Birmingham Public Library Blog

  The ACT test is often required for college admissions and scholarships, yet it is a dreaded and anxiety-filled experience for many high school students. The Birmingham Public Library is ready to help with our free ACT Prep workshop on Saturday, March 15, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Springville Road Regional Library, 1224 Springville Road. Attendees will learn test-taking strategies, take a full-length practice ACT exam, and receive a free calculator. Lunch will be provided. Tickets are required, and available through Eventbrite  by clicking here. This free workshop is made possible through a partnership between the Jefferson County Alumnae Chapter of the Delta Sigma Sorority and The Birmingham Public Library. For more information about the ACT workshop, contact the Springville Road Regional Branch Library at 205-226-4083 or drop by during library hours. The Birmingham Public Library also offers ACT study guides to check out. You can also access tutorials remotel...

  Bards & Brews, the Birmingham Public Library's popular monthly spoken word poetry event, is going on the road this Friday to Birmingham's Lakeview Entertainment District.   If you ever wanted to share spoken word poetry before a live audience, join us at TrimTab Brewing, 2721 5th Avenue South , at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, March 7, for a Bards & Brews Open Mic celebration of Women's History Month. Founded in 2013, TrimTab is a small Birmingham brewery specializing in expressive IPAs, experimental stouts and fruited sour beers .     Singer Viktoria Vennice will be the featured artist and Thed Weller will serve as our host. Follow Viktoria Vennice on Instagram @therealviktoria . Bards & Brews is free and open to the public. You must be 18+ to enter & 21+ to drink from TrimTab with proof of I.D. Bards & Brews open mics are welcome to all forms of spoken word arts.  Bards & Brews is sponsored by the Alabama State Council on the Arts. ...

Did you make a New Year's Resolution to eat the right foods in  2025? Then plan on joining the  Birmingham Public Library  this Tuesday, March 4, for "Mindful Eating: What's Eating You?," the next class in the 2025 workshop series  "Self-Care MasterMind: Community Edition."  This free series of engaging discussions about emotional and physical health happens every first Tuesday from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on the first floor of the  Central Library downtown , 2100 Park Place.  The instructor for the  Self-Care MasterMind: Community Edition  series is Christina (C. J.) Wade, a licensed massage therapist and certified health coach.    C.J. Wade, instructor for the Self-Care MasterMind series. Check out this blog by Jim Murray, librarian at the Central Library, about BPL resources available to help people maintain a healthy diet.    In a Q&A with BPL PR Director Roy Williams, class instructor C.J. Wade ...

Image credit: Corinne Cox - The Cat IS the Hat The Birmingham Public Library kicks off Women’s History Month  with an exhibition of works by Alabama sculptress Corinne Cox. Art with Spin features raku-fired ceramic depictions of imaginary creatures perched in open books, spinning heads topped with fantastical objects and animals, and vessels clenched by dragon’s claws.  Art with Spin  will be on view in the Lobby Gallery at the Central Library through May 23. A reception for the artist will take place on Saturday, March 15, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. on the first floor.  Says Cox, “I like art that tells a story and creates an emotion. By making my sculptures spin the viewer can interact and engage in the story of the piece. My favorite emotion created is usually happiness and laughter, but the rich darkness of raku can spin in mystery. My spinning head candle lanterns were inspired by the jack-o’-lantern. I enjoyed carving a pumpkin each year but was sad when it can time to ...

  Birmingham, Ala. - The term mindfulness is rooted in the ancient Buddhist meditative practice of being fully attentive to the present moment without being preoccupied by consideration of past or future consequences. By the late 20th century, as interest in Buddhist teachings and practices grew in the United States, the therapeutic applications of mindfulness began to be explored by healthcare practitioners working at the intersection of physical, mental, and spiritual well being.  Eventually, the concept of mindful eating emerged from a desire to adapt mindfulness techniques specifically to the areas of nutrition and dietary habits.   If you are interested in learning more about mindful eating, then plan on attending the next Self-Care MasterMind session entitled, Mindful Eating: What’s Eating You on Tuesday evening March 4, 2025 at the Birmingham Public Library’s Central location .  What: Self-Care MasterMind Community Edition 2025 Topic:   Min...

