Birmingham Public Library Blog

  “Classic Cocktails: Let Loose in the Library” is set to take place from 5:30-9 pm tomorrow night, Tuesday, October 22, at downtown’s Central Library, 2100 Park Place.  If you haven’t purchased your ticket, now is the time! This event will SELL OUT, purchase tickets on Eventbrite at BIT.LY/BPLCC24  Among the many fun things scheduled for tomorrow’s event is a spirits tasting showcasing products from two local companies. Representatives from Sweet Home Spirits and Red Eye Louies will be on hand to wow guests with their yummy creations.  Th e Leeds-based Sweet Home Spirits crafts several versions of Bourbon Whiskey, while Birmingham-based Red Eye Louies specializes in unique Tequila-based blends, including their Vodquila, Rumquila, Whisquila, and Plata Tequila. The spirits tasting will take place in the Central Library Atrium from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.   A kickoff party for the Magic City Classic football game, “Classic Cocktail: Let Loose in the Library” will also feature signature d

  The Birmingham Public Library (BPL ) would like to recognize the Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library as the Signature Sponsor of this year's Classic Cocktails.  Classic Cocktails: Let Loose in the Library, BPL's 3rd annual Magic City Classic Kickoff Party is happening Tuesday, October 22, 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the Central Library, 2100 Park Place in downtown Birmingham.   BPL also would also like to thank MedsPLUS Consulting for its generous sponsorship, as well as the following companies and individuals: AG Podiatry, Brownstone Healthcare & Aesthetics, Magic City Media Group, Bessie Miller, O. Jay Fence Company, Nancy and Jon Ryan, SouthState Bank, and Strive Counseling Services. If you would like to add your name to this list, please send an email to bpl.development@cobpl.org.  If you haven't purchased tickets to next Tuesday's Classic Cocktails: Let Loose in the Library, don't delay! Tickets are $40 apiece and available for purchase on  Ev

  Birmingham, Ala. – The Birmingham Public Library has plenty of free programs and events to help patrons get in the Halloween spirit throughout October. BPL libraries across the City of Birmingham are hosting nearly 40 Halloween activities this month, including 31 being held between October 16 and October 31. Make sure to be at the Central Library's Arrington Auditorium this Saturday, October 19, from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. for BPL Assistant Archivist Connor Marullo's discussion "Haunted Birmingham: A Talk About the Magic City's Macabre Past"   Many of our 18 locations will also be giving away free candy on Halloween Day Thursday, October 31.     See details, dates and times of our Halloween programs below, listed alphabetically.  Avondale Regional Branch Library   Programs for Kids and Teens  Boo-k BINGO -   October 14-19, 21-26, 28  Join us for a ghoulish month-long BINGO! Earn a chance to win a spook-tacular book bundle! With every BINGO, you can register

  Phoenix King, Independence The Birmingham Public Library   is privileged to host the Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama (HKAS) during the month of October. The exhibition features 40 pieces of art created by students with visual impairments, blindness, and/or deaf blindness from across the state of Alabama. HKAS is on display in the First Floor Gallery at the Central Library  through October 30, 2024.  A reception will take place in the gallery on Friday, October 18, from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. Children who participate in the Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama use various media to create one-of-a-kind masterpieces. Most of the artworks in the exhibition have tactile components and can be experienced by viewing as well as through the sense of touch. The pieces are produced in public, private, residential, and home schools. BPL is the sixth venue to host the show this year. So far, the exhibition has visited the Shelby County Arts Council (Columbiana), the Heritage Hall Museum (Talladega)

Don't miss the  Birmingham Public Library' s  3rd Annual Classic Cocktails: Let Loose in the Library , set for 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the  Central Library  downtown next Tuesday, October 22. Kick off your  2024 Magic City Classic week  by making new friends and reconnecting with alumni from  Alabama State University  and  Alabama A&M University .  Hosted by V 94.9 FM DJ/radio personality Dana "Lady Woo" Woodruff and Jermaine "Funnymaine" Johnson,   BPL's Classic Cocktails kickoff party  promises to be an evening to remember!  The event features tailgate-style food, a cigar lounge, fabulous specialty cocktail drinks, a beer bar, and fun games. Get your dancing shoes ready for music spun by DJ Christin French. Classic Cocktails is sponsored by the  Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library  plus other sponsors listed on the flyer above. Tickets are $40 apiece and available for purchase on  Eventbrite .  Proceeds help support library programs a

