Birmingham Public Library
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 ___ branches throughout the city. The BPL is a major part of the Jefferson County Library Cooperative.
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.