Birmingham Public Library Blog

  From Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service: "Men of Change" Birmingham, Ala.  -  “Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth,” a powerful exhibit collaboration between  The Birmingham Public Library   and the  Birmingham Civil Rights Institute , a  Smithsonian Institution  affiliate,  is concluding its 10-week run and closing at the end of operating hours this Saturday, December 2, 2023. The exhibit opened at both BCRI and the Central Library downtown on  September 16.   The exhibition presents the narrative of a nation through the profiles of significant African American men who are icons in the country’s historical and cultural landscape. Birmingham is the final stop on a 10-city national tour. Created by the  Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service  (SITES),  “Men of Change”  is made possible through the support of  Ford Motor Company Fund , the philanthropic arm of ...

  Erika Horne, BPL Library Assistant III & Orchestra Clarinetist  Birmingham, Ala. – When you walk into the Central Library in downtown Birmingham, many patrons getting passports at the Citizens Services Desk processed by Erika Horne may not be aware that the Library Assistant III is also a professional orchestra clarinetist. Erika, who began working at the Birmingham Public Library in October 2023, played the clarinet in the Mobile Opera Orchestra and Mobile Ballet Orchestra from the fall of 2022 through the spring of 2023. She will be performing at concerts in Mobile again next spring. Erika first learned the clarinet as a young teenager nearly a decade ago at her hometown Daphne High School . She also marched three years in the University of South Alabama Jaguar Marching Band and USA Jag Band at basketball games. Erika graduated from South Alabama (USA ) in the fall of 2022 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education and Clarinet Performance (3.98 GPA). In a Q...

What: Christmas Spectacular   When: Tuesday, December 12, 2023 | 6:00–8:00 p.m. Where: West End Branch Library | 1348 Tuscaloosa Ave SW, Birmingham, AL 35211 Details: Join us for a holiday celeration. Free and open to the public.  The public is invited to usher in the holiday season at the West End Branch Library's Christmas Spectacular. 

  Judy Woods, Financial Wellbeing Coach at Operation HOPE in the Central Library downtown.  Birmingham, Ala. - Black Friday will soon be upon us, the unofficial kickoff of the 2023 Holiday Season. Before going out and over-splurging on gifts for your loved ones, you may want to take advantage of a free financial advice from Judy Woods of Operation HOPE , located inside the Central Library in downtown Birmingham.  Prior to joining Operation HOPE two years ago, Judy worked in the non-profit arena as a Financial Life Skills Coordinator and Financial Stability Specialist for 19 years. As a statewide community resource specialist, Judy has coordinated financial and homebuyer education workshops for seniors, community partners, corporations, municipalities, and other non-profits. Her message is clear: "Financial wellness is not about money; it’s about decision-making," Woods said. "That philosophy is central to the objective of programs that help build awareness of where ...

  One of the interior murals at Hi-Wire Brewing.      On Thursday, November 16, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., please join the Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library  at  Hi-Wire Brewing  for the Friends’ biannual book fair. Hi-Wire Brewing is located at 2901 4th Avenue South in Birmingham's Lakeview district. The book fair is part of Hi-Wire's Self-Care Night , which will feature vendors of organic skincare products, hair tinsel, permanent jewelry, and more. Best of all, guests will have the chance to cuddle with the therapy dogs of Hand In Paw ! Please visit https://hiwirebrewing.com/event/self-care-night/ for a complete list of vendors.  The Friends Foundation will showcase an assortment of new and used vintage books, graphic novels, adult fiction and nonfiction, and children's books—all available for purchase at bargain prices. Books will be sold individually only (not by the bag as at past book sales).   About the Friends Fou...

What: Live Q&A with Actress Mary Badham When: Wednesday, November 15, 2023 | 2:00 p.m. Where: Springville Road Regional Branch Library | 1224 Old Springville Rd, Birmingham, AL 35215 About the event: To Kill a Mockingbird Actress Mary Badham is visiting the Springville Road Regional Branch Library for a live Q&A. Badham originally played Scout in the 1962 film To Kill A Mockingbird  and returns as M rs. Dubose in the Broadway touring play written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Bartlett Sher. For more information, contact the Springville Road Library at 205-226-4083.

*Cue Matthew McConaughey thumping his chest and humming proudly.* Seeing Martin Scorsese 's latest collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio ,  Killers of the Flower Moon , inspired me to revisit his filmography. As my movie-watching memories rummaged through his films that I have not recently seen, I decided to watch  The Wolf of Wall Street for the first time since I last saw it in theaters almost 10 years ago.

BPL's Monica K. Slater has won the George A. Strait Fellowship from the American Association of Law Libraries. She is serving the fellowship at Lucille Stewart Beeson Law Library at Samford University.    Birmingham, Ala . -  Monica King Slater , a Library Assistant III in the Central Library’s Citizens Services Department, has won a fellowship from a prestigious national law library association.  The longtime Birmingham Public Library employee is now a George A. Strait Fellow at Samford University’s Lucille Stewart Beeson Law Library. The George A. Strait Fellowship, awarded by the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) , honors the memory of the distinguished law librarian and longtime AALL member.  As part of the fellowship, Ms. Slater is required to complete work hours at a host library. Ms. Slater, who has an interest in law library reference services and general law library operations, is a student in the Master of Library and Information Studies (ML...