Birmingham Public Library

The Skies are Clearing for Students Researching Climate Change

2013-05-21T16:30:00.000-05:00

Here at the library we see a multitude of high school research topics. Each topic comes with its own challenges. One problem students writing papers about climate change experience is finding reliable sources for research and data. There’s just so much opinion based on political ideology or wishful thinking that sometimes it’s difficult to find raw numbers based on science. And even if the student finds research from a reliable source, it frequently requires a Ph.D. to decipher.

The United Nations Climate Change Portal represents the final word on climate change research while solving these problems. The site is easy to navigate, current, and covers all aspects of climate change. Research and findings from 38 different international organizations and U.N. agencies can be accessed via this portal. Users can find information about mitigation technology, the economics and politics of climate change and, of course, the science behind the numbers.

Clicking on the tab marked science reveals multiple subheadings including facts. Many teachers like to read a paper supported with cold, hard facts and this screen provides just about any fact a student needs. One reoccurring argument in the climate debate is rather the arctic is melting and if this in turn is leading to rising sea levels. The United Nations Climate Change Portal facts page has the following quick fact on this issue: “Arctic sea ice — Annual average Arctic sea ice extent shrunk by 2.7 per cent per decade. Sea-ice decreases overall in summer by 7.4 per cent. Paleoclimate information supports the interpretation that the warmth of the last half century is unusual in at least the previous 1300 years. The last time the polar regions were significantly warmer than present for an extended period (about 125,000 years ago), reductions in polar ice volume led to 4 to 6 meters of sea level rise.”

But this portal doesn’t stop at numbers. An added annoyance for students is finding photographs to support their papers. This site includes photographs covering diverse climate topics such as the global seed vault at Longyearbyen, Norway, the retreating Polar ice rim and Switzerland’s decreasing glaciers.

For students researching climate change, folks just wishing to settle an argument, or learn about the latest finding, visiting United Nations Climate Change Portal facts page should do the trick. And don’t forget to visit the libraries many journal databases. You can find a wealth of material on climate change, and just about any other topic, with your library card.

Submitted by David Ryan
Business, Science & Technology/Social Sciences Department
Central Library

Spring into Summer Reading Today

2013-05-21T15:12:00.000-05:00

Summer Reading Programs began on May 13 this year at all Birmingham Public Library locations allowing you to get a jump start on reading and library enjoyment. Reading, prize drawings, activities, programs and book discussions, even online, abound and are only just part of the excitement you can expect.

There is something for everyone and for all ages, as Library Summer Reading is no longer just for kids. Adults, as well as children and teens will have the opportunity to participate in programs, activities and reading ideas and suggestions suited just for them and the respective themes match up nicely as well.

Childrens - Dig into Reading

Teens - Beneath the Surface (including Steampunk mania at Central)

Adults - Birmingham’s Beat

Online participation is available, seamless and encouraged at http://www.bplonline.org/SummerReading.aspx.

The Birmingham Public Library’s website offers a portal into all things Summer Reading.

You can:

Register for the programs
Submit titles read for prize drawings
Learn about activities and programs
Book chat with others via Facebook
Tweet via Twitter

You can participate totally online if you like. In addition to the Summer Reading portal, there are numerous downloadable audiobooks and e-books available. Doing it all online may cost you the opportunity of attending on-site programs, expanding your title browsing, and interacting in person with our friendly staff and library users that are excited about the program and are full of reading suggestions. Many of our patrons opt for a hybrid of online and in person involvement. Either way you go, there is no way to go wrong.

So, what are you waiting for? Join today!

Children, dig deeper.

Teens, look beneath the surface.

Adults, dance to the beat. After all, the beat goes on.

The Birmingham Public Library is grateful for the generous support of the Alabama Power Foundation in funding our Summer Reading Programs.

Let’s all make the most of it and . . .

ENJOY!

Submitted by David Blake
Fiction Department
Central Library

Local Author Tim Hollis Tells the Story of Alabama Tourism at the May 22 Brown Bag Lunch Program

2013-05-21T15:00:00.000-05:00

Tourism in the Southeast is often associated with Florida—a state that essentially defined the industry in America. Yet Alabama has a fascinating history of tourism all its own from restored and preserved historic destinations to campy tourist traps and outrageous roadside attractions. Join Birmingham author Tim Hollis, who has traveled from the Shoals to the coast and amassed an unrivaled knowledge of Alabama tourism, as he discusses his new book See Alabama First: The Story of Alabama Tourism. Copies of his book will be available for purchase and signing. Wednesday, May 22, noon.

Feed your body and mind at BPL's Brown Bag Lunch Programs. You bring the lunch and we'll bring the drinks. Central Library, Linn Henley Research Building, Arrington Auditorium, 4th floor. For more information call 226-3604 or visit www.bplonline.org.

Book Series for Children - Frye by Angie Sage

2013-05-20T15:39:00.000-05:00

Frye
Angie Sage

Just in time for summer, Fyre is the long-awaited 7th and final installment of the Septimus Heap series. It's a nice trip down memory lane, linking up with moments, characters, and plot points from all the previous books.

The series as a whole is fun and memorable with quirky and loveable characters. It's very much a treasure hunt within a magical fantasy with many adventures to be enjoyed. fans of the series will be pleased with how everything is wrapped up.

