Birmingham Public Library Blog

Go Set a Watchman Harper Lee Well, Harper Lee is back—though for millions of readers like me, she never left. Ever since my first reading of To Kill a Mockingbird I’ve daydreamed about what other work she might give us and could never quite resign myself to her status as a “one good novel” writer. When the news broke about Go Set a Watchman I cautiously filed it under the heading Too Good to Be True until the story was confirmed and a publication date was set. Warning: I’ve tried to keep this post free of major spoilers, but if you want to read the novel without knowing anything in advance, then proceed at your own risk! Jean Louise “Scout” Finch is on the train from New York, headed to Maycomb, Alabama, for her annual visit home. Not two pages into the novel, she manages to get herself folded into the wall inside the pull-down bed and has to be rescued by the porter—a scene that made me grin, but also kept resonating with me throughout the story as she returns to small-to...

After helping a patron locate a book she wanted, I asked if she’d like to sign up for Summer Reading for adults. “Oh, no! I’m too busy!” Other patrons have answered the same question with “Isn’t that just for children?” or “What books do I have to read?” I hope to clear up what Summer Reading is all about and why everybody should sign up at their local library! Summer Reading encourages everyone to read. Babies can be signed up and have books read to them. Toddlers can read picture books. Older children can read chapter books. Teens and adults can choose anything they like to read (e-books and audiobooks count for everyone, too). Libraries want families to read, to be aware of all the materials and programs at their local libraries, and to become part of the library community. That’s why librarians plan programs to entertain and inform patrons of all ages. For younger readers there are goals to be met to qualify for prizes, and the more books they read, the more...

As the weather has warmed up, I’ve noticed more and more patrons hanging out in the library’s parking lot after the building has closed for the day. They are on their phones and tablets, taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi service that each Birmingham Public Library branch offers. I’ve even seen people take out a lawn chair and get really comfortable while searching the Internet. It made me start to think about how Birmingham Public Library offers services to our patrons, even when we’re not open during business hours. We have our catalog , which allows patrons to search for materials, put a hold request on them, and pick up that item at any location that they wish to. Have a paper that’s coming due tomorrow and you’re still looking for research? Enjoy access to one of our many databases available to you day or night as long as you have a library card. Got a new favorite song that you want to hear all the time? Download the song to your phone or device via Freegal . Your li...

Have you ever wanted beautiful plants in the summer but dislike the heat and outdoors? One solution is to begin your gardening journey by creating container gardens. They provide flowers, fresh vegetables, and herbs as well as providing an attractive landscape. Whether your space is tight, you don’t have time, or you’re new to gardening, container gardening is simple and will add an attractive feature to any environment. Listed below are library resources and websites to assist you in planting your container garden. Books Container Gardening: A Sunset Outdoor Design & Build Guide Tips for Container Gardening: 300 Great Ideas for Growing Flowers, Vegetables & Herbs Better Homes and Gardens Complete Guide to Container Gardening Plant by Numbers: 50 Houseplant Combinations to Decorate Your Space Continuous Container Gardens  Websites Better Homes and Gardens HGTV Southern Living Yolanda Hardy Smithfield Branch Library

What a great idea! Movie, book, and popcorn combo packs available for checkout at the  Powderly Library.  There are a lot of good movies out this summer and the theaters are packed each and every night. But don't forget about the library when you're thinking about the evening's entertainment. The Birmingham Public Library is offering some of the hottest new DVD releases of the year. On the list are the extremely popular Fifty Shades of Grey to the humorous  Hot Tub Time Machine 2 . My personal favorites, though, are the action movies which include Kingsman: The Secret Service ,  Run All Night,  and The Equalizer . If you’re out in the Powderly area and need a good movie/book combination and wouldn't mind a free pack of popcorn, please pay us a visit. Our combo packages are fantastic and will be well worth your time. Make it a movie night! New and Upcoming DVD Releases American Sniper Black or White BlackHat Boy Next Door Fifty Shades of Grey...

The 15th Annual Math and Science Fun Day will be held Saturday, July 25, 2015, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., at the Five Points West Regional Branch Library . This year’s theme is Science Then! Science Now! which will trace how science concepts have changed over the centuries and how these changes affect our society and the world. The program is free to all ages and allows youngsters to get involved in kid-friendly, scientifically based, hands-on activities. The event will feature knowledgeable and fun presenters. Parents are encouraged to remain with their children. Families will explore household products with magical properties, examine the origin of motion pictures, view early telephones, trace how automobiles demanded the invention of the traffic light, and get the inside scoop on motorcycle engines. Participants will have the opportunity to weave a yarn craft and compare it with spun nylon products, design their own amazing Styrofoam millinery, examine why the Stetson hat w...

The opening reception for Birmingham artist Matthews Mayes' exhibit, Layers of Meaning: Paintings by Matthew Mayes , will be held on Sunday, July 19, 2015, 2:30-5:00 p.m. , in the Central Library's Boardroom adjacent to the Fourth Floor Gallery. The exhibit will be on display through September 4, 2015. Born in Florence, Alabama, Matthew Mayes is self-taught with over 12 years of experience as a professional artist. He currently resides in Birmingham with his partner Brian and their son Noah. Mayes began painting as a child after watching the television program Joy of Painting with Bob Ross. Mayes experienced a number of stints with hospitalization and home schooling due to illness and needed an outlet for his creativity—art was his answer and it gave his life meaning "Once, I believed that love, food, and music were the core passions that transcended all race, creed, and color. Now, I know that art encompasses all," he states. Regarding his creative process, M...

Now is a time when, not only is it hard to see many movies once, it’s hard to get through movie trailers. But there are rare movies that are worth seeing many times, movies that it’s hard, if not impossible, to exhaust. Here’s a few. The cast of dozens who follow this column will know, but if you’re new to this, each entry is followed by an estimate of how many times I’ve seen the movie. And roll… Kwaidan (1965) - Not a movie, but four. Four short films on supernatural themes based on the Japanese folktales collected by Lafcadio Hearn. All are powerful and resonant, but the standout is Hoichi The Earless , in which a monk-musician is commanded by ghosts to sing of the deeds they committed when they were human. Hoichi’s fellow monks paint scriptures all over his body to protect him from ghostly harm, but fail to include his ears. The ghosts appear ritualistically and frequently, but they never lose their quality of otherness and strangeness. In A Cup Of Tea , a man drinks another per...