Birmingham Public Library Blog

Enough: Finding More by Living with Less Will Davis Jr. I once saw a bumper sticker that said “Live simply, so that others may simply live."“Is there ever a point where you get that next thing and you’re really are satisfied? Is there a point really called enough? And if so, how do you get there …” Well, if you’re like me, it’s time to read Enough: Finding More by Living with Less by Will Davis Jr. More is not always desirable despite everything our culture tells us. Enough is a guide to making the most out of what we have out of our life, and using Christian faith to find the meaning out of it all. Did you know that if you live in America and are considered middle-class, you are probably one of the richest people in the world? That’s right. Consider the following statistics:  If you have an annual income of $20,000, you are in the top 11% of richest people in the world. If you have an annual income of $30,000, you are in the top .09 % of the richest people in the wo...

The Birmingham Public Library has joined community groups to encourage citizens to register to vote. The 2012 presidential election will be on Tuesday, November 6. The Birmingham chapter of The Links, Incorporated will have a voter registration on Tuesday, October 16 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Smithfield Library. Interested parties should bring a driver's license. Call 324-8428 for more information. On Wednesday, October 24 at 12 p.m., Birmingham-Southern College political professor and political analyst Natalie Davis will discuss the impact "media, messages and money'' have had on this year's presidential race. Davis' lecture is part of the library's Brown Bag series, which is held in the Arrington Auditorium of the Linn-Henley Research Library. Call 226-3604 for more information. The League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham has distributed voter registration reminder flyers to BPL branches, where people can register to vote at the circula...

In recognition of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month , Changing Faces Productions presents Cassandra Frieson in a one-woman spoken word presentation, Mary on Death Row . A Family Violence Center counselor will be on site to lead an open discussion on domestic violence. For more information call Marguerite Scott at 529-3408 or e-mail mscott@bham.lib.al.us. The workshop is free but attendees are asked to support the Family Violence Center by bringing one personal hygiene product to the event to donate to the Center.  Event:  The Scar Behind the Smile: A Domestic Violence Workshop Presenter: Cassandra Frieson and Family Violence Center Place: Avondale Library Date: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 Time: 5:30 p.m. Cost: Free Registration: Not required

Does Twitter intimidate you? Do you want to know more about Facebook? Find answers to these questions and more on Thursday, October 4, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. during a free social media class in the Regional Library Computer Center , located on the fourth floor of the Linn-Henley Research Library. The class is for beginners. To register call 226-3680.

October is National Anti-Bullying Awareness Month, and several Birmingham Public Library branches will host forums on how to prevent bullying. The David Mathews Center for Civic Life , which is based in Montevallo, will present the forums. The forums are designed for students in eighth grade and older. Anti-bullying forums for younger children will be held in spring 2013. Bullying issues are not just limited to youth. Adults can be affected, too. Bullies can come in the form of teachers, co-workers, parents, etc. The goal of the forums is to give communities an opportunity to delve into what causes bullying and to find solutions. Facts and figures on bullying will be distributed at each event. The forums are free, but people should call 226-3742 in advance to help organizers prepare for attendance. Dates for the forums are: North Avondale Library , Tuesday, October 23, 1:00-3:00 p.m. Five Points West Library , Tuesday, October 23, 5:30-7:30 p.m. North Birmingham Library ,...

Gift membership to the Friends of the Birmingham Public Library - Linda (please e-mail your full name and address to trfancher@bham.lib.al.us. Your membership will be mailed to you.) $15 gift certificate to the Friends Bookstore - Marliese Thomas $5 gift certificate to the Friends Bookstore - Talandria Nation, Shelly, Kathleen Willis The following participants have won library tote bags. There are ten black "Between the Covers" bags and eight green "Friends of the Birmingham Public Library" bags. First come first served on the choice of tote bags. Lorigreen Katrina McKinney Debbie Woman of Amber Allie howforwardsale Jayne Schrimsher Jenn Somerset Maximus Shelby Jamie Judith W. A. Wright Joey Kennedy Jenn S. Thanks to all who played BPL's Banned Books contest. All prizes (with the exception of the Friends gift membership) may be picked up at the Central Library/PR Department/4th floor/Linn-Henley building. In order for a prize to be c...

This concludes the Name the Banned Book Contest. Thanks to everyone who participated. We had a fun time choosing the books and passages and hope that you had a fun time guessing them. The names of those who guessed correctly will be placed in a drawing for prizes. Winners will be announced on the BPL blog on Monday, October 8. * Answer to yesterday's trivia question: Happy October, everyone! Hope you all enjoyed that tender moment between Jack Torrance and his darling wife, Wendy. The Shining is one of Stephen King's most popular novels and was made into a successful movie and miniseries. King is writing a sequel to The Shining called Dr. Sleep that will be out in September 2013. Read more about it and hear King read an excerpt from the manuscript . I have no idea why a Stephen King book would be in a school library, but maybe school libraries have changed a lot in the hundred years since I was enrolled . The Shining was challenged by Campbell County, Wyoming, s...

The arrival of October means many of you will be looking for ways to scare yourselves silly.  In addition to visiting haunted houses, watching horror movies, and spending time with your in-laws (just kidding), you will probably want to sink your teeth into some good horror fiction.  Authors like Stephen King and Clive Barker are icons of the genre, but there are a number of authors writing good horror fiction.  Consider tackling one of these tantalizing tales of terror.  The annotations are publisher descriptions. A Book of Horrors A collection of original horror and dark fantasy from the world's best writers, including Stephen King and John Ajvide Lindqvist .  Many of us grew up on The Pan Book of Horror Stories and its later incarnations, Dark Voices and Dark Terrors ( The Gollancz Book of Horror ), which won the World Fantasy Award, the Horror Critics' Guild Award and the British Fantasy Award, but for a decade or more there has been no no...