Birmingham Public Library Blog

As I was wandering around a farmer’s market in early April, I came across a table of crocheted items and decided to stop and take a look. I’d always been fascinated with needle crafts and had (briefly) attempted to knit a few years ago, which resulted in a few hastily made scarves and sore wrists. As I struck up a conversation with the lady selling her items, she revealed that she began crocheting as a form of stress relief many years ago. She had a fast paced job and learned to crochet as a way to distress after a long day of work. Her hobby had now turned into a side business which she thoroughly enjoyed. I asked her how she got started, thinking that she took several months or years of in-depth classes from some strict professional crocheter. She had a simple answer: books from the library. Genius idea! So I did what any self respecting librarian would do in this situation: I turned to my library’s catalog to research what was available to me. I’ve taken the last few...

The opening song from Grease 2 keeps playing in my head.  Back to school again!  Wow.  I was talking to my coworker over the weekend and I asked her how she felt about going back to school when she was growing up.  She said she never had a problem with it.  I was amazed and impressed.  She asked me how I felt, and with an angst-filled expression on my face as if I was returning, I said, “I hated going back to school.”  I mentioned the Staples commercial showing a dad dancing around as his kids drag behind him expressionless.  As soon as television commercials, print ads, and store banners started announcing back-to-school sales, I would scream, “NOOOOOOO!!!  It’s not even August yet!!”  It was never school that I dreaded, it was getting up that early in the morning every day.  Not to mention the fact that weekends flew by, and seemed to go by faster as I got older. When I was growing up, my mom’s mantra was always “be glad ...

It is that time of year again when many are shopping for back-to-school supplies. While you are shopping for clothes, shoes, pencils, pens, paper, notebooks, and backpacks, don't forget the most important school supply of all: your public library card! With your library card you have access to a world of information. From home, you can access our many databases and reserve books so they will be waiting for you when you come to the library. Our databases are probably our best kept secret. Our databases include Learning Express, where you can take practice test to prepare for the ACT, SAT, and many more, to Freegal Music, where you can download MP3 songs to add to your own collection. The databases also include encyclopedias, dictionaries, full text articles from magazines, newspapers, and journals. At the library, you can log on to our public access computers, check out books, CDs, DVDs, audio books, books with CDs, and eBooks. Many of the libraries also have compute...

I dislike having to buy big ticket items like…cars. Whoever invented the term “sticker shock” had to have been looking at cars or houses. I like looking but I don’t like spending the money. When you decide to buy a new or used car, be sure and research before you buy because some things have changed. (Did you know that some new automobiles no longer have a spare tire and a jack as standard equipment?) I’ve put together some resources to help you avoid sticker shock the next time you decide to purchase a car. Books Don't Get Taken Every Time: The Ultimate Guide to Buying or Leasing a Car in the Showroom or on the Internet First Car Smarts I Didn't Know That!: How to Take Care of Your Home, Your Car, and Your Career Lemon-Aid 1990-2015: New and Used Cars and Trucks Not So Fast: Parenting Your Teen Through the Dangers of Driving (Read the chapter on “Car buying and sharing, and saving on gas.”) Reader's Digest Penny Pincher's Almanac: 2753 Surprising Ide...

Now available for readers of all ages: World Book's entire eBook Collection online! The World Book eBook Collection includes highly illustrated, engaging titles that support a span of curriculum areas and reading levels. World Book eBooks feature World Book titles such Animal Lives, Explore the Universe, Learning Ladders, and many more.     The World Book Ebook Collection is available at all locations of Birmingham Public Library. Birmingham residents may access the Ebook Collection from home with a valid, up-to-date library card! This and many other online resources are available as part of BPL's Online Database Collection .

Birmingham Public Library Director Renee Blalock received more than well wishes during her retirement reception on August 1. She also went home with a smile she found hard to erase after her family presented a $50,000 check to the library in her honor. “We wanted to give a leadership gift to recognize and honor her efforts to revitalize the library,’’ said Brooke Coleman, Blalock’s daughter. “Today, we give $50,000 and hope this is just the beginning of raising money toward projects of revitalization.’’ The money will be used to help fund various library needs, including programs, materials, equipment ,and a redesign project of the downtown library, said Olivia Alison, director of development for the library. The gift was a result of donations from Blalock’s children, Coleman and Daniel Hertzog; the library’s Foundation Board; and special friends of the library. “We are just proud of our mom. She was an inspiration to us and we wanted to inspire other people,’’ Coleman said. ...

Famed storyteller and author Bil Lepp will appear at the Central Library on Wednesday, August 6, 6 p.m. , and at the Springville Road Library on Thursday, August 7, 6:30 p.m. The events are free and open to the public. Lepp is the author of several books, both fiction and nonfiction. His latest release and first children's book is  The King of Little Things , which won a 2013 Parents' Choice Gold Award. "Bil Lepp became adept at spinning tales and exaggerating circumstances at an early age. A nationally renowned storyteller and five time champion of the West Virginia Liars’ Contest, Bil’s outrageous, humorous tall-tales and witty stories have earned the appreciation of listeners of all ages and from all walks of life. Though a champion liar, his stories often contain morsels of truth which shed light on universal themes. Audiences all across the country have been delighted by Bil’s mirthful tales and delightful insights into everyday life. Be it a hunting trip, a...

            "i learnt to sing a glad new song" Take a good look at this image. What technique do you suppose was used to create this work of art? If you guessed woodblock printing, you’re getting close. Except rather than wood, a piece of linoleum is carved to achieve a similar effect. Yes, lowly linoleum…the stuff that covered your grandmother’s kitchen floor. Though the linoleum artist Debra Riffe uses is especially made for printmaking and is  a combination of cork, linseed oil and adhesive. Riffe  has taken the technique to a whole new level to create striking images that speak eloquently of themes such as social identity and sense of place.  An exhibit of Riffe’s linoleum block prints will be on display in the Fourth Floor Gallery of the downtown Birmingham Public Library during regular library hours  until August 26.   Titled "Every Line Tells a Story", the exhibit will also be featured at the August 7 Birmingha...