Birmingham Public Library: Difference between revisions
| Line 24: | Line 24: | ||
==Branches== | ==Branches== | ||
The Birmingham Public Library has the following branches: | The Birmingham Public Library has the following branches: | ||
* [[Avondale Library]] | * [[Avondale Library]] (regional) | ||
* [[East Lake Library]] | * [[East Lake Library]] | ||
* [[Eastwood Library]] | * [[Eastwood Library]] | ||
* [[Ensley Library]] | * [[Ensley Library]] | ||
* [[Five Points West Library]] | * [[Five Points West Library]] (regional) | ||
* [[North Avondale Library]] | * [[North Avondale Library]] | ||
* [[North Birmingham Library]] | * [[North Birmingham Library]] (regional) | ||
* [[Powderly Library]] | * [[Powderly Library]] | ||
* [[Pratt City Library]] | * [[Pratt City Library]] | ||
* [[Smithfield Library]] | * [[Smithfield Library]] | ||
* [[Southside Library]] | * [[Southside Library]] | ||
* [[Springville Road Library]] | * [[Springville Road Library]] (regional) | ||
* [[Titusville Library]] | * [[Titusville Library]] | ||
* [[West End Library]] | * [[West End Library]] | ||
* [[Woodlawn Library]] | * [[Woodlawn Library]] | ||
* [[Wylam Library]] | * [[Wylam Library]] | ||
===Former branches=== | |||
* [[East Ensley Library]] (closed [[2010]]) | |||
* [[Inglenook Library]] (closed [[2010]]) | |||
* [[Slossfield Library]] (closed [[2010]]) | |||
==2011 closings== | ==2011 closings== | ||
Revision as of 08:28, 18 June 2010
The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) is the name for the library system for the city of Birmingham. It consists of the Birmingham Central Library and Linn-Henley Research Library downtown, as well as 19 branches throughout the city. The BPL is a major part of the Jefferson County Library Cooperative.
The Director of the Birmingham Public Library is Renee Blalock. The Library Board is headed by Lillie Fincher.
History
The Birmingham Public Library was established in 1886 and first opened in 1901 on a subscription basis. It was made a free public library by the Birmingham Public Library Association in 1908. The Association was succeeded by a city-created Birmingham Public Library Board in 1913.
The library was housed in the Old Birmingham City Hall, and was destroyed along with the building in the 1925 City Hall fire. The new building, built in part with donated funds, was opened on Woodrow Wilson Park on April 11, 1927.
A new Birmingham Central Library was built across 21st Street North in 1984, designed by KPS Group. The 1927 building was completely renovated and reopened in 1985 as the Linn-Henley Research Library.
Collections
The Birmingham Public Library houses numerous notable collections in its archives, including the Tutwiler Collection of Southern History and Literature and the Rucker Agee Collection of Maps of the Southeast.
Directors
- Carl Milam, 1915
- Lloyd Josselyn, 1927
- Fant Thornley, 1953-1970
- George Stewart, 1984
- Barbara Sirmans, 2002-2008
- Pamela Lyons, 2008-2009 (interim)
- Renee Blalock, 2009-current
Branches
The Birmingham Public Library has the following branches:
- Avondale Library (regional)
- East Lake Library
- Eastwood Library
- Ensley Library
- Five Points West Library (regional)
- North Avondale Library
- North Birmingham Library (regional)
- Powderly Library
- Pratt City Library
- Smithfield Library
- Southside Library
- Springville Road Library (regional)
- Titusville Library
- West End Library
- Woodlawn Library
- Wylam Library
Former branches
- East Ensley Library (closed 2010)
- Inglenook Library (closed 2010)
- Slossfield Library (closed 2010)
2011 closings
In preparing to submit his 2011 Birmingham budget, Mayor William Bell asked Library director Renee Blalock to provide a list of five of the city's 19 branches that she could recommend for temporary closure in order to cut costs. The list included the Slossfield, North Avondale, East Ensley, Inglenook and Ensley branches.
References
- Alabama Historical Association. (2001) "The Birmingham Public Library" Historical Marker. Linn Park. [1]
- Wolfson, Hannah K. (December 26, 2009) "Main Birmingham library's map collection ancient, 'priceless'." Birmingham News
External links
- Birmingham Public Library website
- Jefferson County Library Cooperative online catalog
- BPL Digital Collections
- BPL news blog
- BPL photos on Flickr.com