Birmingham Public Library Blog

Many knitters are now making extra cash selling their unique creations online on websites like Etsy . The word “knit” comes from the Old English word “cnyttan,” which means “to tie in a knot.” In modern English, the verb “knit” not only refers to this specific way of crafting, but it also can mean “to unite or cause to unite.” If you feel like your life’s one big knot, this process of rhythmically looping yarn has been proven scientifically to help you unravel the stresses of the day. So get ready to unwind and feel connected with others who are eager to learn a new craft at the Birmingham Public Library (BPL). Learn the basics of knitting in BPL's "Learn to Knit" beginner classes for both adults and teens. Choose a time and location convenient to you and call the library to reserve your spot. TEENS: Needles and yarn will be provided, but participants may not take needles home. Wednesday, June 8 ~ 10 a.m. ~~ Ensley (785-2625) Tuesday, June 21 ~ 2 p.m. ~~ Ti...

Have you ever wondered what life was like in Birmingham 100 years ago in 1916? Get a glimpse into the past as the Southern History Department takes you on a journey through the news, stories, and advertisements gleaned from Birmingham newspapers for the year 1916. We will cover everything from what people did for fun to how much things cost in 1916. Birmingham was also the location of a typhoid epidemic that ravaged the city. It was caused by an unlikely culprit, a food that most people enjoy frequently during the summer months. You will find out this, and so much more.  Here are a list of dates, times, and locations of this exciting local history program. Monday, June 6, 2016 2:00pm Springville Road  Monday, June 20, 2016 2:00pm West End - Adult  Monday, July 11, 2016 2:15pm Southside - Adult and Teen  Wednesday, July 13, 2016 2:00pm Central - Adult  Monday, July 18, 2016 2:00pm North Avondale - Adult  This summer reading program takes ...

BPLYP are recruiting new members from June 1-December 31, 2016. In photo left to right are some of the group's members: Fatima Carter, Joelle Limbaugh, Sabrina Mays, Kristy Stewart, Dionne Clark, and James A. Sullivan. The Birmingham Public Library Young Professionals (BPLYP) is accepting nominations for new members ages 25-40. In their fourth year as an organization, the BPLYP are a dynamic group of young professionals who support the literary culture of the Birmingham region and are committed to making the library the center of lifelong learning for the city. The group hosts lectures, special collection tours, and other social events, volunteer their time and skills, and work to increase the public's awareness and access to the library’s resources. For many institutions and organizations all over the country, young professionals provide volunteer manpower, bring attention to an organization from a new group of leaders, and their modest annual financial contributions ...

The Birmingham Public Library's popular Bards & Brews poetry performance/beer tasting series is going on the road from its usual home downtown this summer. On Friday, June 3 , Bards & Brews will hold an open mic performance at the Avondale Regional Branch Library . On Friday, July 8 , spoken word artists will be able to participate in an open mic night at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest . The Avondale Library event on June 3 will feature free craft beer sampling courtesy of Avondale Brewing Co. The J. Clyde will handle the pouring. The festivities start at 6:30 p.m. with live music from Bob Marston (performing in place of Josh Wheeler), 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 mu...

The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) will host several small business seminars over the next several months beginning Monday, April 4, 2016. The seminars 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.  The final Steps to Starting Your Business seminar will be held from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. on Monday, June 6 , in the Central Library ’s Arrington Auditorium, located on the fourth floor of the Linn-Henley Research Building. 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. The seminars are free but registration in adv...

I know it's not unusual for Alabama, but it feels like we went from winter directly into summer.  Our 70-degree days have been replaced by 80s and 90s.  We may as well head down to the beach, lie around in swimsuits, and listen to the waves.  Grab a cool glass of your favorite beverage, put on some sunscreen, relax, and enjoy these new summer titles.  Descriptions are from the publisher. Forever Beach   by Shelley Noble Sarah Hargreave is anxious to finalize the adoption of her foster daughter, Leila. Once a foster child herself, Sarah longs to become Leila’s “forever” family and give her all the love and stability she was denied in her own childhood. When Leila’s biological mother suddenly reappears and petitions the court for the return of her daughter, Sarah is terrified she’ll lose the little girl she loves to the drug-addicted mother who abandoned her. Mistrustful of each other, the two women form a tenuous alliance to ensure Leila’s future, bu...

SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome  Mary Beard I’ve always looked askance at "revisionist history." I mean, if a history is good enough for Livy, Suetonius, and Gibbon, it should be good enough for the rest of us, right? To be more honest, I don’t want to be confronted with the possibility that what I learned in school was actually closer to myth, or worse, propaganda. So I stick with the traditional interpretations, but if anyone could change my taste in history, it’s Mary Beard. Mary Beard is a professor of classics at Cambridge. You may know her for her popular blog, A Don's Life , which is available through the Times Literary Supplement webpage. SPQR is a revisionist history, but a revisionist history without any particularly slant or bias. She covers the era of 63 BCE to 212 CE. (And yes that’s a lot of years to cover in a mere 536 pages, but her entertaining tales make the pages fly by.) Beard begins her work not with the mythical beginnings of Romulus, Remus...

Award-winning children's singer/songwriter Anna Moo will perform at the Central Library on Wednesday, June 8, 10:00 a.m. Anna Moo grew up on a sheep ranch outside of Sacramento, California. In the early '70s, she moved with her family to Chile and later Venezuela. In Chile Moo learned to play the guitar at the age of 11. Upon returning to the United States, Anna began singing and performing professionally while in high school. She sang original songs in coffee houses and clubs in Florida, California, and New York City. After almost a half a decade living in New York City, she returned to the quiet countryside near Gainesville, Florida. She married entertainer Terry Moo, and they currently live on four acres of farmland in Newberry, Florida. Anna Moo was inspired to write music for children after having two children of her own. Moo's first release; Making Moosic , was picked up by Warner Brothers Records and Music for Little People. After the success of Making ...