Birmingham Public Library Blog

I read an interesting article in The  Wall Street Journal about the meaning of various movie production logos. Older companies have recognizable logos that have been around for years. Some are simple while others are complex. If the logo is confusing, moviegoers and investors might not understand the message the production company wants to express. When I see the Disney, MGM, or Lionsgate logos appear at the beginning of a movie, I think I am in for a visual treat. I thought about the Birmingham Public Library logo. It is a simple design reminding us that books are a great source of information. The glowing flame of knowledge emerging from the book tells me I can find a variety of resources at the library. The Birmingham Public Library provides great sources of information for the public. Free internet and computer access is critical in today’s society. Every day, patrons conduct online job searching, resume writing, and communicate with friends through e-mail services. T...

Primeaux Cheese & Vino's P Jack's Fresh Egg Sandwich Arden Ward Upton and Mo Davis of Arden Photography Food Network Star Martie Duncan and several popular Birmingham area chefs will be at the Birmingham Public Library on Saturday, Dec. 13 to sign copies of the new cookbook, Birmingham’s Best Bites: Favorite Recipes from Restaurants, Bars, & Food Trucks Around the Magic City from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The book, which features more than 80 recipes from more than 60 area restaurants, is $25. Proceeds will benefit the library. "This is a book that’s giving in so many ways. Not only is it creating funds for the library, but it’s bringing attention to our local restaurants," says Duncan. "People who’ve never been to Birmingham, are buying the book. Now they want to come here." The book's first edition was released in early October 2014 during a finale party for the library's Eat Drink Read Write Festival . Demand was so great, espe...

Ghosts : A Natural History: 500 Years Of Searching For Proof Roger Clarke So: a history of ghost-hunting and ghost-investigation? I couldn’t wait. It had never been done before. Roger Clarke saw a hole. There were “lots of books about people seeing ghosts, but almost nothing about what ghosts might be.” Strangely, he states a few pages later that Ghosts isn’t “a book about whether ghosts exist or not.” Which the subtitle would seem to promise. But a few chapters on I didn’t mind so very much because Clarke had uncovered such an abundance of strange and absorbing information, was telling the history well and still managed to give me the creeps, not an easy balancing act, to say the very least. How to convey an idea of such an embarrassment of riches? It’s an iceberg—let me give you an idea of the tip. Topics include the following. Why ghosts faded into the background in England (this book is mostly about England) when Catholicism was banned by King Henry. (By the way, ghosts are...

Credit: Wallpaperdesign.net Getting ready for holiday parties usually means taking a homemade treat for friends to enjoy. This year I thought about baking gingerbread cookies. The smell of gingerbread takes me back to my mother baking these sweet treats in our kitchen during the holidays. According to articles on the Internet, ginger is an old spice related to cardamom and turmeric. Candied or fresh ginger is always good to have in the kitchen for baking and adding to hot tea. I do not know if ginger will cure the common cold, but it tastes great in hot tea on a cold evening. The library has several books on baking gingerbread, including: The Gingerbread Architect: Recipes and Blueprints for Twelve Classic American Homes by Susan Matheson and Lauren Chattman Gingerbread Things to Make and Bake by Teresa Layman and Barbara Morgenroth Gingerbread: 24 Inspirational Houses and Decorative Gifts to Make by Joanna Farrow ... and more ! Teresa Ceravolo Southside Librar...

I Work at a Public Library Gina Sheridan In recognition of my 20th year anniversary of working at the Birmingham Public Library (November 28, 2014), I have decided to review the book,  I Work at a Public Library . The author, Gina Sheridan, who holds an MLIS from the University of Alabama, has put together a wonderful collection of true and interesting stories about her encounters with patrons she experienced over her many years of working the Circulation Desk at her St. Louis Public Library. I too work the Circulation Desk at my library, and have found many of these stories relatable. Some of the stories listed in this book will cause you to reflect on the unique and interesting patrons that we as librarians experience on a daily basis. These wonderful stories will make you appreciate your job as a librarian and all the joys and challenges that come with working at a public library. If you work within any capacity of a public library or just love libraries, I encourage yo...

The staff at Wylam Library is excited Christmas is almost here and has decorated the library with homemade wreaths. It is amazing how simple it is to make a festive wreath. Of course that is because so many helpful books are available in our system. Here are our recommendations: Best of Christmas Ideas by Better Homes and Gardens Decorate with Flowers : Creative Arrangements, Styling Inspiration, Container Projects, Design Tips   by Holly Becker Living Wreaths: 20 Beautiful Projects for Gifts and Decor by Natalie Bernhisel Robinson Make It In Minutes. Wreaths by Taylor Hagerty Southern Living Big Book of Christmas edited by Rebecca Brennan The Wreath Recipe Book: Year-Round Wreaths, Swags, and Other Decorations to Make with Seasonal Branches by Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo

Sixty-five significant landmarks around metro Birmingham are featured in a new watercolor exhibit,  Bob Moody's Birmingham: A City in Watercolor, at the Birmingham Public Library. The exhibit, which is free and up now through January 4, 2015 , is by Birmingham artist and interior designer Bob Moody. The exhibit is in the Central Library’s Fourth Floor Gallery. The watercolors date from 1965 to the present. “I just think of them of as a personal record of my time in Birmingham,’’ says Moody, 83, who grew up in Boaz, Alabama, and now lives in Birmingham. “They remind me of the past and progress of Birmingham.’’ Images include historic landmarks such as the Birmingham the Magic City sign at the old terminal station, Sloss Furnaces and Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, and newer images such as Regions Field and Railroad Park. There are also images of English Village, Forest Park, and more. The watercolor exhibit is co-sponsored by the Birmingham Historical Society , Southpace ...

My friend and I were talking about books we have read recently. My friend couldn’t remember if she had read one of the titles we were discussing. Since she is a good library user and usually gets the books she reads from the library, I asked her if she had turned on the “My Reading History” feature on our catalog. She was not familiar with it and wanted to know how to turn it on. Here’s how: Go to www.bplonline.org . In the upper right hand corner of the page you will see “My Account.” Click it on and you’ll be asked for your name and library card number. Once you have logged in you will see: “My Reading History” is the second icon from the left on the row above “Birmingham Public Library Patron.” Click on it and choose "Opt In." You can easily choose to opt out at any time if you change your mind. From now on all the materials you check out will be recorded. Another good way to keep track of your reading is the site Goodreads .  Not only does Goodreads kee...