Search the JCLC catalog for similar books using these search criteria:

Magic - juvenile fiction
Fantasy - juvenile fiction
Wizards - juvenile Fiction

Library Welcomes Author for a Journey on the Trail of Tears

2013-05-20T10:08:00.000-05:00

Ron Cooper, a member of the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma, began walking the Northern Route of the Cherokee Trail of Tears National Historic Trail in January 2011 as a personal adventure of self-reflection. Much to his surprise, he quickly became an ambassador for education, a catalyst for further conservation of the Trail, and a symbol of tribal unity and pride. Cooper will discuss his journey and share the best of the thousands of photos he took along the way as he discusses his book It’s My Trail, Too: A Comanche Indian’s Journey on the Cherokee Trail of Tears. This special BPL@Night program is scheduled for Tuesday, May 28 at 6:00 p.m. in the Richard Arrington Auditorium of the Central Library located at 2100 Park Place. The program is free and open to the public. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ron Cooper

While enduring the worst winter in recent memory, in 2011 Ron Cooper walked hundreds of miles retracing the steps of the American Indians forced to move west in the 1830s. A first time author, Cooper has managed his tribe’s bingo enterprise and worked as blackjack dealer. He has been a full-time RVer since 2007 and currently lives in Cherokee, North Carolina with his wife and their two cats. His hobbies are Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, reading, bird watching, hiking and backpacking.

Still Time to Join in the Discussion on Bullying

2013-05-20T08:32:00.001-05:00

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The Birmingham Public Library and the David Mathews Center for Civic Life invite the public to participate in one of the three remaining Alabama Issues Forum on bullying. Forums will be held May 18 through 23 at three libraries in the Birmingham Public Library System. All programs are free and open to the public.

Bullying is an issue that has been brought to the national consciousness with recent events including the YouTube® video of a bus monitor being bullied by middle school students as well as several recent stories of the tragic suicides of students resulting from relentless bullying.

The forums will be held at the following locations:

Central Library (downtown), *May 20, 5:30-7:30 p.m. (Corrected Date)
Smithfield Library, May 23, 10:00 a.m.–12:00noon

Nearly a third of students experience bullying each year, and more than 160,000 young people miss school each day due to fears of being bullied. While Alabama continues to make progress related to bullying, the statistics and stories of bullied students are alarming. Reducing bullying incidents will require us working together as a community, and the educational and public safety effects of ignoring this issue are grave.

The Birmingham Public Library and the David Mathews Center for Civic Life invite the citizens of our communities to engage in an open forum with the opportunity to carefully weigh different approaches to and perspectives on the issue of bullying. “There is no higher office than the office of citizen, and deliberative forums give citizens a chance to talk through what they hold valuable related to an issue,” says Chris McCauley, Executive Director of the David Mathews Center. “Bullying is an issue that can affect schools, communities, and office environments. It’s up to citizens to think through creative, community-based solutions to address the issue.”

ABOUT THE DAVID MATHEWS CENTER FOR CIVIC LIFE

The David Mathews Center for Civic Life is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan, tax-exempt corporation. Its purpose is to foster infrastructure, habits, and capacities for more effective civic engagement and innovative decision making. More information can be found on the center’s website: http://mathewscenter.org.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Please check with your local Birmingham Public Library for additional program offerings and program updates. For more information, contact Sandi Lee, Birmingham Public Library, (205) 226-3742 or visit the library’s website at www.bplonline.org. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

BPL Partners with David Matthews Center for Series of Bullying Forums

2013-05-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Click to enlarge

DID YOU KNOW...

Every 30 minutes, a child commits suicide as a DIRECT RESULT of BEING BULLIED

28% of children carrying guns have witnessed violence in their homes

Every 7 minutes a child is BULLIED on a school playground, 85% happen without intervention

More than 85% of teenagers say revenge after BULLYING is the leading cause of school shootings and homicide

26% Female 46% Male involved in fights are due to BEING BULLIED

According to the U.S. Secret Service, 2/3 of 37 school shootings involved attackers who “felt persecuted, BULLIED, threatened, attacked or injured by others prior to the incident

19,000 BULLIED children commit suicide over the course of one year*

Headline News: February 7, 2013 – Bullying Attack Leaves 11-year-old in Coma. These headlines recur daily in our hometowns, in cities large and small around our country and across the globe. What are we doing about it? Are we part of the problem or can we be part of the solution? The Birmingham Public Library and the David Mathews Center for Civic Life invite the public to participate in an Alabama Issues Forum on bullying. Forums will be held May 13-May 23 at a number of Birmingham Public Libraries.

Nearly a third of students experience bullying each year, and more than 160,000 young people miss school each day due to fears of being bullied. While Alabama continues to make progress related to bullying, the statistics and stories of bullied students are alarming. Reducing bullying incidents will require us working together as a community, and the educational and public safety effects of ignoring this issue are grave.

The Birmingham Public Library and the David Matthews Center for Civic Life invite the citizens of our communities to engage in an open forum with the opportunity to carefully weigh different approaches to and perspectives on the issue of bullying.

