Birmingham Public Library Blog

Bards & Brews is hosting a Women's History Month themed Open Mic at the Birmingham District Brewing Company this Friday, March 1, featuring "America's Next Great Author," Joi Miner . Starting at 6:30 p.m., join us for an evening of spoken word poetry reflecting on womanhood and women's history paired with craft beers. Birmingham District Brewing Company is releasing a new beer on Friday night—keep reading to learn more. 

The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) is proud to announce the inclusion of FinancialFit to our database collection. This is a free e-learning resource that breaks down personal finances, like creating a budget or managing debt, in a quick and approachable way.

The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) is proud to announce the inclusion of Miss Humblebee's Academy to our database collection. This digital resource offers free online preschool curriculum to prepare children for a successful start in their academics. 

Birmingham Ala. - Hey middle to high school students in Birmingham, need help deciding on your career goals? Then drop by Woodlawn Branch Library from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 28, for a free Business & Career Strategies for Students program . The event for middle and high school students is a part of Woodlawn Branch's new Student Exposure Initiative: Business & Career Strategies for Students.   During Student Exposure Initiative: Business & Career Strategies for Students, a panel of local business professionals led by James Matthews will expose students to business and career concepts and provide practical training to set young people up for success as they prepare to begin their careers. The theme of Wednesday's event is "Teamwork—How Working With Others Impacts Your Success".   This is the second event in a series of sessions for teens, said Zachary Lukemire, a Librarian II at Woodlawn Branch. The first event was held in December 2023. ...

Get free tax prep assistance at the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) ! The BPL is offering free tax filing assistance for patrons at  branch libraries through AARP and  SaveFirst , a program from the nonprofit Impact America .   All you have to do is make an appointment—except for Five Points West Regional Branch Library where no appointment is necessary!

Birmingham native Dr. Jerome Morris will speak about his book "Central City's Joy and Pain" and sign copies at the Central Library's Arrington Auditorium at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 24.      Birmingham, Ala. - Jerome E. Morris refused to let humble beginnings in a downtown Birmingham housing project deter him from achieving success in life. Now a professor of urban education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Dr. Morris lived in a downtown subsidized housing community known as Central City before being renamed Metropolitan Gardens. His new memoir, "Central City's Joy and Pain: Solidarity, Survival, and Soul in a Birmingham Housing Project" shares Dr. Morris' personal story of survival to achieve personal success.  Dr. Morris will talk about his book and how he overcame odds in an author talk from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. this Saturday, February 24, in the Central Library's Arrington Auditorium, 2100 Park Place. The talk is presente...

North Birmingham Library is hosting Barbershop Talk  led by Dr. John Baldwin II on February 26 Birmingham barber Quincy Moore will provide free haircut s. In the black community, the barbershop is a place of refuge where black men can freely talk amongst themselves about relationships, parenting, politics and other issues that concern them. Barbershops play the same role as a safe haven for Black men that beauty salons serve as for women to share discussions about issues they face.  Join North Birmingham Regional Library , 2501 31st Avenue North, on Monday, February 26, for Barbershop Talk . This free program from 6:00 to 8:00  p.m. on Monday night will provide the atmosphere of a barbershop, a safe space for men both young and old to discuss social issues in our communities.  The keynote speaker will be Birmingham native Dr. John Baldwin II, senior pastor of New Beginnings United Methodist Church .  In addition to being able to participate in this powerful...

Participants in Powderly Library's Afrocentric Headdress Art program will make artwork like this .                                                                     Have you ever wanted to create your very own African headdress art? Join Powderly Branch Library, 3301 Jefferson Avenue SW, at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 27, for "Afrocentric Headdress Art" . Participants will make an African headdress art to use as wall art or display on a table, using different patterns. Materials will be provided and there is no registration required. For details, click here or contact Powderly Branch Manager Megan Green at (205) 925-6178 or via email at megan.green@cobpl.org.   Click here for a fascinating story by Adek Dejak of the history behind African headdresses :  Throughout ...

