Birmingham Public Library Blog

Do you have loved ones or friends who might enjoy using their own devices to read, watch movies, and even get crafting lessons for free with their library cards? If you or someone else is missing out on library digital services, like Libby + Craftsy , Hoopla , and Kanopy , join the Pratt City Branch Library for our  E-Entertainment Open House !

  Christmas Day may be over, but Southside Branch Library has free Grab N Go bags for patrons celebrating Kwanzaa ! DROP BY THE SOUTHSIDE BRANCH TO PICK UP A GRAB N' GO BAG FOR KWANZAA!!This Grab N' Go features a simple KWANZAA MEMORY GAME! This simple game involves matching cards as well as creating a chat about the meaning of the symbols and principles of Kwanzaa.  Pick it up at Southside Branch Library,  1814 11th Avenue South, through this Friday, December 29, between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.  Beginning annually on December 26, the day after Christmas, Kwanzaa is a seven-day period of learning, family and celebration of African culture . During Kwanzaa, families and communities come together to share a feast, to honor the ancestors, affirm the bonds between them, and to celebrate African and African American culture. Each of the 7 days, Kwanzaa participants light a candle to highlight the principle of that day and to breathe meaning into the principles with various activitie

Each new calendar year brings changes to Medicare costs, benefits, and coverages— 2024 is no exception . If you are planning on enrolling in Medicare during the year, learn  about all your options to make the best decision for your health care. Get informed with the  Birmingham Public Library 's monthly Facebook program, Let's Talk About Medicare: Questions and Answers.

  Avondale Regional Library is beginning an Avondale Memory Café in early 2024 to help families caring for loved ones dealing with dementia and Alzheimer’s.  A memory café offers dementia patients and their caregivers the opportunity to enjoy social interaction in a safe, welcoming environment, said Leslie Deason, adult services outreach librarian at Avondale Library and coordinator of the new program. Research shows that social interaction benefits individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease or any other form of dementia, or other brain disorders.  Social group activities benefit people with dementia since they are stimulating and uplifting, Deason said. In addition, caregivers need support. At a memory café, caregivers and care recipients can socialize and connect with others in similar situations. One of the most important outcomes of memory cafes are the friendships that are formed.  This is a drop-in program and no pre-registration is required. New attendees are welcome to drop-in to t

In honor of National Science Fiction Day (Tuesday, January 2, 2024), I'd like to mention two of my favorite science fiction materials available here at the North Birmingham Regional Branch Library !

It's quite the jamboree! Image source: Roku/roku.com Every holiday season , people gather around in their cozy, heavily decorated living rooms and rewatch some of their favorite holiday movies, which may include some Christmas classics. I have friends who repeatedly quote A Christmas Story or Christmas Vacation hoping that it will never get old. Others debate if Die Hard or Gremlins are legitimately Christmas films or not.  As for me, one of my favorite Christmas traditions is revisiting an unsung diamond in the rough,  Jim Henson 's  Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas .

Protective Life Corporation gifted this Gingerbread tree to the BPL's Central Library downtown. L-R Protective's Shayla Aguillard and Lori Dixon; BPL's Catherine Frey & Karyn Davis-West Birmingham, Ala.— Since early December, visitors to the Central Library lobby in downtown Birmingham have seen a special gift: a Gingerbread Christmas Tree donated to the Birmingham Public Library by Birmingham-based Protective Life Corporation.

  These are just some of the holiday options available on BPL's Hoopla.   Looking for free downloadable movies, TV shows, music and more to enjoy with family during the holiday season? Then sign up for Hoopla at the Birmingham Public Library.    Hoopla offers eBooks, downloadable audio, movies, TV shows, comics, music, and more.  Learn more about Hoopla and other BPL online resources by clicking here.     Bringing you hundreds of thousands of movies, full music albums, audiobooks and more, Hoopla is a revolutionary digital service made possible by your local library. Hoopla offers a variety from Hollywood blockbusters to best-selling artists and authors – not just the hits, but the niche and hard-to-find as well.  You’ll soon discover that hoopla provides you the freedom you've been searching for to experience, explore and enjoy what you want, when you want, and where you want. Simple to access and use, without the hassle of having to return the items you've borrowed, all

Salaam Green has been named the inaugural 2024-25 City of Birmingham Poet Laureate BIRMINGHAM, AL – The City of Birmingham is pleased to announce the appointment of Salaam Green as the inaugural 2024-2025 City of Birmingham Poet Laureate.  This prestigious position recognizes Ms. Green’s outstanding contributions to the literary arts and her commitment to fostering a deeper appreciation for poetry within our community. Selected through a rigorous nomination and evaluation process, Green emerged as the ideal candidate to serve as Birmingham’s Poet Laureate.  As the founder and director of The Literary Healing Arts and a Road Scholar for the Alabama Humanities Alliance, she has spent over 16 years working as an arts educator, healer, and community leader in Birmingham. Green is a published author whose work has been featured in the book Peaches the Perfect Poet , and the Alabama Arts Journal.  Green will begin her two-year term in January 2024. This is an honorary position and roles

  Judy Woods of Operation Hope, located inside the Central Library downtown   Are you effectively planning your holiday so you can “holler” goodbye to debt? Judy Woods, financial coach at Operation HOPE , located inside the Central Library in downtown Birmingham, is encouraging you to deck the halls, NOT your credit, nor your budget or your family. Embrace these financial clues to avoid the holiday blues and enter the new year with a plan to enhance your financial wellbeing. Join Judy on Friday, December 15, for the Circle of HOPE, a festive gathering inside Judy's office on the 3rd Floor of the Birmingham Public Library Research Building, 2100 Park Place!  As your financial coach, Judy Woods is excited to host a 3-hour Holiday Meet & Greet Resource Social, bring together clients, potential clients, and a few community partners. Let’s connect, share insights, and embrace the holiday spirit. It’s a unique opportunity to strengthen our financial journey together and build m