   Over  70 Black History Month programs  being held at 15  Birmingham Public Library  locations across the city  are entering the last week.   Here is a listing of Black History Month Programs at BPL by location February 24-28 Avondale Regional Library, 509 40th Street South,  Ph (205) 226-4000 All ages Monday, February 24--Friday, February 28 (All day during library hours) Black History Month Drop-In/Take Home Magnet Craft Craft your own "Black History is World History" magnet This keepsake can be completed in the Avondale Library or picked up to take home. Available while supplies last. African paper beads. Adults Wednesday, February 26, 2:00 p.m. Club Create: Black History Month Paper Bead Workshop Paper bead making is considered one of the oldest crafts in Africa ( see article on African paper bead making craft from Michigan State University) .  It is still practiced today, providing a source of income for women, enabling them ...

  What : "Lunch and Learn with Chef Polly"  Date : Tuesday March 25, 2025  Time: 12:00 -1:00 p.m.  Location:   4th Floor Arrington Auditorium, BPL Research Library, 2100 Park Place, Birmingham, AL 35203   Details: Please reserve a seat for lunch by contacting Central Library Adult Services Librarian Jim Murray at jim.murray@cobpl.org.  Are you looking for some guidance in fixing healthy meals that don’t sacrifice taste?  Then make plans to attend Lunch and Learn with Chef Polly at the  Central Library  downtown on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. The program will be inside the Arrington Auditorium, 4th floor of the BPL Research Building. Polly King, a Birmingham culinary expert and owner of Ms. Polly’s Full Plate LLC, will explain how you can choose more nutritious ingredients and use healthier cooking techniques to create meals that are both delicious and good for you.  Better yet, she will demonstrate how to prepare such a meal a...

The Birmingham Public Library  PR Department is spotlighting Black History Month programs happening at our libraries across the city during February.  Today's feature is on    Five Points West Regional Library,    4812 Avenue W . For more information on Five Points West Library's programs, call (205) 226-4013 or email Branch Manager Karen Jackson at Karen.Jackson@cobpl.org. Here is a listing of activities/programs happening throughout February at Five Points West Regional: Five Points West Regional Library, 4812 Avenue W , Ph (205) 226-4013 Youth Monday, February 17 - Friday, February 28 (all day during library hours)  Paper Quilt Art Create a paper square inspired by a quilt pattern. Add it to our community "quilt" or take your square home. Click here to read some books at BPL about some of the history and artists who worked with this fun paper quilt art form.   Monday, February 17 - Friday, February 28 (all day during library hours) Song Scaveng...

Paul Boncella, Map Conservator for BPL. What:  DNA Testing for African Ethnicities  When:   Wednesday, February 19 |11:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m.   Where:    Central Library,  BPL Research Building, 4th Floor Computer Center, 2100 Park Place, Birmingham, AL 35201. You can also attend virtually online via Zoom. Workshop Presenter:   Paul Boncella , map conservator of the Birmingham Public Library About the program:  DNA ethnicity testing may seem a simple and efficient way to identify your ancestral connection to the peoples and places of Sub-Saharan Africa, but what do you know about the types of tests that exist and the insights that they offer? Paul Boncella examines the current state of the science, lists the possibilities for African ethnicity testing, and explains what the various products actually deliver.  To register online  via Zoom, click here.  Birmingham, Ala. -  Two years ago, Paul Boncella shared tips on an African-A...

  Do you need a well-earned break from your job? Is there a bucket-list destination or place that you want to check out with friends, family, or even by yourself?   If you answered yes to these questions, that means it is time to start planning your next spring break trip! Before you start booking any flights or hotel reservations, make sure that you have your absolutely essential 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 the Central Library , the Avondale Regional Branch Library , or 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...