Birmingham Public Library Blog

President Obama in the front of the Edmund Pettus Bridge This past Saturday, March 7, I was among the thousands who traveled to Selma, my hometown, to hear President Obama’s address honoring the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery march. On March 7, 1965, peaceful demonstrators in Selma were beaten by law enforcement officers intent on stopping their march to Montgomery. The demonstrators were marching to demand their right to vote. As a result of their bravery, the Voting Rights Act was signed into law by President Johnson on August 6, 1965. I was too young to be involved in the original march, but this year, I was determined to be there. After all, I do work in the Southern History Department , so it seemed especially appropriate to witness this historic event. My sister and BPL’s Director of Development, Olivia Alison, also joined me on the adventure. So, at 8:00 on Saturday morning, we found the end of a four-block-long line and began the wait. BPL's Olivia...

Just married! Libraries build communities. I am sure that you have heard that phrase many times. Well, the seeds of love can be planted and will grow at the library, as well. On Valentine’s Day 2015, there was a wedding at the Titusville Branch Library. The couple came to me and said that the library was an important place to them. The library was where they met, and from that meeting, they fell in love. They asked to book the meeting room for their wedding. Arielle Phillips and Edward Webb, now Mr. and Mrs. Edward and Arielle Webb, had a lovely ceremony here at the library. The room was nicely decorated and the event was perfectly orchestrated. The bride was beautiful in her gown and the groom was handsome. As picturesque as they were, the show was stolen by the two gorgeous flower girls. Flower girls without butterflies While waiting for the wedding to start, two beautiful flower girls were looking around in the youth area as they waited for the ceremony to sta...

BPL Board President Kim Richardson poses with library visitors (left to right): Kazuo Sunaga, Consul General of Japan in Atlanta; Yasuo Saito, former Japanese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Russia, and France; and Mark B. Jackson, Honorary Consul of Japan At its February 2015 meeting, the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) Trustee Board elected Kimberly Richardson as its President and Gwendolyn R. Amamoo as its Vice President. A member of the Board since 2013, Richardson follows Amamoo in the position. About the Board President Kim Richardson is the President and owner of Kimberly Richardson Consulting, LLC, specializing in the provision of federal grant writing, management and technical assistance to municipal, non-profit, and faith-based organizations in Alabama and nationwide. With over 18 years of grants experience gained from working in the non-profit and public sectors, Kim has successfully secured funding from every segment of the grant-making community, including governmen...

The earliest stages of a child’s life, age’s newborn to 3, are proving to be the most important time for developing necessary life skills from learning to play, speak, learn, behave, and move. The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) has been supporting this development through toddler story times and signature programs such as 1,2,3, Play with Me for many years. In keeping with the library’s mission to create lifelong learners, BPL is hosting a series of forums designed to look at and discuss approaches to make sure that young children receive the support that will help them reach their full potential as they grow and begin their formal schooling. During the forums, citizens will have the opportunity to explore multiple approaches to supporting children during their first three years of life. Titled “Minding Our Future: Investing in Healthy Infants and Toddlers,” the forums, all facilitated by The David Mathews Center , are scheduled at the following BPL locations: March 10, 20...

Hoskins Architecture team and guests include: (left to right) Juan  Milhouse, Angela Hoskins, Creig Hoskins, Karnecia Williams  (Inglenook Branch Manager), Jeremy Little, Callan Childs, and Angela Fisher Hall (BPL Interim Director) Architects from around the state gathered on Saturday, February 28, 2015, at historic Woodrow Hall for the Alabama Council of The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Awards Gala. According to the Council’s website, the event is an annual awards program which recognizes the outstanding work of architect members. Coordinated by a member chair and Council staff, entries are judged by a panel of leading architects, based on outlined criteria. For additional information about the organization and the event, visit www.aiaalabama.com . Hoskins Architecture (Birmingham) received a Merit Award for its renovation design of the Birmingham Public Library’s (BPL) Inglenook Branch. On hand to receive the award was the firm’s founder, Creig Hoskins. ...

All locations of the Birmingham Public Library will close today at 2 p.m. and will reopen at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Stay safe!

Celebrating Black History Month reminds us of so many who’ve sacrificed themselves so that we can enjoy the freedoms that we have today, but how do we challenge ourselves to take advantage of those sacrifices and freedoms and move beyond complacency? There are so many of us who have dreams and goals, but don’t know where to start, how to create a plan of action, or just simply reluctant to doing the work. Below is a list of books on goal setting that will help us further define our goals and set organized plans that will help us accomplish them. Stop by the Birmingham Public Library to check them out. The Zigzag Principle: The Goal-Setting Strategy That Will Revolutionize Your Business and Your Life by Rich Christiansen The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals by Chris McChesney No Problem! An Easy Guide to Getting What You Want by Kensuke Watanabe Make Every Second Count: Time Management Tips and Techniques for More Success with Less Stress by ...

All locations of the Birmingham Public Library will open at 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 5, due to the threat of inclement weather. Stay safe!