Birmingham Public Library Blog

  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

What: Christmas Spectacular   When: Tuesday, December 12, 2023 | 6:00–8:00 p.m. Where: West End Branch Library | 1348 Tuscaloosa Ave SW, Birmingham, AL 35211 Details: Join us for a holiday celeration. Free and open to the public.  The public is invited to usher in the holiday season at the West End Branch Library's Christmas Spectacular. 

  Judy Woods, Financial Wellbeing Coach at Operation HOPE in the Central Library downtown.  Birmingham, Ala. - Black Friday will soon be upon us, the unofficial kickoff of the 2023 Holiday Season. Before going out and over-splurging on gifts for your loved ones, you may want to take advantage of a free financial advice from Judy Woods of Operation HOPE , located inside the Central Library in downtown Birmingham.  Prior to joining Operation HOPE two years ago, Judy worked in the non-profit arena as a Financial Life Skills Coordinator and Financial Stability Specialist for 19 years. As a statewide community resource specialist, Judy has coordinated financial and homebuyer education workshops for seniors, community partners, corporations, municipalities, and other non-profits. Her message is clear: "Financial wellness is not about money; it’s about decision-making," Woods said. "That philosophy is central to the objective of programs that help build awareness of where

  One of the interior murals at Hi-Wire Brewing.      On Thursday, November 16, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., please join the Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library  at  Hi-Wire Brewing  for the Friends’ biannual book fair. Hi-Wire Brewing is located at 2901 4th Avenue South in Birmingham's Lakeview district. The book fair is part of Hi-Wire's Self-Care Night , which will feature vendors of organic skincare products, hair tinsel, permanent jewelry, and more. Best of all, guests will have the chance to cuddle with the therapy dogs of Hand In Paw ! Please visit https://hiwirebrewing.com/event/self-care-night/ for a complete list of vendors.  The Friends Foundation will showcase an assortment of new and used vintage books, graphic novels, adult fiction and nonfiction, and children's books—all available for purchase at bargain prices. Books will be sold individually only (not by the bag as at past book sales).   About the Friends Foundation of BPL The Friends Foundation

What: Live Q&A with Actress Mary Badham When: Wednesday, November 15, 2023 | 2:00 p.m. Where: Springville Road Regional Branch Library | 1224 Old Springville Rd, Birmingham, AL 35215 About the event: To Kill a Mockingbird Actress Mary Badham is visiting the Springville Road Regional Branch Library for a live Q&A. Badham originally played Scout in the 1962 film To Kill A Mockingbird  and returns as M rs. Dubose in the Broadway touring play written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Bartlett Sher. For more information, contact the Springville Road Library at 205-226-4083.

*Cue Matthew McConaughey thumping his chest and humming proudly.* Seeing Martin Scorsese 's latest collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio ,  Killers of the Flower Moon , inspired me to revisit his filmography. As my movie-watching memories rummaged through his films that I have not recently seen, I decided to watch  The Wolf of Wall Street for the first time since I last saw it in theaters almost 10 years ago.

BPL's Monica K. Slater has won the George A. Strait Fellowship from the American Association of Law Libraries. She is serving the fellowship at Lucille Stewart Beeson Law Library at Samford University.    Birmingham, Ala . -  Monica King Slater , a Library Assistant III in the Central Library’s Citizens Services Department, has won a fellowship from a prestigious national law library association.  The longtime Birmingham Public Library employee is now a George A. Strait Fellow at Samford University’s Lucille Stewart Beeson Law Library. The George A. Strait Fellowship, awarded by the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) , honors the memory of the distinguished law librarian and longtime AALL member.  As part of the fellowship, Ms. Slater is required to complete work hours at a host library. Ms. Slater, who has an interest in law library reference services and general law library operations, is a student in the Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) program at the U

In her heartwarming new book, "A Brown Girl's Christmas Story," Birmingham author Alexandria Tate wants to make the holidays brighter for little girls of color. Come meet Tate and nearly 30 other authors this Saturday, November 4, at the Birmingham Public Library's 2023 Local Authors Expo. This free event will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Central Library downtown, 2100 Park Place.  A Brown Girl's Christmas Story   takes you on a heart-warming journey through the eyes of little Allison as she fondly recounts her Christmas and family's traditions.  Join Allison as she shares her cherished Christmas memories and cherished family traditions.  Immerse yourself in the joy, love, and warmth of this enchanting tale, perfect for creating unforgettable holiday moments. Discover the true spirit of Christmas through the eyes of Allison and make this heartwarming story a cherished part of your family's holiday tradition.  Get your autographed copy Sa