“There is no higher office than the office of citizen, and deliberative forums give citizens a chance to talk through what they hold valuable related to an issue,” says Chris McCauley, Executive Director of the David Mathews Center. “Bullying is an issue that can affect schools, communities, and office environments. It’s up to citizens to think through creative, community-based solutions to address the issue.”

The forums will be held at the following locations:
Eastwood Library - May 13, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
East Ensley Library - May 14, 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Inglenook Recreation Center - May 15, 5:00-7:00 p.m.
Powderly Library - May 16, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
East Lake Library – May 18, 10:00 a.m.–12 noon
Central Library (downtown) - May 20, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Smithfield Library, May 23, 10:00 a.m.-12 noon

For more information, contact Sandi Lee, Birmingham Public Library, 226-3742.

*Source: Bullying: What is it: How Do We Prevent It? An issues guide for Alabama Issues Forums David Matthews Center for Civic Life

Registration Open for June RLCC Computer Classes

2013-05-16T10:45:00.001-05:00

The Regional Library Computer Center June 2013 Computer Classes schedule is now available, and registration is open to the public for the free courses. Please note that class times have been changed to 10:30 am – 12:30 pm. This month, we are teaching programs from Microsoft Office 2010 and featuring Facebook in our “Introduction to Social Media” course.

The following classes are slated for June 2013:

Beginner Classes

June 3 – Keyboarding: Introduces you to the basics of working with the computer keyboard and the mouse. Participants need not have any previous computer experience to take this course.

June 4 – Basic PC: Introduces people to the computer: basic PC terms, components, hardware, peripherals, desktop features, etc. Participants need not have any previous computer experience to take this course.

June 5 – Basic Internet: Introduces people to the history of the Internet, how to access and surf the Web, what web browsers are, what search engines are available, and basic search methods. Participants need to have taken Keyboarding and Basic PC or have some PC, mouse, and keyboarding experience to take this course.

Intermediate Classes

June 10 – Microsoft Word 2010 Part 1: Introduces people to Word 2010, a word processing application that is part of the Microsoft Office suite. It is recommended that participants to take all three parts. Participants need to have taken Keyboarding and Basic PC or have some PC, mouse, and keyboarding experience to take this course.

June 11 – Microsoft Word 2010 Part 2

June 12 – Microsoft Word 2010 Part 3

June 19 – Email Workshop: Helps people set up email accounts and learn to maneuver their way through email browsers. Participants need to have taken Keyboarding, Basic PC, and Basic Internet or have some PC, mouse, keyboarding, and Internet experience to take this course.

Advanced Classes

June 17 – Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 Part 1: Introduces people to PowerPoint 2010 presentation software. It is recommended that participants take Microsoft Word 2010 prior to taking this course. It is also recommended that participants take both parts of the course. Participants need to have taken Keyboarding and Basic PC or have some PC, mouse, and keyboarding experience to take this course.

June 18 – Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 Part 2

June 24 – Microsoft Excel 2010 Part 1: Introduces people to Microsoft Excel 2010, a spreadsheet software in the Microsoft 2010 Office Suite. It is recommended that participants take Microsoft Word 2010 prior to taking this course. It is also recommended that participants take both parts of the course. Participants need to have taken Keyboarding and Basic PC or have some PC, mouse, and keyboarding experience to take this course.

June 25 – Microsoft Excel 2010 Part 2

June 26 – Introduction to Social Media – FACEBOOK: Introduces people to the history, elements, and software used in social media interactions. Participants need to have taken Keyboarding, Basic PC, and Basic Internet or have some PC, mouse, keyboarding, and Internet experience to take this course. An email account is needed for this class.

For more information, please call (205) 226-3680 or (205) 226-3681. You may also email the Public Computer Services department at cenrtc@bham.lib.al.us.

Brown Bag Lunch Program - See Alabama First: The Story of Alabama Tourism

2013-05-15T14:47:00.002-05:00

Book Review: Songs in the Key of Z: The Curious Universe of Outsider Music

2013-05-15T12:49:00.001-05:00

Songs In The Key Of Z: The Curious Universe Of Outsider Music
Irwin Chusid

I checked this book out of the library so many times over the years that I finally bought my own copy so I could finally underline all the intentionally and unintentionally hilarious bits, jaw-dropping anecdotes and biographical gems in this seriously weird account of music people so far out of the mainstream it makes your usual musical diet seem safe and bland by comparison. This is music, in the words of author Irwin Chusid, “so wrong - it’s right,” so “bad it’s even better.”

The musicians here aren’t underground or avant-garde, because those categories presuppose a high degree of self-awareness. They’re further out than that. Not better per se, just further out. They usually don’t want any part of the conventional—or even semi-conventional—musical world. They’re mostly untrained musically. They’re frequently mentally ill, though often they’re just very eccentric. In some ways, musical outsiders are the equivalent of outsider artists. The strains of wildness, scariness, innocence, childlike behavior and unself-consciousness that are common in outsider art are typical here, too.