  Smithfield Branch Manager Sequoria Lewis is hosting her 3rd Toys for Tots Drive at Smithfield Library.  This year she welcomes volunteers from Church of the Highlands to join in the celebration of Christmas in hopes that Smithfield Library will exceed last years’ 27 families and 1 daycare that benefited from the Toys for Tots program.  “I am very excited to continue with the tradition that we started 2 years ago. Since the first year we have learned quite a bit to make the process a smooth one. We look forward to serving with the youth to see that this event is just as great moving forward. " Sequoria said.   “I have always had a heart for giving to people because of my upbringing," Lewis said. "I was once the 'less fortunate child' so this holds a special place in my heart. Every year this is a time for me to be reminded of how grateful I should be.”   Toy collections began on December 1. To assist, drop off toys during Smithfield Library operating hours at

Happy holidays from the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) !  Our libraries across the city are hosting programs celebrating community and the holidays for our annual Holiday Happenings. We have 86 programs happening all throughout December, including some free-to-shop pop up stores and many celebrations! The Holiday Happenings 2023 booklet will be posted on our website soon. Keep reading to see what programs we're hosting!

  "Vulcan," screen print                              "Everything is floating away,"  oil on wood A new art exhibition has opened at the downtown location of the Birmingham Public Library.   Pat Snow: Selected Words & Images features recent works by local artist Pat Snow, who is known for his intriguing text-based art. The show is currently on display on the first floor of the Central Library  and includes color photographs, ink drawings, paintings, and screen prints.  Snow uses text and imagery in his work to depict true stories, which he interweaves with personal and art historical references. Humor, the cliché, and the vernacular play important roles in the recounting of his memories. Considered together, Snow’s pieces form a larger narrative with an open-ended storyline, thus triggering the viewer’s imagination. According to the artist, his work ultimately challenges “how one remembers and constructs a personal history.” Snow credits artists Robert Colesc

  Holiday programs are taking place all December long at Titusville Library As the holiday season approaches, the  Titusville Branch Library  is gearing up to spread warmth and cheer throughout the Birmingham community. Throughout the month of December, the library is hosting a variety of programs aimed at providing quality services and creating a sense of togetherness among patrons. These programs are among 86 Holiday Happenings at BPL this month.  Here's a sneak peek at the exciting events lined up at Titusville Branch: 1. Titusville Branch Diaper Resource Day Date & Time: Tuesday, December 5 | 10:00–11:00 a.m. Patrons in the community are invited to the Diaper Resource Day, where they will receive free diapers and wipes. This event is in collaboration with the Exchange Club of Alabama, offering education and support to parents. 2. Safety Tips with SAFE Kids Alabama Tuesday, December 5 | 10:00–11:00 a.m.  Collaborating with SAFE Kids Alabama at Children's of Alabama,

What: 2023 Word Up! Poetry Festival  When: Friday, December 8, 5:00-9:00 p.m. Where: The Central Library, 2100 Park Place, Birmingham, AL 35203 About the event:  Sponsored by The Flourish Alabama in collaboration with the Birmingham Public Library, Word Up! is a poetry festival featuring 6 high school teams who will compete for $5,000 in cash prizes by sharing original spoken word poetry. The poetry slam will be 5:00-9:00 p.m. on Friday, December 8. The 6 high school finalists are Huffman, Jackson-Olin, Parker, Ramsay, Wenonah and Minor. For inquiries or further information, visit  theflourishal.com/wordup  or contact The Flourish Alabama at theflourishalabama@gmail.com.     Birmingham, AL — Get ready to see the top youth poets in Jefferson County compete for $5,000 in cash prizes as   The Flourish Alabama  teams up with the  Birmingham Public Library  for the fourth consecutive year to present the 2023  Word Up! Poetry Festival . The poetry slam featuring 6 teams from Birmingham and J

  From Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service: "Men of Change" Birmingham, Ala.  -  “Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth,” a powerful exhibit collaboration between  The Birmingham Public Library   and the  Birmingham Civil Rights Institute , a  Smithsonian Institution  affiliate,  is concluding its 10-week run and closing at the end of operating hours this Saturday, December 2, 2023. The exhibit opened at both BCRI and the Central Library downtown on  September 16.   The exhibition presents the narrative of a nation through the profiles of significant African American men who are icons in the country’s historical and cultural landscape. Birmingham is the final stop on a 10-city national tour. Created by the  Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service  (SITES),  “Men of Change”  is made possible through the support of  Ford Motor Company Fund , the philanthropic arm of Ford.  “Men of Change”  highlights revolutionary men—including  Muhammad Ali ,  Jame

  Erika Horne, BPL Library Assistant III & Orchestra Clarinetist  Birmingham, Ala. – When you walk into the Central Library in downtown Birmingham, many patrons getting passports at the Citizens Services Desk processed by Erika Horne may not be aware that the Library Assistant III is also a professional orchestra clarinetist. Erika, who began working at the Birmingham Public Library in October 2023, played the clarinet in the Mobile Opera Orchestra and Mobile Ballet Orchestra from the fall of 2022 through the spring of 2023. She will be performing at concerts in Mobile again next spring. Erika first learned the clarinet as a young teenager nearly a decade ago at her hometown Daphne High School . She also marched three years in the University of South Alabama Jaguar Marching Band and USA Jag Band at basketball games. Erika graduated from South Alabama (USA ) in the fall of 2022 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education and Clarinet Performance (3.98 GPA). In a Q&A with B