Birmingham Public Library Blog

The road to the Final Four is a difficult journey.   Just ask (#6) Ohio State who lost to (#11) Dayton or (#3) Duke who lost to (#14) Mercer.   Who knew that Ohio State and (#5) Cincinnati would be sitting at home watching Dayton represent the state of Ohio in the Elite Eight?   Mind you, these were very close games, but the only score that matters is the one on the scoreboard when the clock hits zero.   Brackets were breaking all over the place. Four really good teams made it into the Final Four so it should be an outstanding finish to the season.   Overall (#1) seed Florida is scheduled to take on (#7) UConn.   The Florida Gators won back-to-back championships in 2006 and 2007.   The UConn Huskies are making their first appearance under head coach Kevin Ollie but won their last NCAA Championship in 2011 under longtime head coach Jim Calhoun.    The other matchup features (#2) Wisconsin versus (#8) Kentucky .   Kentu...

Secrets of the Southern Belle: How to Be Nice, Work Hard, Look Pretty, Have Fun, and Never Have an Off Moment By Phaedra Parks One of the most popular stars of the BRAVO reality show The Housewives of Atlanta , Phaedra Parks is an accomplished woman who is always on the move. But while Mrs. Parks has always been a successful business woman, she prides herself throughout the show as being a “Southern Belle.”  Mrs. Parks has finally heard her followers and decided to answer all of their questions in her self- help book, Secrets of the Southern Belle: How to Be Nice, Work Hard, Look Pretty, Have Fun, and Never Have an Off Moment . She shares things that could be really beneficial to anyone, not just Southern Belles. What I admired the most about Phaedra Parks and her writing is that she is completely honest! She admits that while she knows what it takes to be a proper, respectable woman, she sometimes fails at being a Southern Belle herself. The fact that she has everything sec...

The Last Picture Show Larry McMurtry For many years now, in a real irregular way, I’ve been reading the books that my repeat-viewing movies are based on. As book-centered as I am, I’ve felt this is backwards, but what the hey, better late than never. At its best, this reverse approach lets me “see the movie” in a more fleshed-out, deeper, richer way. You go from a skeleton to a body. It doesn’t always work like that but it did with The Last Picture Show , partly because McMurtry co-wrote the screenplay. Reading the novel made the movie expand. Watching the movie again, after I finished reading, made the novel contract. The movie owes more to Italian Neorealism and British kitchen sink dramas than it does to American movie conventions. That fits the spirit of the book. In the book, the landscape is plain, even bleak. The story is anti-sentimental, anti-Romantic. It couldn’t be farther from moonlight-and-magnolias if it tried. It shows virtually no sign of trying anything. These...

Fresh flowers can brighten your day in your own home or by visiting any location where these spectacular beauties are on display. It's those breathtaking hues of color, varieties, and the choice to display one or one hundred and one that makes flowers as special as they are. Just think for a moment, how flowers are shared in so many of our life events. Olympians receive them along with their medals when they stand proud and are recognized by their country. Brides include flowers in their weddings because they exude elegance and beauty. On September 17, 1983, the world witnessed Vanessa Williams receive the title as the first black Miss America along with flowers as a part of the celebration. And the great jazz singer, Billie Holiday , was known worldwide for wearing her signature "Gardenia" so beautifully in her hair. It doesn’t seem to matter, whether flowers are given for a reason or no reason at all, they always bring the same joy. This spring, take the time to s...

A performer at March's Bards & Brews Haiku https://www.facebook.com/BardsandBrews Vestavia Hills Library in the Forrest will host the next Bards & Brews SLAM on Friday, April 4, 2014 . Prizes are $200 for first place, $100 for second place. Music and signup from 6:30-7:00 p.m.; performances start at 7:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Must be 18 and up to attend and 21 to participate. Music and vocals by Patrick Summey. Beer tasting provided by Bell's Brewery . ID required. Refreshments will be served. For more info, call 205-226-3670 or email hm@bham.lib.al.us.

Make a commitment this spring to improve you financial literacy! To help in your endeavor, the Birmingham Public Library is offering several classes in April as part of its MakingCents program. All classes are free and open to the public. ABCs of Personal Finance with Ruth Brock Date: Monday, April 7, 2014 Time: 11:00 a.m. Place: North Birmingham Library Ruth Brock of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System will present an overview of the basic building blocks of personal finance. Topics covered will include budgeting, money management, savings, and financial goal setting. Couponing Basics with Heather Lebischak Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2014 Time: 10:30 a.m. Place: Five Points West Library If you're interested in couponing but aren't sure how to get started, this program is for you! Super couponer, Heather Lebischak, will go over the basic couponing rules and then show the participants how to put those rules into practice, without having to invest significant...

Not a BPL employee. I assisted a patron this week who was seeking information on writing a business plan. He has an MBA and a business he's owned for years, but wants to expand. He was thrilled with the Business Plans Handbook I showed him through the Database link on BPL's homepage. He also needed to find general industry and competitor information, so I showed him the Mergent Online database. One thing led to another and soon I was pointing out Alabama Legal Forms, LearningExpress Library, and the Chilton Automotive links. He was so pleased that I couldn't help saying, "And you thought all we did was read books all day long." He laughed a little, but said, "No, I thought you put up the books." Sigh. Unfortunately, both misconceptions are common. So what DOES your modern librarian do all day? Well, we review and select materials for inclusion in the collection based on collection development policies, current trends, and community in...

The first Birmingham Public Library Haiku contest was a great success, with over fifty participants, spanning a wide range of ages and demographics.  The winning poems from both the adult and youth categories are posted below. First, second, and third prizes were awarded at the Sakura Festival at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens on March 22.  All winners received an anthology of haiku as well as cash prizes. The first place winner in each category was also given a year-membership in the Haiku Society of America. A special "Thank you" to all the participants as well as to Terri French, coordinator of the Southeast Chapter of the Haiku Society of America . Winners are listed in order from first to third place in each category. Adult Winners: Irene pine thicket laced with dogwood blossoms-- painter's poison Virginia G In a far field cranes under a drape of rain bend white wings, folding moon Jeanette From his sharp chisel Marble metamorphoses Softly,...