There are chapters on relatively well-known artists (Syd Barrett, Tiny Tim), but almost all of the entries are on little-known or totally obscure musicians. Even with the two above, Chusid focuses on the non-limelight parts of their careers. All things considered, Captain Beefheart seems too popular a choice for such a book. That’s part of the fun, and frustration, of Chusid’s trying to stake out a new category – you argue with him. Chusid freely admits it’s maddeningly hard to define “outsider” at times, and we just had a century where it was the norm for artists to claim outsider status as a badge of pride. Still, though, most everyone here is, to put it cautiously, well and truly out there by any definition I can think of.

The Celebrated Cherry Sisters

Though there’s plenty of eccentricity, and even full-blown mental illness here, this isn’t really a disturbing book (though the cover is). On the contrary, there’s a lot of that innocence I mentioned earlier, as well as sincerity, even sweetness of a sort. Then there’s that priceless region where you don’t know if the artist is putting one over on you or not. There’s no better example of this than the Cherry Sisters. Forgotten today, they were the toast of Broadway during the turn of the 20th Century. Critics compared their voices to that of monkeys and said their, well, vocalizing was childish and ridiculous. Audiences yelled at them, and threw so much rotten vegetables that the Sisters had to work behind a screen. They were, in the words of one writer, a “strange mixture of Puritanism and exhibitionism.” One sister reportedly punched out an unsympathetic male journalist. But Oscar Hammerstein minted money with “IOWA’S FAMOUS SONGBIRDS.” Apparently, once the Cherry Sisters made it big, they apparently deliberately chose not to be forthright about why - or even whether - people hated them. Sadly, they never recorded. When they retired to a farm in Iowa, they wore men’s clothing, took up guns and bragged of never having been kissed, let alone married. I withhold comment.

EP released September 1959

Florence Foster Jenkins, who came not from the sticks but high society, had a similar career in the forties. After a traffic accident, she found she could hit amazingly high notes. Her pitch was once described as “non-existent.” She apparently never got vegetables thrown at her, probably because she played posh venues such as Carnegie Hall. You didn’t do that sort of thing there. What the audience did do was applaud and whistle so loudly that some of their numbers could laugh out loud and, it was hoped, not be heard by Florence. More polite ones would stuff handkerchiefs in their mouths.

Then there are the celebrities who should’ve known better. Just because William Shatner, Patty Duke and Telly Savalas had the clout to release well-distributed records doesn’t mean they should have.

Malinda Jackson Parker

By no means is everyone here risible. Far from it. There are very serious and highbrow musicians to be had; there’s an enormous range of musical styles included. I’m glad that Chusid included the endearing Congress-Woman Malinda Jackson Parker of Liberia. On the spinoff cd, also called Songs In The Key Of Z, she warns of the dangers of “Cousin Mosquito,” singing the word “ ‘cousin’ 204 times within the song’s three minutes and 27 seconds.” This isn’t tiresome, it’s plain charming. She’s a female Mister Rogers with great force and staccato. More than endearing, she’s lovable. This is one public service announcement I’ll never forget.

Did Alabama’s own outsider artist superstar Howard Finster also do outsider music? Who knew? It wasn’t a total surprise that there would be at least one native Alabamian in Chusid’s book. An outlier, eccentric state can’t help but produce beyond-the-rim musicians from time to time.

One minor complaint. On a few occasions, Chusid’s tone is clumsy. In trying to convey the oddness of the personages, he can exaggerate or even condescend, which is odd, because his overall thrust is to reveal the inherent value of the subjects. Their eccentricity is so articulate that it usually needs a restrained commentary.

Harry Partch

Not all of this music, I hope, will remain obscure forever. Tiny Tim got married on Carson in front of millions, but almost his entire career was in oblivion. If there’s any justice, this human encyclopedia of American popular song will one day be recognized as a national treasure. Harry Partch’s 43-tone scale and the instruments he built to go with it will always limit his appeal, or will it? You can, after all, play his music on conventional instruments, and Partch has gotten some well-deserved after-death recognition. The Shaggs made it into a Rolling Stone magazine poll of the most influential alternative rock musicians of all time. Most of Wild Man Fischer’s output is out of print, but that doesn’t mean some of it isn’t forbiddingly pricey. Obscure doesn’t necessarily mean cheap. Still, much of this music is worth hunting down. Whether this material is sublime or terrible, it’s usually captivating and often mesmerizing.

In the end, maybe the most salient characteristic of these misfits is that they are “happy making their music,” in the author’s words. When you read about that joy, and listen to it later, you may drop your inhibitions and realize that the world is wider than you thought it was.

Richard Grooms
Fiction Department
Central Library

Genealogy At Its Worst: Researching Convict Records Workshop

2013-05-15T09:19:00.002-05:00

Convict lease prisoners inside the barracks of an unidentified Jefferson
County work camp. The prisoners were kept shackled at all times. This photo is
from the Thomas Dukes Parke Papers of the Birmingham Public Library Archives.

How can convict records help with your research? Or do you think perhaps this is research that cannot possibly have anything to do with you and your family? Well, think again! Librarian, archivist and lecturer Frazine Taylor will lead a workshop to discuss vagrancy laws and examine daily convict labor reports, applications for employment and inmates’ correspondence for clues to family information. The workshop titled "Genealogy At Its Worst: Researching Convict Records" is scheduled for Saturday, June 22, 2013 from 9:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at the Central Library located at 2100 Park Place. This workshop is free and open to the public.