   Southside C.M.E. Church's Peace Makers for Christ Prayer Quilting Ministry visit the "Assembly: Contemporary Gee's Bend Quilts" exhibit that ends at the Central Library on Saturday, February 24  You have only a few days left to view Assembly: Contemporary Gee's Bend Quilts , a quilt exhibition that has been on display in the 4th Floor Gallery of the Central Library in downtown Birmingham since early January. The Assembly quilts exhibit closes to the public around 5:30 p.m. this Saturday, February 24. On Wednesday, Birmingham's Southside C.M.E. Church's Peace Makers for Christ Prayer Quilting Ministry stopped by to see the quilts made by the famous quilters of Gee's Bend in person.  "We were so impressed, the quilts were awesome, beautiful," said Cynthia Fowler, a member of the Southside C.M.E. quilting group. "We enjoyed the exhibit. I am so glad we got to see the quilts before it closes."    Assembly: Contemporary Gee's B...

To commemorate 20 years of the Five Points West Regional Branch Library 's current location, the library will host an open house on Friday, March 8, 2024, at 3:00 p.m.!  We invite the community to celebrate this milestone with light refreshments. In honor of this occasion, the Five Points West Quilting Club crafted a quilt that pays tribute to the library's current and previous locations.

Five Points West Regional Library is hosting a free homebuying workshop on April 27.  Birmingham, Ala. -  Five Points West Regional Library  is excited to announce an upcoming workshop that could be your key to unlocking the door to homeownership. Whether you're a first-time homebuyer or looking to upgrade to your dream home, this homebuying workshop on April 27 will provide you with the knowledge and tools you'll need to navigate the process with confidence.  Date & Time:  April 27, 2024, 10:00a.m.-12:00 p.m.  Location:  Five Points West Regional Library 's Meeting Room, 4812 Avenue W. Birmingham, AL 35208 What to Expect:  Join Us for an Engaging Panel Discussion on homebuying in which you will learn from industry experts about every step of the homebuying journey, from understanding the process to closing the deal. The panelists will include  Bats & Associate Real Estate  Team representatives,  home inspector Greg Walker ,...

  Click here to watch a trailer for The Holdovers  I confess that I am not always the biggest Alexander Payne fan. I was disappointed with his films  The Descendants and Downsizing . Even Nebraska did not meet my expectations. Now, if he’s working with Paul Giamatti , I’m all eyes and ears. The 2004 film about exploring wine country in California , Sideways , which was their first collaboration, is a perfect movie. The wide-ranging actor specifically never fails as the rigid curmudgeon that just needs a beer and a hug.  Once again, they both strike gold with the surprisingly amusing dramedy, The Holdovers. In one of the most acclaimed films of 2023, Giamatti plays a grumpy history, or as he describes as ancient civilizations, teacher at an all-boys boarding school called Barton Academy. He goes by the name, Mr. Paul Hunham.  The sophisticated but snarky instructor casually smokes his pipe and gives out more Fs and Ds than Bs and As to his uniform-wearing stud...

  What: Sahi On Ko Djony performance of African Dance and Drumming When: Wednesday, February 21, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. Where: Springville Road Regional Library , 1224 Old Springville Road Details: Sahi On Ko Djony, a West African Dance and Drumming Company, will give a free performance celebrating African folklore as part of the Birmingham Public Library's celebration of Black History Month . Follow  Sahi On Ko Djony on Facebook.   For more information, click here . If interested in classes,  call 205-639-7626 or send an email to sahionkodjony@gmail.com.  Barry Johnson,  co-founder of Sahi on Ko Djony West African Dance and Drumming Company, performs at a Bards & Brews spoken word poetry event last year. Birmingham, Ala. -  Come celebrate African culture, dance and drumming during a free performance by  Sahi On Ko Djony  from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. this Wednesday, February 21, at Springville Road Regional Library, 1224 old Springville...

