Birmingham Public Library Blog

  Birmingham, Ala. - Looking for fun family activities while students in grades K-12 are on Spring Break this week?  The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) has over 40 free events and programs to take advantage of at libraries across the city. Among other Spring Break programs at BPL happening this week through this Thursday (BPL is closed for Easter weekend on Friday and Saturday, March 29-30):   •   From today through Thursday, March 28, stop by Pratt City Branch Library for    Barbie’s World. ” Come learn about Barbie's history and many careers while examining her iconic fashion.  •  Chocolate Games: Let the Games Begin!, Today, Tuesday, March 26, 4:00 p.m.  Let the games begin! Break up into different teams as you compete against one another in different games that all involve chocolate! Learn a few facts about chocolate as the games go on.   •  Standing On Business Summit, Today, Tuesday, March 26, 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Stop by Titusville Branch to learn more about the skills y

  Meet Misty Bennett, visionary behind "Candy Crush," an art exhibit on display at the Central Library .  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 the second part of a Q&A with BPL Public Relations Director Roy Williams, Bennett talked about what inspired four more of her paintings.  Candy Crush  will be on display at BPL through this Thursday, March 29, 2024. ( The first part of the interview with Misty ran on February 15 ) Artwork in this exhibition is available for purchase, and the artist receives 100% of each sal

    North Birmingham Library is hosting a barbershop talk led by Jarrod Sims on Monday, March 25  Jarrod Sims, speaker at March 25 Barbershop Talk at North Birmingham Regional Library, 2501 31st Avenue North   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, March 25 as it hosts Barbershop Talk, a follow up to a similar barbershop talk session for men held on February 26 that featured Dr. John Baldwin as speaker. 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 Birmi

  "Me and My Friend Playing Cards," Annie Tolliver, 1996  Birmingham, Ala. -  The   Birmingham Public Library  (BPL) invites art enthusiasts to an artists' reception for the recently installed Voices Carry: Art by Alabama Women exhibition. The reception will take place in the Fourth Floor Gallery at the  Central Library  this Saturday, March 23, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. In celebration of Women’s History Month,  Voices Carry: Art by Alabama Women  features work by 20 artists and will be on display through Friday, April 26. It is the latest installment in  BPL’s new visual arts series,  Art for Everyone . Background information on each participating artist may be found below.  The show follows on the heels of the exhibition  Assembly: Contemporary Gee’s Bend Quilts . Exhibitions showcasing works by  Misty Bennett  and  Stacey Holloway  are currently on view on the first floor of the Central Library through Friday, March 29.  Voices Carry  is  curated by Paul Barrett  and BPL&

Note: Avondale Regional Library is encouraging families dealing with dementia to contact the library if interested in participating in its Avondale Memory Cafe. For more information, contact Leslie Deason via phone at 205-226-4000 or email Leslie.deason@cobpl.org .   Birmingham, Ala. -  Caregivers and others trying to cope with the impact of dementia and other brain disorders, the  Avondale Regional Branch Library  is here to help. At 2:00 p.m. on Monday, March 25, Avondale Regional Library is kicking off its first Avondale Memory Cafe. Memory cafes offer people with dementia and their caregivers the opportunity to enjoy regular social interaction and to participate in interesting activities with others in similar circumstances- in a safe, welcoming environment.  Social interaction is so important for those with dementia and cognitive issues. Social interaction helps with keeping the brain active, maintaining memory and managing emotions. At cafes, individuals can connect, socializ

  The Birmingham Public Library is offering STEM programming for homeschooled students , courtesy of the Central Library Youth Department.  The classes, held in the Create 205 Lab on Central Library Youth Department’s 2nd Floor, began March 14 and conclude on May 23. The class next class, "Original Snap Circuits," will be held held during Spring Break Week on Thursday, March 28.  These programs are for 2nd-7th grade. There is a 15-person limit per program. Programs are from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Please register by clicking here. Here are BPL's Spring STEM offerings for homeschool students: * (Held last week) Thursday, March 14th: Codey Rocky Driving  * Thursday, March 28th: Original Snap Circuits  * Thursday, April 4th: Arcade Snap Circuits  * Thursday, April 25th: MyHome Snap Circuits  * Thursday, May 9th: Codey Rocky Driving  * Thursday, May 23rd: Codey Rocky Obstacle Course  For more information, call the Central Library Youth Department at (205) 226-3655 or

Birmingham, Ala. —The Birmingham Public Library's Department of Archives and Manuscripts is proud to present From Birmingham to Belfast, a captivating program that delves into the intertwined histories and cultural connections between Birmingham, Alabama, and Belfast, Northern Ireland.  The event will take place on Saturday, March 23, 2024, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the Arrington Auditorium on the fourth floor of the Research Library.

Pack your ear plugs for this Spring Break. Loud at the Library proudly presents the Spring Break Punk Show, happening at the Central Library at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, March 22. Three local bands— Apprehend , Domesticatrix , and Terminal Man —will perform for our free, all-ages concert.  Uncle G's Pizza will sell their "Detroit-ish" pizza, the Birmingham Public Library  will have the new Tree of Knowledge shirts, and more. 

  Enter Powderly Library's 2024 March Madness Men's Bracket Contest. The winner gets a free basketball.  Birmingham, Ala. - Are you ready for March Madness, the NCAA's annual men's and women's basketball tournament? If you are among the millions who participate in bracket contests every year, Powderly Branch Library has an incentive to make its Powderly Library 2024 NCAA March Madness Men's Bracket Contest even more fun - a chance to win a free basketball.  After the NCAA announces the teams on 2024 March Madness Men's Selection Sunday, March 17 , participants will have until the end of the day on Tuesday, March 19 to pick their teams and submit brackets for the chance to win a brand-new basketball, said contest organizer Sarah Grace Moses, a Library Assistant II at Powderly Library.  The winner will be announced a few days after the Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament ends on April 11.  Patrons can download the NCAA bracket online or pick one up from Po