Vagrancy, the offense of a person not being able to prove that he or she is employed, was an innovative and insubstantial fabrication used at the end of the nineteenth century by the state legislature of Alabama and other southern states to put unsuspecting persons in the legal system. It was enforced by local sheriffs and constables, and cases were decided by mayors and notary publics, recorded messily or not at all in court records, and most telling—in a time of substantial unemployment among all southern men—was enforced almost exclusively on black men. Approximately 2,500 men were being detained against their will at more than two dozen labor camps across Alabama. Records were kept on these men and in some cases their families.

For additional information, visit the website at www.bplonline.org and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

ABOUT FRAZINE TAYLOR

Frazine Taylor has over twenty years of experience as a librarian, archivist, lecturer and writers. During her time as Head of Reference with the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH), she became an expert on Alabama records and particularly African American ancestry. She has traveled extensively and once served as a Peace Corps volunteer and administrator serving in the Fiji Islands and the South Pacific. Taylor received a Master’s Degree in Information Studies from Atlanta University. She is a member of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society and serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society. Taylor is the President of the Elmore County Association of Black Heritage, Chair of the Black Heritage Council of the Alabama Historical Commission, a member of BBAAGHS and of the Society of Alabama Archivists, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Alabama Historical Association. She is the author of Researching African American Genealogy in Alabama: A Resource Guide (2008) and researched Tom Joyner’s and Linda Johnson Rice’s family roots and ties to Alabama for the PBS series African American Lives 2.

Meet Birmingham Public Library Young Professionals Board Member Kristy Stewart

2013-05-14T09:12:00.000-05:00

The Young Professionals of the Birmingham Public Library celebrate the rich history and prosperous future of Birmingham's oldest cultural institution. The Young Professionals support the Library financially and culturally and promote its remarkable treasures. By hosting dynamic lectures, special collection tours, and other social events and by volunteering time and skills, the Young Professionals increase public awareness of and access to the Library's resources.

BPLYP Kristy Stewart

What is your full name, age, and occupation? Kristy Waldon Stewart, 34, Bank Secrecy Anti-Money Laundering Analyst, Regions Bank.

What is your favorite place to eat in Birmingham? Village Tavern.

Why did you get involved with the BPLYP? I got involved with BPLYP simply to give back to the community and to be an advocate for an institution that allows you to discover never ending possibilities.

Which is your favorite (or most frequented) library branch? Five Points West simply because it's the branch I used as a child!

Name some of your favorite books as a child or teenager. Animal Farm and A Raisin in the Sun.

What genres do you read the most as an adult? Romance, Short Story & Financial education.

Who are some of your favorite authors? Kimberla Lawson Roby, Donna VanLiere, and Suze Orman.

What is your wish for the city of Birmingham? My wish for the great city of Birmingham is continued economic growth!

Do you have a special talent? If so, what is it? Call it a talent if you want but I enjoy public speaking!

What is your favorite quote or inspirational saying? "You make a living by what you get and a life by what you give" and "To whom much is given, much is required."

Brown Bag Lunch Program - Back to Basics Workout with Instructor Russell Lee, May 15

2013-05-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

The fitness industry is bombarded with killer workouts such as Iron Tribe, Insanity, and Crossfit. Let's get to the basics again with certified group exercise instructor Russell Lee. He has been instructing since 1989 in group fitness and he is also a long time employee of the Birmingham Public Library and currently still teaches at the Downtown YMCA. Bring your towel, exercise mat, hand weights and let's work the body safely and effectively. If you have pre-existing medical conditions please seek clearance from your physician. This workout will include low impact cardio, strength training, and flexibility/stress reduction techniques. Wednesday, May 15, noon.

Flow Tactics Teen Open Mic at the YMCA Youth Center

2013-05-13T11:19:00.000-05:00

Teens, get your poetry on at the Flow Tactics Teen Open Mic every 3rd Saturday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.at the YMCA Youth Center, 2400 7th Avenue North (near Phillips Academy). Admission is free. The sessions are for high school students only. To sign up to perform or for more information, e-mail johnpaul@reallifepoets.org. This month's program is scheduled for Saturday, May 18.

Flow Tactics is sponsored by The Real Life Poets, the Mayor's Office Division of Youth Services, YMCA Youth Center, and the WORD UP! Student Poetry Slam Committee of the Jefferson County Library Cooperative. WORD UP! is an annual poetry slam for Jefferson County high school students hosted by the Birmingham Public Library.

Chilton Library Database

2013-05-11T09:47:00.000-05:00

If you need to get your hands on one of those Chilton or Motor Trends automotive repair manuals and don’t want to peel out the cash to buy one, don’t despair! Just use your JCLC library card, go to www.bplonline.org, click on “databases” and then use the “database quick links” menu to locate Chilton Library. If you’re using the Internet away from a library, when you click on “go” you will be asked to type in your name and library card number. When the Chilton Library database comes up, select the year, make and model of your automobile or truck. You’ll be allowed to narrow your search further to find repair instructions, diagrams, troubleshooting tips, and sometimes even videos to show you exactly how to perform your own auto repairs. These are subscription databases and only available to JCLC library members—just one more reason to get a library card and become a digital patron! Save tons of money and research just about anything using the Databases at Birmingham Public Library.

