Birmingham Public Library Blog

President Lyndon Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (AP Photo) On July 2, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law what was the most comprehensive civil rights bill up to that time. The bill, Public Law 88-352, is known commonly as the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It mandated that persons would not be discriminated against based on color, race, national origin, religion, or sex. The legislation was first proposed by President John F. Kennedy in 1963, but political wrangling delayed its passage for some time. After House approval in February, voting in the Senate was held back by a 75-day filibuster led by conservatives who vehemently opposed the law (primarily Southern Democrats). It finally passed the Senate by a vote of 73 to 27 on June 19 and was approved in its final form on July 2. The Civil Rights Act contains eleven titles. Three more well-known of them are as follows, in brief: Title II, Injunctive Relief Against Discrimination in Places of Public ...

Stranger Than Paradise Directed by Jim Jarmusch Stranger Than Paradise ignited the 1984 New York Film Festival. No one had seen anything quite like it. Made with leftover film stock, it was bottom-low budget, black and white, deadpan beyond all reckoning, and side-splitting. Well, side-splitting for some. The first time I saw it was like visiting a foreign country, even though it was shot in the United States. NYC, Cleveland and Florida never looked so otherworldly. The two main characters, Willie and Eddie, had so immersed themselves in retro I thought for a few minutes this was a period movie set in the fifties. Willie, a Hungarian who’s lived in New York for years, hangs out with friend Eddie. Cousin Eva, over Willie’s protestations, comes to stay with him. Willie grudgingly introduces her to America. Eddie visits but Willie protects Eve from him and quarantines her from New York. Eva tries to civilize Willie, to no avail. She has a few molecules more ambition than either Will...

Jerricho Cotchery will visit Five Points West Library at 9:30 am on Friday, June 26th, the morning before BPL's Teen Tailgate Party All those who “Score Big” are invited to a FREE Teen Tailgate Party at Birmingham Public Library on June 27, 2014 . The celebration will take place on the first floor of the Central Library, located at 2100 Park Place, from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. There will be music, dancing, photo-ops with Jerricho, food, and lots of fun. Tickets are required and are available at all BPL locations. Here's how to become an active participants in the “Score Big” component of the “Spark a Reaction” summer reading program. Seven points are necessary to qualify. Youth may score points by registering for the program (1 point), reading an entire magazine (3 points), and reading an entire book (6 points). “Score Big” registration forms are available at all Birmingham Public Library locations. The Birmingham Public Library is excited to host “Score ...

The Infinities John Banville “I find the pagan world of the Greeks highly appealing, and wish we could regain their state of innocence and sophistication. Bring back the old gods, I say.” John Banville in the Amazon.com Review. In his latest novel, The Infinities , John Banville, who won the Booker Prize for his previous novel The Sea , does indeed conjure up the Greek Gods in a British country home, Edwardian era, sort of. Adam Godley (note the name), the family patriarch is dying. It’s his death day, and his family has come round, as have the Gods. Hermes, we soon learn, is our actually omniscient narrator. He, Zeus and Pan, as Gods do, have their way, lustily, with the gathered humans, but with fine British manners. They wreak havoc, but, are oh so respectful. They’re never noticeably intrusive. Authors conjure up gods and elves and vampires and Martians as a way to find a foothold outside the human race, to view humanity through the eyes of other beings. For example, we ha...

The Birmingham Public Library will present its annual Eat Drink Read Write Festival, a combination of literacy, food, and drink, on October 3-10, 2014 . During that week, recipes for the dishes we've come to love will be revealed in a new book that will be called Birmingham's Best Bites . The library is currently accepting restaurant nominations for the book. The deadline to enter is July 1, 2014 . The book will be available for sale during the Eat Drink Read Write Festival and will be the main highlight on the finale night, also known as Birmingham’s Best Bites. Restaurants should send their name, recipe, and contact info to bhambestbites@gmail.com by July 1. Food Network Star finalist Martie Duncan of www.martieknowsparties.com and Connie Blalock, a Birmingham Originals board member, are helping to produce the book. Birmingham photographer Arden Ward Upton will photograph the food. Recipes may cover anything from an entree, sandwich or appetizer, to a dessert, drink, or...

Summer is a time children and teens can choose to read whatever they like. A bonus is the reading they do in the summer helps them retain what they have learned over the past school year. The Children and Teen Choice Awards sponsored by the Children's Book Council  are chosen by children and teens themselves. They were announced March 14 in New York. There was a controversy this year when Rush Limbaugh’s Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims: Time-Travel Adventures with Exceptional Americans made the list for Author of the Year and won. The award is for popularity. Limbaugh was able to promote the purchase of and voting for his book on his show. Your child will have to read it for himself or herself to decide if it is truly a winner. Book of the Year, kindergarten through second grade Winner:  The Day the Crayons Quit  by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers Finalists: Alphabet Trucks  by Samantha R. Vamos, illustrated by Ryan O'Rourke Chamelia ...

After several weeks without air conditioning at the downtown Birmingham Public Library, the unit has been repaired. In May, the library adjusted its hours to cope with warm temperatures. On Saturday, June 21, the library returned to its normal business hours. The library will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and from 2 to 6 p.m. on Sunday. On Monday and Tuesday, the library will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. On Wednesday - Friday, the library will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. During a cold snap in February, four of the system’s coils ruptured and had to be replaced. Repairs called for new coils to be made. Because so many businesses and organizations across the country also experienced ruptured coils, there was a high demand for new coils. The coils, which each weighed 600 pounds and had to be hoisted four stories to the library's air conditioning system, were delivered on June 13. Repairs were completed this week. Library employees appreciate everyone's patienc...

This video was produced for librarians but does have good information about eReading Room for Kids and for Teens and the kids are cute to watch. For many years we have provided downloadable eBooks and audiobooks through OverDrive. Children's and Teen's materials have always been a part of it. Now it's even easier to find the eBooks your child wants in the eReading Room for Kids and for Teens . Please note that once you've accessed the eReading Room for Kids or for Teens, it will default to this page (even when you access Overdrive through the main collection link). To return to the main collection, click on the "house" icon on the upper left-hand side of the page.