Birmingham Public Library
Encyclopedia
For the main library in Birmingham
, England
see, Birmingham Central Library
.
The Birmingham Public Library, a well-respected and one of the largest library
systems in the southeastern United States
, consists of 19 branches and a main or central library located in downtown Birmingham, Alabama
. The main library is composed of two buildings, the East Building, with its dramatic atrium, and the Linn-Henley Research Library, with its fine wall murals, the Tutwiler Collection of Southern History, and the Rucker Agee Map Collection.
The library was later moved to City Hall, where the collection burned in a fire in 1925. An impressive neo-classical building of Indiana
limestone
was completed in 1927 and served as the central facility of the Birmingham Public Library for 57 years. The city's library system was desegregated
in April 1963, in part because of a lawsuit filed by the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights
on behalf of Joe and Lola Hendricks
.
To accommodate the growing collection and demand for services, an additional structure containing 133000 square feet (12,356.1 m²) of floor space was completed in 1984 and connected to the original building via a crosswalk. This building houses most of the Central Library's circulating and general reference collections, plus the technical services for the library system.
The original 1927 building was renovated in 1985 and renamed the Linn-Henley Research Library. This facility houses the library's special collections, and government publications. Together these two buildings comprise the Central Library of the Birmingham Public Library system.
In addition to the Central Library, the Birmingham Public Library system includes 20 branches located elsewhere in the city. This branch system was begun when the Birmingham library began to integrate libraries from independent communities that gradually became incorporated into Birmingham. In the 1980s the library board had adopted plans to build regional libraries that would serve large sections of the city, would have larger collections and facilities, and would be opened more hours.
Over the years, it has matured and today serves a populace diverse in interests, needs, and age. Scholars and other researchers are drawn to the archival materials, the extensive genealogical materials, and the local and southern history resources, while students and other citizens expect current and broad-based reference information, up-to-date popular materials and innovative online services.
Annual circulation of roughly 1.7 million checkouts is matched by an equal number of materials being used within the libraries and via electronic access. Birmingham Public Library accounts for 46% of the circulation in the Jefferson County Library Cooperative
, which posts a combined circulation of almost 3.7 million items checked out annually. The cooperative agreement that Birmingham Public Library shares with the other municipal public libraries of Jefferson County Alabama greatly increases the number of library materials available to all library members. In fact, the Jefferson County Library Cooperative is a model for how separate governments can work together to provide a public service across city boundaries.
In 2006, Digital Collections was initiated to preserve and make available the local history of Birmingham and the surrounding area.
Virtual Library Services via the Internet include online databases, eBooks and downloadable audiobooks , Ask A Librarian, blogs and RSS feeds and other Internet resources.
Public Computing Services include public access computers at all locations and free wireless access to the Internet via Wi-Fi available at the Central Library, Avondale Branch, Five Points West Branch, North Birmingham Branch, Springville Road Branch and West End Branch.
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
see, Birmingham Central Library
Birmingham Central Library
Birmingham Central Library is the main public library in Birmingham, England, and the largest non-national library in Europe. It is managed by Birmingham City Council...
.
The Birmingham Public Library, a well-respected and one of the largest library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
systems in the southeastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, consists of 19 branches and a main or central library located in downtown Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
. The main library is composed of two buildings, the East Building, with its dramatic atrium, and the Linn-Henley Research Library, with its fine wall murals, the Tutwiler Collection of Southern History, and the Rucker Agee Map Collection.
History
The Birmingham Public Library was established in 1886 as an adjunct of Birmingham's public schools. John H. Phillips, then superintendent of the public school system, set up a library in a room not much bigger than a closet. In 1913, a public library board was established, and the City of Birmingham assumed responsibility for funding the growing institution.The library was later moved to City Hall, where the collection burned in a fire in 1925. An impressive neo-classical building of Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
was completed in 1927 and served as the central facility of the Birmingham Public Library for 57 years. The city's library system was desegregated
Desegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
in April 1963, in part because of a lawsuit filed by the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights
Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights
The Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights was a Civil Rights organization in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, which coordinated boycotts and sponsored federal lawsuits aimed at dismantling segregation in Birmingham and Alabama through the 1950s and 60s...
on behalf of Joe and Lola Hendricks
Lola Hendricks
Lola Mae Hendricks was corresponding secretary for Fred Shuttlesworth's Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights from 1956 to 1963. She assisted Wyatt Walker in planning the early portions of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's involvement in the 1963 Birmingham Campaign during the...
.
To accommodate the growing collection and demand for services, an additional structure containing 133000 square feet (12,356.1 m²) of floor space was completed in 1984 and connected to the original building via a crosswalk. This building houses most of the Central Library's circulating and general reference collections, plus the technical services for the library system.
The original 1927 building was renovated in 1985 and renamed the Linn-Henley Research Library. This facility houses the library's special collections, and government publications. Together these two buildings comprise the Central Library of the Birmingham Public Library system.
In addition to the Central Library, the Birmingham Public Library system includes 20 branches located elsewhere in the city. This branch system was begun when the Birmingham library began to integrate libraries from independent communities that gradually became incorporated into Birmingham. In the 1980s the library board had adopted plans to build regional libraries that would serve large sections of the city, would have larger collections and facilities, and would be opened more hours.
Over the years, it has matured and today serves a populace diverse in interests, needs, and age. Scholars and other researchers are drawn to the archival materials, the extensive genealogical materials, and the local and southern history resources, while students and other citizens expect current and broad-based reference information, up-to-date popular materials and innovative online services.
Annual circulation of roughly 1.7 million checkouts is matched by an equal number of materials being used within the libraries and via electronic access. Birmingham Public Library accounts for 46% of the circulation in the Jefferson County Library Cooperative
Jefferson County Library Cooperative
The Jefferson County Library Cooperative is a 501 tax-exempt educational consortium of public libraries in Jefferson County, Alabama. The JCLC administrative office is located at the Birmingham Public Central Library...
, which posts a combined circulation of almost 3.7 million items checked out annually. The cooperative agreement that Birmingham Public Library shares with the other municipal public libraries of Jefferson County Alabama greatly increases the number of library materials available to all library members. In fact, the Jefferson County Library Cooperative is a model for how separate governments can work together to provide a public service across city boundaries.
Major collections and services
Tutwiler Collection of Southern History and Literature, listed as one of the top 10 public library collections for genealogists by Family Tree Magazine, is a collection that covers every facet of Southern life and culture. If you are interested in Alabama or Southern regional history, arts and sciences, geography, genealogy, or folklore you can find information on all these subjects in the Tutwiler Collection. There are extensive newspaper clipping files on local and regional history that can be searched for information along with periodicals and online databases. Other collections of note included are the Caribbean Collection, the Rucker Agee Map Collection, and the Rare Book Collection of early Americana.In 2006, Digital Collections was initiated to preserve and make available the local history of Birmingham and the surrounding area.
Virtual Library Services via the Internet include online databases, eBooks and downloadable audiobooks , Ask A Librarian, blogs and RSS feeds and other Internet resources.
Public Computing Services include public access computers at all locations and free wireless access to the Internet via Wi-Fi available at the Central Library, Avondale Branch, Five Points West Branch, North Birmingham Branch, Springville Road Branch and West End Branch.