham, Ala.  -  The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) is delighted to announce that Ghost Train Brewing Compan y and Vineyard Brands are our signature sponsors for this week’s premier fundraising event, A Novel Tasting. We are grateful to both these locally-based businesses for making this special evening possible. Other participants in this unique tasting include AlaBev , Avondale Brewing ,   Back Forty Beer Company , Cahaba Brewing , Campesino Rum , Ghost Coast Distillery , Good People Brewing Co . , Ozan Winery , Redmont Distilling Company , Sweet Home Spirits , and True Story Brewing . To purchase tickets to A Novel Tasting, please visit http://www.cobpl.org/programs/NovelTasting.aspx . Ghost Train Brewing Company was founded in 2014 by Taylor and Paige DeBoer. The business began operating in 2015, selling bottled beers produced under contract at the Crooked Letter Brewing Company in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. In October of 2016, Ghost Train opened its own b...

Who challenges books and where. Graphic from the ALA. As a part of National Library Week , the American Library Association (ALA) released their 2022 State of America's Library Report today, revealing the top 10 most challenged books of 2021. Keep reading to learn more about these books—and where to find them at the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) !

  Get in the spirit! Flyer from Springville Road Library. We've got SPIRIT, Yes we do,  We've got SPIRIT, How about YOU! Celebrate National Library Week at Springville Road Regional Branch Library Monday, April 4—Friday, April 8!

Support your local library. Graphic design from ALA Join the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) for National Library Week and share your love for your local library! National Library Week is from Sunday, April 3—Saturday, April 9, and the BPL has events planned all week long. 

  Looking to expand your skillset in the Microsoft Office suite?  Check out our free classes offered this month at the downtown Central Library' s RLCC ( Regional Library Computer Center )! Curious about how to use Microsoft Excel? Our MS Excel 2010 Basics class will introduce attendees to Excel and teach them how to create and edit their own spreadsheets. For those wanting to up their knowledge of Microsoft Word, our MS Word 2010 Advanced classes will teach you how to create tables and add images to your documents and presentations. And as always, we offer Basic PC and Keyboarding classes designed for complete beginners looking to learn the basic skills and terminology for using computers. You can register for free classes on the BPL website or in person at the Computer Commons located on the 1st floor of  BPL 's Central Library , 2100 Park Place.  The classes currently offered at BPL are available for viewing on the RLCC website.  If you have any questi...