Birmingham Public Library Blog

What: 2018 Veterans Small Business Week workshops Where : Five Points West Regional Branch Library When: November 7-9, 2018 Details: To register, visit the Five Points West Library Information Desk, call 205-226-4015 or visit the  BPL events calendar The Five Points West Library is hosting a series of free workshops and events November 7–9 in celebration of 2018 Veterans Small Business Week . This is part of a national celebration honoring our veterans leading up to Veterans Day, which will be observed this year on Sunday, November 11, 2018. Schedule of events: Wednesday, November 7 – Tech Day 9:30 a.m. class – Computer Resourcing for Veterans and Families 12:30 p.m. class – Your Business Online Presence, Sponsored by Google Schedule one-on-one 45-minute sessions throughout the day. Call the Five Points West Library at 205-226-4015 to get a list of available times. Thursday, November 8 – Entrepreneur Workshops 1:00 p.m. – Learn About the Resources at SCORE ...

by Jenn Seiler-Patrick, Five Points West Regional Branch Library Sourdough Robin Sloan “It was a fungal party hellscape.” ― Robin Sloan, Sourdough I’m actually on my 2nd time through Sourdough , if that is any indication of my affection for the novel. I am a true lover of sourdough (any bread, to be honest), so I read this book for that reason alone. But it also spoke to my soul—because I like a little bit of magic thrown into real life. AKA the “magical realism” genre, if you’re trying to be fancy. Lois moves to San Francisco to work a million hours a week creating coding that teaches robotic arms all kinds of tasks. Which is going fairly poorly, until she is gifted a sourdough “starter” that happens to be equal parts: magical, picky, moody, and delicious. Lois’ journey to happiness and self-discovery is funny and uplifting, while also being relatable to those of us who have struggled with the questions: “what are you doing with your life” and “can bread sing/am I crazy?”...

by Mark Skinner, East Ensley Branch Library Google is helpful for a lot of things and for giving a lot of answers. However, Google can make it difficult if someone is searching for a legal form. In general, most legal forms are state specific, and most of the time, it is difficult to tell if you found it from a reliable source. Sometimes, you might have found that perfect legal form on a website. You fill out all your information, and everything looks great. But then, when you try to print or save it, the website lets you know that, by the way, you will need to pay us money to use this form. As you can imagine, it is a pretty frustrating experience. The Birmingham Public Library has access to a database called Alabama LegalForms . If you have a simple matter, such as a bill of sale or a residential lease, you should be able to find what you are looking for on Alabama LegalForms. You can save yourself some time and potential heartache down the road by using these forms rather than r...

by Amanda Jenkins, Titusville Branch Library  November is right around the corner, and the Titusville Branch Library is encouraging our adult patrons to embrace the autumn season by participating in a make-and-take craft program. On Wednesday, November 7, at 10:00 a.m. , the library will present a class in which participants will create their own fall-themed candles. All supplies will be provided by the library, and this event is free (although registration is required). You may register online through the BPL events calendar or by calling the library at 205-322-1140. There are still some available slots, so if you’d like a chance to explore your artistic side, register today!

by Mary Anne Ellis, Southern History Department , Central Library Only a Few Bones: A True Account of the Rolling Fork Tragedy and Its Aftermath John Philip Colletta “Sometimes Genealogy Can Be Murder . . .” This tagline on the back cover of Only a Few Bones sounds like the hook for a series of mystery novels featuring a genealogist detective—and that would be close to the truth. After hearing family legends of the Rolling Fork Tragedy and how one of his ancestors was murdered when his country store burned down, John Colletta spent thirty years trying to determine exactly what happened on the night of March 4, 1873. The result is every bit as compelling as a suspense thriller: As a boy, all I wanted was to draw a family tree. I never imagine, as I transcribed all the names and dates Grandma dictated . . . that one branch of my ancestry would lead me to this gigantic building collapsing in flame. I never imagined that I would become obsessed with unpuzzling what really happ...

Teens Engineer BHM at East Ensley Branch Library Teens Engineer BHM, a partnership between the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) and The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Engineering, continues to offer free activities for middle and high schoolers with a passion for engineering at several BPL locations through the end of November. The free program is teaching young people how to program robots, soldering, and computer coding skills at 12 of BPL’s 19 locations: the Central Library, Avondale Regional Branch Library, North Birmingham Regional Branch Library, Five Points West Regional Branch Library; and eight branch libraries: Ensley, East Ensley, North Avondale, East Lake, Southside, West End, Smithfield, Inglenook, and Powderly. Teens Engineer BHM is a past recipient of a $95,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham and a $50,000 grant from the UAB Benevolent Fund.  Learn more about Teens Engineer BHM. Teens Engineer BHM at Avondale ...

Teens build a haunted house The Birmingham Public Library is helping our patrons get in the Halloween spirit. Besides candy give-aways for young patrons at most of our 19 locations across Birmingham on Wednesday, October 31, 2018, there are plenty of free activities for patrons of all ages taking place all week. Programs include a Harry Potter Party at Smithfield Branch Library, Mardi Gras murdery mystery program for adults at Five Points West Regional Branch Library, Spooky Science Family Night program for kids at Avondale Regional Branch Library, Halloween crafts for kids at North Avondale Branch Library, and edible Halloween treat-making activities at Wylam Branch Library and Inglenook Branch Library. Ensley Branch Library and Southside Branch Library are also hosting “count the candy in a jar” contests in which the person guessing the closest will win prizes. Halloween programs through October 31 at BPL: Avondale Library Family Night: Spooky Science, Tues...

The Birmingham Public Library (BPL), in partnership with the Birmingham Children’s Theatre (BCT) and Junior League of Birmingham (JLB), invites you to attend From Page to Stage: Peter Pan –  A Readers’ Theater Workshop for Children. In anticipation of the upcoming BCT performance of Peter Pan , BPL will be hosting free workshops at several of its area libraries. Children, aged 7 to 12, will learn how stories come alive through the magic of theater. JLB members will coach the children and introduce them to similar literature located in their local library. Each child will receive two free tickets (one child and one adult ticket) to the BCT Peter Pan production on December 8 or 9, 2018 . This fresh adaptation of the classic J.M. Barrie tale has everything you love—Wendy and the Lost Boys, the dastardly Captain Hook, and the boy who never grows up. Let your imagination soar as—through the magic of shadow puppetry —Peter Pan and his friends sail through the night sky to Never...