Submitted by Kelly Laney
Springville Road Library

Summer Reading Leads to Better Grades and More

2013-05-10T14:11:00.000-05:00

Tony Smoke, Birmingham Division Manager for Alabama Power and Foundation Board Member,
presents a check for $15,000 to help fund Summer Reading programs at BPL

Each year, public libraries across the United States prepare for the summer months by coordinating programs and incentives to encourage reading by individuals of all ages—especially children. This year, staff at the eighteen (Pratt City is scheduled to reopen later this year) libraries in the Birmingham Public Library System, have been preparing for Summer Reading 2013 since December of 2012. The result of their planning will be more than 300 programs designed for audiences of all ages. Program information can be found by visiting the library’s website at http://www.bplonline.org/summerreading.aspx. Summer Reading signup kicks off on Monday, May 13.

The Alabama Power Foundation is the lead sponsor for this year’s programming. Birmingham native and NFL player Jerricho Cotchery and the Cotchery Foundation will once again provide a skills and drills camp to encourage teen participation. Cotchery is a wide receiver with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Other partner organizations are providing incentives as well including Reach Out and Read and Alabama Public Television. Their “Prescription for Reading” addition to the Summer Reading initiative encourages pediatricians throughout Alabama to get out their pads and write prescriptions for reading.

The primary goal of library Summer Reading is to encourage children to read for pleasure. Libraries offer special events and incentives to encourage children of all ages, from infants to teens, to read what they enjoy, and to read often. Parents, grandparents, and other caregivers are also invited to participate and help pre-readers enjoy books and develop a love of reading.

Last year, the Birmingham Public Library registered 5,815 children and teens who read 37,906 books. The library offered 365 programs with an attendance of 15,016. In addition, the library registered 1066 adults in the summer reading program. The library offered 81 programs with an attendance of 1,000. Adult summer reading participants read 6,888 books.

Readers of all ages will explore all things underground as Birmingham Public Library presents "Dig Into Reading." Activities will include programs on dinosaurs, special guest musicians, live animal demonstrations, arts and crafts, story times and lots more.

Additional goals of summer reading include:

Help children develop positive attitudes about reading and books
Enable children to maintain their reading skills during summer vacation (Summer Reading equals Better Grades)
Encourage regular use of the Birmingham Public Library
Attract new library users
Promote library services and materials throughout the community
Foster cooperation between community agencies
Offer opportunities for children to learn and grow through interactive presentations

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Please check with your local Birmingham Public Library for additional program offerings and program updates. For more information, contact Janine Langston, Birmingham Public Library, (205) 226-3757 or visit the library’s website at www.bplonline.org. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter. The mission of Birmingham Public Library is to provide the highest quality library service to our citizens for life-long learning, cultural enrichment, and enjoyment. This system—with nineteen locations and serving the community for 126 years—is one of the largest library systems in the southeast.

What Have You Invented Lately? It’s National Inventors Month!

2013-05-09T16:23:00.001-05:00

A shield to protect the face during snow storms. (Canada, 1939)
Interesting Strange Inventions of the Past
iliketowastemytime.com

Many inventors were people who seemed to be unlikely prospects: they were women, they were African-American, they were too young/old, their profession was something else, etc. But inventors create inventions where they see a need.

Gary Burghoff (M*A*S*H*’S “Radar”) developed a device that attracts fish toward a boat.
Philo Farnsworth (age 14) had the first idea for the television set, or “image dissector.”
Benjamin Franklin (age 83) invented bifocals.
Hedy Lamarr (1940’s screen actress), co-invented a “secret communication system” that is a basis for today’s “frequency-hopping spread spectrum” method of transmitting radio signals.
Chelsea Lanmon (age 5) invented a diaper that contains a wipe and a powder puff.
Stephanie Kwolek (chemist with DuPont) discovered Kevlar, the fiber used in bullet-proof vests.
Abraham Lincoln patented a process in 1849, “Buoying Vessels Over Shoals,” which was lifting a boat over sand bars or through shallow water without losing cargo.
Elijah McCoy (African -American) had 50 patents involving lubrication systems for steam engines.
Garrett Morgan (African-American) invented a type of breathing device and a traffic signal.
Marjorie Stewart Joyner (African-American) invented a “permanent-waving machine” for “Madam C. J.” Sarah Breedlove Walker, who created a business empire manufacturing and selling African-American hair care and beauty products.

If you have an idea for an invention, don’t let anything discourage you! The Government Documents Department is a Patent and Trademark Resource Center as well, containing information relating to patents, trademarks, and copyrights.

“If it’s a good idea… go ahead and do it. It is much easier to apologize than it is to get permission.” – Grace M. Hopper, inventor of the COBOL computer language

Submitted by Michelle Andrews

Government Documents Department

Central Library

Brown Bag Lunch Program - Back To Basics Total Body Workout

2013-05-09T15:00:00.000-05:00

BPL employee and exercise instructor Russell Lee

The fitness industry is bombarded with killer workouts such as Iron Tribe, Insanity, and Crossfit. Let's get to the basics again with certified group exercise instructor Russell Lee. He has been instructing since 1989 in group fitness and he is also a long time employee of the Birmingham Public Library and currently still teaches at the Downtown YMCA. Bring your towel, exercise mat, and hand weights and let's work the body safely and effectively. If you have pre-existing medical conditions please seek clearance from your physician. This workout will include low impact cardio, strength training, and flexibility/stress reduction techniques. Wednesday, May 15, noon.

