Birmingham Public Library Blog

Library board members review first submissions for innovative programming Left to right: Eunice Johnson Rogers, Advocacy Committee Chair Dora Sims, and Gwendolyn B. Guster Welch. In an effort to help staff provide cool and innovative public programs, the Birmingham Public Library Board is paying it forward. At its March 2016 board meeting, the group adopted a recommendation from the Advocacy, Fundraising, and Development Committee to establish an award program for staff. The award will provide up to two $50 stipends to each Birmingham Public Library location to sponsor an innovative program. The funds should assist staff in bringing new ideas to the library or provide extra support to existing programs. In order to qualify, staff should submit a brief paragraph or two explaining to the board how they will use the funds. Submissions are due by the 15th of each month. The idea for the award was brought to the Advocacy Committee by committee member Gwendolyn Amamoo. The A...

The Inglenook Branch Library will host a basic computer skills development class on Wednesday, May 11, from 10:30-11:30a.m. A series of lessons ranging from keyboarding basics to troubleshooting tips and shutdown procedures will be taught followed by an assignment to test students’ progress and knowledge learned. Contact the Inglenook Library at 205-849-8739 to register. Limited availability.

WHO: Birmingham Public Library WHAT: Bards & Brews Performance Poetry/Beer Tasting WHEN: Friday, May 6, 2016 WHERE: Central Library TIME: Music starts at 6:30 p.m. and poetry performances begin at 7 p.m. Birmingham Public Library's (BPL) popular Bards & Brews poetry performance/beer tasting series returns with a poetry slam on Friday, May 6, at the Central Library. Usually held the first Friday of each month, the event will feature free craft beer sampling provided by Yellowhammer Brewing . The J. Clyde will handle the pouring. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. with live music by Susan Lawrence, beer tasting, and light refreshments. The poetry begins to flow at 7:00 p.m. with Brian "Voice Porter" Hawkins serving as host. The event is made possible by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts . Admission is free and open to the public; however, attendees m...

The Birmingham Public Library will join Star Wars fans across the globe on Wednesday, May 4, in celebrating a day affectionately known as Star Wars Day. “May the 4th Be With You” is a pun Star Wars fans worldwide have turned into a rallying cry to celebrate their love for one of the most popular movie series of all time. A play on the famous “May the Force be with you” line from Star Wars films, the Internet has allowed Star Wars fans worldwide to unite and connect every year on May 4. While the idea of Star Wars Day on May 4 didn’t begin with Lucasfilm, the creator of Star Wars , the film company has embraced the day, as evidenced by its official website link, http://www.starwars.com/may-the-4th . The Central Library will show the latest Star Wars movie released in the fall of 2015 as part of Star Wars Day in the Story Castle on Wednesday, May 4, beginning at 3:30 p.m. The PG-13 movie showing is free to the public, but space is limited. Allie Graham, a librarian ...

The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) will host several small business seminars in 2016 beginning in April and ending in November that will take place at the Central Library. The small business seminars are being offered by BPL in partnership with the  Service Corps of Retired Executives  (SCORE) and the City of Birmingham’s Office of Economic Development. Seminar presenters will be veteran mentors from the Birmingham chapter of SCORE, a national nonprofit comprised of volunteers willing to share their business knowledge and experience with prospective entrepreneurs and small business owners. For over 50 years, SCORE mentors have helped millions of business owners start or grow their business. 7 Ways to Secure Your Business Data is presented by Sawyer Solutions , a Pelham-based information technology company. The seminar is scheduled on Monday, May 9, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., in the Arrington Auditorium of the Central Library . The seminar is free but advance registrati...

CBSSports.com The NBA Playoffs are well underway.   The first round has proven how strong the competition is among the teams this season.   In fact, four of the eight teams in the Eastern Conference finished with the same regular season record (Miami, Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte).   Not surprisingly, Charlotte and Miami are headed to a Game 7 matchup to determine who enters the second round.   Indiana and Portland will also play a Game 7.   It took six games for Atlanta to get past the Boston Celtics.   Cleveland swept its series against Detroit, but a couple of those games were very close.   In the Western Conference, the regular season records were not as tightly clustered.   The Golden State Warriors won a record-high 73 games, while their first-round opponents, Houston, finished with a 41-41 record.   Last season’s MVP Stephen Curry got injured in the first round, so he was unable to help clinch the series over Houston.   ...

The Central Library is hosting three free workshops from May through July that will cover the process of applying for Jefferson County jobs, and how to master pre-employment tests, including oral interviews. The workshops are presented by the Jefferson County Human Resources Department , and scheduled for  Monday, May 9; Monday, June 13; and Monday, July 11,  2:15-3:15 p.m., in the Linn-Henley Research Building, 4th floor, Regional Library Computer Center. To register for the workshops and to find out more information about small business resources available at Birmingham Public Library, contact Jim Murray of Central Library’s Business, Science and Technology Department by email at jmurray@bham.lib.al.us or by calling 205- 226-3691. Visit the BPL blog or the events calendar for information on other upcoming business and financial workshops available at the Birmingham Public Library.

Younger Kids of 80th Place South Birmingham, 1955, Cubert A. Wood Birmingham Memory Project The Birmingham Public Library’s Southern History Department is taking its popular genealogy workshops on the road to other libraries. The Beyond the Basics of Genealogy workshop, Piles of Paper and Digital Dilemmas: Organizing Your Genealogy Research, will be going to the Trussville Public Library on May 4. The workshop will cover both paper and digital file organizational systems, and is designed for everyone from the beginner to the experienced genealogist. Staff from the Southern History Department at the Central Library will also be teaching Introduction to Genealogy for the first time in Shelby County at the Mt. Laurel Public Library . Here is a listing of genealogy workshops BPL is offering during the month of May: Sunday, May 1, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Luther Ray Watts and Friend across from AOH Church of God Birmingham, 1975, Juliette Watts Birmingham Memory Project Introduct...