Birmingham Public Library Blog

Irene Latham will present her new book release, Meet Miss Fancy , at the Avondale Regional Branch Library on Sunday, January 13, 2:30 p.m. Activities will include a book reading by the author; a Q&A session; a showing of the film Mr. Todd's Fancy , presented by documentary narrator Jim Reed ; and a presentation by Birmingham Public Library archivist Jim Baggett.

What: Steps to Starting Your Business When: 3rd Tuesday of each month, January - June 2019 Time: 12:00-1:00 p.m. Where: Central Library, Linn-Henley Research Library, Arrington Auditorium, 4th floor The Birmingham Public Library, in collaboration with SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) and the City of Birmingham’s Department of Innovation and Economic Opportunity, will be hosting the monthly seminar Steps to Starting Your Business from January to June 2019. The seminar is scheduled to be held on the following Tuesdays from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., in the Arrington Auditorium, which is located on the 4th floor of the Linn-Henley Research Library: January 15, February 19, March 19, April 16, May 21, June 18. Each seminar will cover the same topics, but those who are interested are welcome to attend more than one day. Topics covered will include crafting a vision statement, identifying sources of funding, determining the legal structure of your business, devising a busines...

What: Bards & Brews Open Mic Poetry When: Friday, January 11, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Where: Central Library East Grand Reading Room Details: Free to the public ages 18 and up; you must be 21 or older to drink beer samples. Bards & Brews, the Birmingham Public Library's popular monthly spoken word poetry-craft beer program, is hosting its first event of 2019 on Friday, January 11, at the Central Library East Grand Reading Room downtown. Both seasoned spoken word artists and novice poets are invited to participate in this open mic poetry event. Sign up on site the night of the program. Voice Porter will again serve as host and emcee. Hop City Craft Beer & Wine will supply the beer samples. Join us for an unforgettable night featuring many of metro Birmingham's most talented spoken word poets. For more information, visit Bards & Brews on   Facebook .

by Alisha Johnson, Ensley Branch Library Earlier this year the Birmingham Public Library embarked on a new partnership with the McWane Science Center to introduce a hands-on exploration initiative for parents and their children called Vocabby’s World . McWane Center acquired a grant that was funded by PNC Bank , and it is focused on developing vocabulary, reading-readiness, and problem-solving skills through fun and exciting science and art activities for early childhood-aged children. Three of the library’s branch locations—Ensley, Powderly , and Wylam — were chosen to participate and model themed lessons each month to connect parents to their child’s educational development. To prepare, staff members had to participate in mandatory training sessions and learn how to complete monthly evaluations regarding the program’s deliverables and effectiveness. This partnership has been great for the Ensley Branch Library because we have been able to introduce Vocabby’s World to n...

This is a rendering of what the completed MLK mosaic will look like The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) is honoring the birthday and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King (MLK) by hosting an MLK community mosaic project during the month of January. Between January 2 and January 18, 2019, patrons are invited to participate by visiting all 19 BPL locations across the city and coloring a section that will be put together to create a large image of Dr. King to remember his leadership in the fight for civil rights in Birmingham. BPL is planning a community mural that once completed will be displayed in each location. Patrons will be crafting each mural beginning Wednesday, January 2. The activity includes coloring individual pages that will be put together to make a completed image of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. All ages are encouraged to participate in this project and supplies will be provided. The goal is to complete each MLK mural prior to MLK Day, which will be observed on Monda...

Titusville Branch Library hosted a "Polar Express Movie Marathon"  program today, Friday, December 21, with patrons of all ages -some dressed in pajamas - enjoying the holiday classic "The Polar Express" and other holiday movie classics. Adjacent to the movie screen was a beautiful Polar Express train display, designed and built out of cardboard and other materials by Shronda Major, a Library Assistant III at Titusville Library. In addition to movies, patrons enjoyed free snacks. The morning session featured showings of "The Polar Express" and "Arthur Christmas." The afternoon session, between 2:00 and 6:00 p.m., featured showings of "Home Alone" and "A Christmas Story." Remember, all 19  BPL locations will be closed for the Christmas holiday from Saturday, December 22 through Tuesday, December 22. Happy holidays from all of us at BPL.

Monica King Slater, the Central Library 's songbird, won third place in the inaugural City of Birmingham Singing Competition on December 19 at the Boutwell Auditorium. The contest was comprised of city employees. King Slater, a library assistant III in Central's Fiction Department, represented the Birmingham Public Library (BPL). Check out her performance on BPL's Facebook page . King Slater has worked for BPL for over a decade. Occasionally on week nights and weekends, you can catch King Slater, a solo vocalist with Songbird Entertainment, using her gift for singing at venues across metro Birmingham. She previously served as host for Thursday Karaoke Night at the Perfect Note , a live jazz and dining facility in Hoover. In 2015, King Slater was selected to sing the national anthem at the Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure event in downtown Birmingham. In 2017, Slater was one of three winners of cash prizes in the Sickle Cell Gala in Birmingham. Read more about Kin...

Nonprofit organizations come in many different shapes and sizes, but they all one thing in common: they want to develop, fund, and implement creative programs that serve to fulfill their mission. Most people who work in the nonprofit world have the desire and commitment to make this happen, but they often lack access to learning resources that will help them understand how best to get there. If you feel like this applies to you, whether you are an experienced nonprofit leader or someone brand new to the field, then you will want to attend the Birmingham Public Library’s Nonprofit Management Class Series. The one hour classes will be offered monthly from January to May 2019 at the library’s Central location. The classes are offered as part of a collaboration between BPL and the Harvard Club of Birmingham. The series instructor is John Whitman, PhD. A veteran of both the private and nonprofit sectors, Dr. Whitman has also taught leadership and management courses at American Unive...