Tips for Internet Searches

2013-05-09T12:51:00.000-05:00

We all do some sort of research on the internet, whether it be looking up information for a school report or personal enlightenment. Some search results can leave us scratching our heads, wondering why we yielded links that are far from what we had in mind, and some results are just simply lacking. Here are some tips that can help your search be more efficient and succinct.

Enter as many keywords as possible. If you do this, you are likely to yield more results. It’s best to try five to seven keywords to help narrow your search field.

Use nouns as keywords. Words such as “a” and “the,” pronouns such as “she” and “he,” and prepositions such as “over” and “to” slow down the search engine and often produce irrelevant results. Some search engines actually ignore these words.

Use exact phrases when searching. Quotation marks should surround each phrase. The ability to search for exact phrases can be extremely useful in locating material online.

Use Auto-complete. Sometimes search engines will display helpful results in a drop-down list. Selecting the appropriate item as it appears will save time typing.

Don’t Capitalize. Most search engines ignore capitalization.

Get better results with Boolean commands. “Boolean searching” can narrow your search results and increase the likelihood that relevant results will be displayed. This searching technique involves using Boolean commands: AND, OR, and NOT.

The AND command will only return documents that contain all the keywords listed. For example, if you search for “Birmingham” AND “Library” AND “Hours,” the results displayed will include all of these terms.

The OR command will return documents that contain any of the keywords. If you search for “Paris” OR “vacation” OR “ airfares” the search engine will display documents that contain even one of these keywords or phrases.

The NOT command will return documents that do not contain the keyword listed. If you complete the same search for Bahamas, but this time included NOT “Vacation” the results displayed would not include any reference to the Bahamas Vacations.

Some search engines automatically include the AND command in searches and process the plus (+) and minus (-) signs as another way to express AND or NOT.

The wildcard operator (*) is also known as the “fill in the blank” operator. For example, “star *” will return pages with "star" and any other term(s) the search engine deems relevant. You can’t use wildcards for parts of words. So for example, "star w*" is invalid.

Seven Men from Now (1956)

2013-05-09T10:53:00.000-05:00

B movies are the low budget films produced by the major studios during the Golden Age of Hollywood that were usually less than 80 minutes in length and were often paired with other films to screen as part of a double feature. Although these films featured talent with recognizable names in front of and behind the camera, the featured players were usually young stars on the rise or older stars who were fading from the limelight.

For most people, B movies - let alone B westerns - do not come to mind when they reflect upon the great works of American cinema. I have to admit that many of my favorite films are considered B movies and that I consider several B westerns as true cinematic works of art.

Seven Men From Now is one such B western. The film was directed by Budd Boetticher - a maverick figure whose life could have come straight out of a B movie plot. Boetticher played football at Ohio State and moved to Mexico after college in order to become a bullfighter. He became a great matador and his expertise in bullfighting led him to Hollywood where he became an advisor on the film Blood and Sand in 1941. Boetticher worked his way up to the position of journeyman director in Hollywood and made dozens of films that are not very well known. The director's life took several strange turns including a tumultuous marriage to star Debra Paget and a brief stint in a Mexican mental institution.

In the late fifties, Boetticher teamed up with actor Randolph Scott and producer Harry Joe Brown on seven B westerns that have become very well regarded among film historians and cinephiles. Seven Men from Now was the first of the these films and it featured the largest budget of the series thanks to the involvement of executive producer John Wayne and his Batjac production company.

Randolph Scott starred in the film as a former sheriff name Ben Stride who is seeking revenge upon the seven men responsible for the murder of his wife during a Wells Fargo robbery. Gail Russell co-stars as Scott’s love interest and the great Lee Marvin appears in the film as an adversary to Scott in tracking down the seven men.

Randolph Scott in a still from Seven Men from Now

Although this premise sounds like the shopworn plot of countless western genre films, the film reveals this to be a deceptively simple premise. The audience learns that Stride had lost his job as sheriff and his wife was working for Wells Fargo to support him at the time of her death. Russell’s character is married and begins making romantic advances toward Stride as he voluntarily escorts her and her fragile husband through a particularly dangerous stretch of Apache country. Of course, Lee Marvin is simply Lee Marvin - an actor with immense charm as well as a sinister edge in every single performance in which he has been captured on film.

These are complicated characters for a western from the 1950’s. In fact, it becomes difficult to determine whether any of the characters in the film conduct themselves in a moral fashion - they all have dark secrets that are slowly revealed over the course of the film.

However, it is the style of the film that truly sets it apart from most westerns. Action is more important in the film than dialog - though Lee Marvin has a fantastic monlogue that sets all of the other character's blood to boil in the middle of a rainstorm. The film's tense opening features Randolph Scott taking shelter from a thunderstorm under a rock overhang with two other men and within a few words it is becomes very apparent that these two men will figure in his quest for vengeance.