  These recent donations are among 4,000 family history books at BPL's Southern History Department.  Did you know that the Birmingham Public Library's    Southern History Department has a collection of almost 4,000 printed family histories? Ranging in size from a few dozen pages to multi-volume sets, each one is the culmination of many hours or, in most cases, years of research. Genealogists tirelessly document their families and in doing so, accumulate items like newspaper clippings, vital records, wills, and more. Often, these are stored and kept for future generations. However, a dedicated few will take that extra step and have a book printed that tells the history of the family.  Most family histories begin with the ancestor who first came to the United States and trace the line through that person’s descendants. Some include detailed family trees, complicated numbering systems to keep track of the generations, and even photos. It’s always a good idea to ve...

Paul Boncella, BPL's map conservator, is hosting a Black History Month program, DNA Testing for African Ethnicities, in person and online via zoom in the Central Library on Wednesday, Feb. 21.   What: DNA Testing for African Ethnicities When: Wednesday, February 21 |11:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m . Where : BPL Central and online via Zoom    Workshop Presenter: Paul Boncella, map conservator of the Birmingham Public Library  About the program: DNA ethnicity testing may seem like a simple and efficient way to trace your ethnicity. But do you know the differences between all the testing kits and what they offer? Paul Boncella examines the current state of the science behind ancestry kits, lists the possibilities for African ethnicity testing, and explains what the various products deliver. This program is open to all patrons and held both at the Central Library and online via Zoom.   Click here to register to participate online. No registration is required for in-per...

Birmingham, Ala.  - The Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library  is excited to present the third annual A Novel Tasting , a benefit for the Birmingham Public Library . This elegant evening will take place on Thursday, April 11, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m., at the Central Library  downtown. A Novel Tasting will feature a tasting of fine wines, handcrafted beers, and locally distilled spirits. Guests will enjoy live music from Sol Música, catered food, a silent auction, complimentary drinks, and more! The event will be preceded by a special VIP reception between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. We encourage you to take advantage of the Early Bird Discount . The first 50 people to purchase tickets to A Novel Tasting will get $25 off the regular ticket price. This promotion ends on Friday, March 1, so purchase your ticket today!  Guests of A Novel Tasting will receive a customized wine glass, two complimentary drink tickets, and access to the tasting, cocktail bar, sile...

  Meet Misty Bennett, visionary behind "Candy Crush," an art exhibit on display at the Central Library .  Birmingham, Ala.  - Professor Misty Bennett, the Art Department Chair at the University of Montevallo , is the visionary behind “Candy Crush,” a fascinating painting exhibition on the first floor of the Central Library in downtown Birmingham.  Misty Bennett: Candy Crush is the latest installment of the Birmingham Public Library ’s Art for Everyone series . The exhibition was made possible by a grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts , awarded to the BPL Friends Foundation to benefit the library.  In a Q&A with BPL Public Relations Director Roy Williams, Bennett talked about what inspired several of her paintings. Candy Crush will be on display at BPL through March 29, 2024. Artwork in this exhibition is available for purchase, and the artist receives 100% of each sale. For sales information, contact the artist at BennettMJ@montevallo.e...

As a way of celebrating some of our favorite writers, we wanted to share a few of our favorite quotations from a handful of items in the collection here at the North Birmingham Regional Branch Library .

  Bob Dickerson Jr. Gaynelle Adams Jackson Birmingham, Ala. - Like thousands of African-Americans across the country,  Bob Dickerson and Gaynelle Adams Jackson have long  admired the incredible contributions of the late A.G.  Gaston , who amassed a business empire that led Black  Enterprise magazine to name him its Entrepreneur of the  20th Century. Dickerson, executive director of the Birmingham Business  Resource Center , previously worked for Gaston as a loan  officer at Citizens Federal Savings Bank. Jackson, owner  of Advanced Planning Services, passed  by several of Gaston’s business enterprises  daily while working downtown for Bell South.  In 2005, nine years after Gaston died at  age 103, the two longtime friends decided   to combine their skills and create an annual business conference that would pay   tribute to Gaston’s success and inspire current and future black business leaders. Click here to learn more about the hosts of the A.G. Gaston Conference. Now i...