Birmingham Public Library Blog

What's Done in the Dark ReShonda Tate Billingsley Felise has everything a woman could need or want—except affection—from her husband, Greg. For the last fifteen years, she’s only existed in her marriage. One night Felise is enraged after planning a romantic evening to celebrate her anniversary, only to have it ruined by Greg. He’s brought no flowers, candy, card, or anything else to express his love. In fact, he doesn’t even remember it is their anniversary. Felise leaves home disappointed, and later ends up in a local bar, staring into the eyes of her old high school boyfriend Stephen. This is the same Stephen who is now the husband of her best friend Paula. Marital issues, a few drinks, and an old boyfriend are a recipe for disaster. Felise is debating whether she should take Stephen up on his invitation to his hotel room or walk out the front door of the bar and go home. What will Felise do? What’s Done in the Dark is ReShonda Tate Billingsley’s latest novel that is...

The Pratt City community celebrated Red Ribbon Day in the heart of the Revitalization District (near the old Pratt City Library, 820 2nd Street) on Saturday, October 18, 2014. According to Red Ribbon Campaign , Red Ribbon Day/Week, came about as a result of “angered parents and youth in communities across the country who began wearing red Ribbons as a symbol of their commitment to raise awareness of the killing and destruction caused by drugs in America.” It was a lively festival that the library supported 100%. All staff members were involved and we all wore our red BPL T-Shirts. I previously blogged that the Pratt City Library staff served as judges for the poster contest, and here are the winners of the poster and essay contests. They were chosen among 33 outstanding submissions by the two participating schools. Poster Contest Winners South Hampton Elementary School 1st Place - Alanna Allen 2nd Place - Chauncey Mack 3rd Place - Ja Taylor Jackson Olin High School 1s...

Free Affordable Care Act enrollment sessions will be held at various Birmingham Public Library locations November 2014 through January 2015. Trained officials with Birmingham Health Care , a nonprofit health organization, will lead the sessions. The enrollment period will be November 15, 2014 - February 15, 2015 . All library workshops held before November 15, 2014, are for informational purposes only. Enrollment will be available during the library sessions held on or after November 17, 2014. Future library sessions will be announced in early 2015. The sessions will be held at these libraries  on: Monday, November 10, 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., Pratt City Library Monday, November  10, 1:30- 3:30 p.m., Smithfield Library Wednesday, November 12, 1:30-3:00 p.m., North Avondale Library Monday, November  17, 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., Avondale Library Monday, November  17, 1:30- 3:00 p.m., North Avondale Library Tuesday, November...

Long before movies became targeted to specific markets there was such a thing as an all-ages movie spectacular. These fantastical movies had action and monsters for the kids and enough subtlety and romance for the grown-ups who took them to the movie palaces. The Fiction Department has two of these films I strongly recommend. The Thief Of Bagdad (1940) was one of many lavish spectacles which the British put out during WWII to give war-weary audiences a temporary reprieve from the new, grim reality. It is escapist in the best sense of that word. Produced by Alexander Korda and featuring no less than three co-directors (including future Brit film luminary Michael Powell ), it is a stunning, entrancing triumph of storytelling, music and bespoke special effects which don’t look dated but instead look charming. Hit Pause when the background scenes of Bagdad come up and drink in the glory of painted perspective illusion at its most romantic. Conrad Veidt plays the evil ruler Jaffar and S...

Ruth’s Journey: The Authorized Novel of Mammy from Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind Donald McCaig I defy you to find a Southerner that isn’t familiar with Gone with the Wind , whether it is through reading the novel published by Margaret Mitchell or by watching the 1939 film extravaganza starring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable . One of the most beloved characters in the Gone with the Wind universe has always been Mammy, played by Hattie McDaniel , who went on to win a 1940 Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. McDaniel had the distinction of being the first African American to be nominated and win in that category. Mammy is shown as an adult in both the book and movie and very little detail is given about her life leading up to the events in Margaret Mitchell’s works. For those who have been interested in her origin story, they can finally rejoice. Ruth’s Journey by Donald McCaig paints a very thorough and entertaining portrait of Mammy a.k.a Ruth’s...

13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi Mitchell Zuckoff What happened—without the spin. For readers who are sick of political ranting on both sides, this sound recording is blessedly free of it. If you want to know what happened at the CIA Annex and diplomatic compound on the night Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed in Benghazi, Libya, read this book. 13 Hours tells the story of the contract operators who provided security for the CIA annex and the diplomatic facilities which were attacked on September 11, 2012. The author states in the introduction that it is meant to relate the events and not to promote or dispel any of the political fallout that happened after the events. When events occurred in the presence of a survivor who could relate it directly, it was used; nothing is assumed or supposed. It offers a refreshing narration of events without “taking sides” or even speculating about the issues external to the ev...

The Birmingham Public Library (BPL), in partnership with the Birmingham Children’s Theatre (BCT) and Junior League of Birmingham (JLB), would like to invite you to attend From Page to Stage: Babes in Toyland — A Readers’ Theater Workshop for Children . In anticipation of the upcoming BCT performance of Babes in Toyland , BPL will be hosting free workshops at several of its area libraries. Children, aged 7 to 12, will learn how storybook characters 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 Babes in Toyland production in December. Widow Piper’s husband has passed away and left her alone with 14 children working in a toy factory for mean Barnaby. Three of her children have already disappeared and now it seems like Barnaby is plotting to get rid of three more. Can the children in Toyland ...

A sample of photos taken in the Ensley community. On Wednesday, November 5, Kuumba Community Arts and the East Ensley Library will present 100 Lenses: Ensley , an exhibit featuring photographs of Ensley, taken by Ensley residents. Some residents who took the photos will attend Wednesday's reception, which will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at East Ensley Library . The exhibit will be up through December 5. For more information, the public may call the library at 787-1928. Why call it 100 lenses? For five weeks this summer, the Kuumba Community Arts made 100 disposable cameras available to residents to take photos of their surroundings. About 40 residents took photos. What's the purpose of the program? For a long time, the message about Ensley came from people not living in Ensley. The goal of the program was to give a voice to Ensley residents so that they could proudly show what Ensley meant to them. Program participants took photos of homes, old and new busines...