The editing of the film is also fantastic. There are several shootouts in the film and although we see Randolph Scott draw his six shooter on numerous occasions, the film always cuts away before he fires his gun. Boetticher leaves his audience to decide whether this editing choice is a comment on the speed of Ben Stride with his pistol or a sly comment on the moral turpitude of Stride's quest for vengeance.

John Wayne's involvement with the film as the executive produces led Seven Men from Now to become entangled in his estate long after his death. The film was never screened on television and only became available on home video in 2005. For fans of the western genre, Seven Men from Now is definitely worth a viewing.

2013 Adult Summer Reading Program

2013-05-08T15:26:00.002-05:00

Yes, it's time once again for BPL's Summer Reading Program. Well, get with the beat, grab your library card and follow me for what promises to be a spectacular summer.

The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) is excited to launch its 2013 Adult Summer Reading Program beginning on May 13 at all BPL locations. This year's theme is "Birmingham's Beat." The program is available to adults ages 18 and older.

Music is a fantastic theme since Birmingham boasts an exciting music scene and hosts many fantastic live music acts. Groups perform at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center, Boutwell Auditorium, Sloss Furnace, Alabama Theater, as well as Oak Mountain Amphitheater and various local clubs and festivals. The steamy south has a little something for everyone from cool jazz to down-home blues and country tunes. So, sit back and enjoy those sweet melodious and soothing tones.

While you're having fun this summer , don't forget to visit the Freegal site and download three free tunes a week. The music is yours to keep and never has to be returned. Just visit www.bplonline.org and type in the barcode that is on the back of your library card.

I would like to invite everyone to please visit and "like" the "Birmingham Public Library Adult Reading" Facebook Page. This will later become the Facebook page for BPL's Adult Summer Reading Program. We will have some great prizes to award those who "like" the page and read books this summer. Also, the page will have news, book reviews, and other interesting posts about summer reading.

So, if you would enjoy taking part in the summer reading program by Facebook, check out this page. We would like to increase the numbers of individuals taking part in this program. I have provided the link below. If you have any trouble finding the page, just let us know by placing a comment below.

Birmingham Public Library Adult Reading Facebook Page

Meet Birmingham Public Library Young Professionals Board Member Tonorey Callins

2013-05-08T10:19:00.000-05:00

BPLYP Tonorey Callins

What is your full name, age, and occupation? Tonorey Bishop Callins, 27, Development Assistant at Red Mountain Theatre Company.

What is your favorite place to eat in Birmingham? Slice.

Why did you get involved with the BPLYP? I have always spent a lot of time in the library including spending my summer breaks volunteering at the Five Points West Library as a kid. So when the opportunity arose for me to give back to the library as a young professional, I had to take it.

Which is your favorite (or most frequented) library branch? Springville Road.

Name some of your favorite books as a child or teenager. Black, White and Jewish by Rebecca Walker, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, White Oleander by Janet Fitch, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.

What genres do you read the most as an adult? Biography, Historical Fiction.

Who are some of your favorite authors? Alice Walker and Toni Morrison have always been my favorites, but since I have been reading a lot of biographies lately, it varies.

What is your wish for the city of Birmingham? To continue to grow and prosper as one of the country's most emerging cities.

Do you have a special talent? If so, what is it? I do praise dance at my church, but I'm not sure if that counts as a talent.

What is your favorite quote or inspirational saying? I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil. 4:13

Brown Bag Lunch Program - Author Talk with "Mompreneur" Joyce Brooks, May 8

2013-05-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

Joyce Brooks is a self-proclaimed "Mompreneur" and author of Self-Inflicted Overload. She has had the opportunity to achieve two very important goals: Becoming her best so that she may give her best to her family, children, friends,etc.; and sharing her experiences and knowledge with others so they can do the same.

It has been said, "You can't give, what you do not have." If you desire to give your best to your family, relationships, career, children, community or anything else you think of, you must first be your best. Committing to minimizing the overload and achieving work-life balance is an excellent start! Please see her website www.selfinflictedoverload.com. Wednesday, May 8, noon.

Due to Inclement Weather, the May 5 Bards & Brews Event Moves Inside to Avondale Regional Library

2013-05-03T13:52:00.002-05:00

Due to uncertain weather conditions predicted for tonight, the monthly Bards & Brews event will move indoors to the Avondale Regional Library. Originally scheduled to take place in Avondale Park's Amphitheater, the festivities are scheduled to get underway in the library at 6:30 p.m. with live music by the Too Tones. The poetry starts around 7:15 p.m.

For more information, please visit the blog: http://bplolinenews.blogspot.com/2013/04/bards-brews-at-avondale-park-to-benefit.html.

BPL on C-SPAN

2013-05-03T10:07:00.000-05:00

Tune in to C-SPAN Saturday, May 4, at 1:45 P.M. or anytime on the C-SPAN website to see the Book TV program recorded at the Birmingham Public Library on April 9.

In the program Barnard College and Columbia University professor Jonathan Rieder and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Diane McWhorter discuss Rieder’s new book Gospel of Freedom: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail and the Struggle That Changed a Nation. Called “A sparkling reconsideration” by Booklist, Gospel of Freedom delves deeply into Martin Luther King’s Letter, examining its timeless message and its crucial position in the history of civil rights.