Please join the Birmingham Public Library Department of Archives & Manuscripts as we explore the horrifying history of Birmingham's ghosts.  This free program, "Haunted Birmingham: A Talk About the Magic City's Macabre Past," will take place from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. this Saturday, October 19, inside the Arrington Auditorium on the fourth floor of the BPL Research Library, 2100 Park Place in downtown Birmingham. From lost lovers to bloody tragedy, the ghosts of Birmingham have strange and terrible stories to tell. Be warned that this talk is not for the faint of heart, we will be learning about axe murders and ghastly remains.  If you are feeling brave then come, join Connor Marullo the Assistant Archivist on Saturday the 19th, if you dare!  If you have any questions about this event, contact Connor at connor.marullo@cobpl.org or 205-226-3631.  For more details click on this Facebook link    By Connor Marullo, Assistant Archivist|BPL Department of Archives

  Halloween favorites from the staff of North Birmingham Regional Library . We love spooky season here at the North Birmingham Regional Branch Library !  Here are some fun and exciting staff favorites for the month of October:  Books The House That Horror Built  This novel by Christina Henry introduces us to protagonist Harry Adams: someone who has always loved horror movies. Harry gets a gig cleaning the house of a famous horror director and soon discovers the house holds more secrets than she ever anticipated.  The Stephen King Universe: A Guide to the Worlds of the King of Horror  This fascinating nonfiction selection delves into the world of Stephen King characters and gives readers a good balance of both criticism and interpretation of King’s work. The book also comes with a variety of wonderful illustrations for your viewing pleasure.  Dracula  This classic work of horror fiction (1897) by Bram Stoker introduced the world to what is now considered to be the most famous and widely

  2024 Family History Month programs have kicked off at the Birmingham Public Library. Started in 2001, F amily History Month is held in October as a month-long celebration to encourage people to explore and preserve their family history. It's a great opportunity to learn about your family's traditions, culture, and heritage, and connect with relatives both near and far.   BPL's Southern History Department holds a variety of genealogy programs throughout the year to make it easier for patrons to research and document their family tree. Family History Month is a time to highlight the important role our genealogy programs can play in helping patrons learn more about their family past.  BPL is hosting 6 programs this year including two already held:    Google Your Peeps October 2,  a program that showed patrons how to use the Internet to research their family's past; and  You are Here: Using Digitized Maps in Historical and Genealogical Research October 9 , a program o

  The Central location of the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) will be hosting a Medicare Open Enrollment counseling session on Friday October 25, 2024. Alabama state Certified Medicare Specialists will be on hand at the session to help those currently enrolled in Medicare make more informed decisions about changing their coverage plans. During the Medicare Open Enrollment period, which is held annually from October 15th to December 7th, all people with Medicare may choose to do the following: Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan Switch from a Medicare Advantage plan to Original Medicare Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another Join a Medicare drug plan Switch from one Medicare drug plan to another  Drop Medicare drug coverage completely. Free, reliable, and unbiased Medicare counseling is made available to the public by the  Alabama State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) , which is administered locally by the  United Way Agency on Aging in Jefferson Count

Please join us at the Central Library on Tuesday, October 8, for a discussion led by historians Alex Lichtenstein and Tyler Malugani. "Unmasked: Anti-Lynching Activism and Community-Based Memory" is scheduled in conjunction with the Scottsboro Boys Museum  travelling exhibition, which is currently on display in the Grand Commons. A reception will start at 5:30 p.m., and the discussion is set to begin at 6:15 p.m. The Scottsboro Boys Museum commemorates the lives and legacy of nine young African Americans falsely accused of rape in 1931. They spent 102 years in jail for a crime that never happened. In the 1930s, they became international symbols of race-based injustice in the American South. There has been no civil rights moment more significant than Scottsboro in the history of the movement. The exhibit celebrates the positive actions of those of all colors, creeds, and origins who have taken a stand against the tyranny of racial oppression. Next Tuesday, guests will hear fro

Since the holidays are just around the corner, why not go ahead and plan your ideal vacation in one of several cool countries! Before you make any plans, however, you need to have a passport.  Apply for or renew your passport today at the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) to avoid packing any last-minute stress on your vacation.  The BPL is a Passport Acceptance Facility and has many passport acceptance agents who can help you navigate the application process.  You can start your passport application process at both the Central Library , the Avondale Regional Branch Library , and the Springville Road Regional Branch Library .  Central Library's passport hours for walk-in services are Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call 205-226-3705 or stop by the Citizen Services Department at the Central Library to find out more.  The Avondale Branch Library and the Springville Road Branch Library both offer passport application services by appointment only. Call the Avondale Li