Category Archives: Events

Alabama, Events, library

Right to Read in Alabama

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The folks at Read Freely Alabama are in Livingston, AL tonight at 6:00 p.m., in the Bell Conference Center and dinner is provided (it’s tacos!) The meeting itself is free and open to the public. On the agenda tonight is an open discussion about challenges to Alabama public libraries around the state and how you can get involved to defend your right to read as well defend libraries and Alabama librarians. It is shaping up to be a lively discussion.

If you are going they ask that you RSVP so they can make sure they have enough seats and food.

And if you can’t make it tonight, Read Freely Alabama is holding more events around the state this October. Hope you can make one of them.

Also, be aware that there is an online discussion planned for Oct. 14 in with the organizers of F.I.R.E. at 6:00 p.m.  So be sure to check that out as well.

Let Books Be Poster by Hyesu Lee

There is a lot going on this week, with it being Banned Books Week, and Saturday being Let Freedom Read Day. It’s nice to see folks in Alabama being fed up with some of our state and local leadership when it comes to out public libraries. Stand up and speak up!

Events, Free Books

Little Free Library Week 2026

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Happy Little Free Library Week! This annual observance has been running since 2013, when the LFL folks wanted to recognize all the folks voluntarily setting up Little Free Libraries. This year’s dates run May 17–23, 2026.

Little Free Library sign
“Take a book. Leave a book. Love a book. Keep a book.” It really is that simple.

I love walking around our neighborhood and seeing all the LFLs in people’s yards. We have some creative folks around Birmingham. If you want to find the closest one to you, here is a handy map for locating all the bookish spots near you.There are more than 3,500 nationwide.

While initially set up to fight “book deserts”, some Little Free Libraries have come to represent many social causes and meet community needs. We are lucky to have a Todd H. Bol winner near here, in Birmingham, with the Berthiaume family’s Antiracist Little Free Library to increase understanding and raise racial-violence awareness.

inside of gray book share box

There are lots of ways to get involved with Little Free Library Week this year. First of all, do you have any books around the home that you would not miss? This is a GREAT time to head out and help stock some book-sharing boxes in your area.

Next up, the LFL crew wants people to use on Instagram (though I would also encourage everyone to check out Mastodon as well) as well as enter their Photo Contest (do read all the rules), and they have a BINGO game running as well this week.

It’s always a good time when books and community collide. Hope you find a way to celebrate reading and books with your neighbors.

official LFL flyer
Alabama, Birmingham, Bookstores, Events

Indie Bookstore Day – Birmingham, AL Tour

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Tomorrow is Independent Bookstore Day! It’s always such a fun day to get out and celebrate the need for indie bookshops in our communities. The goal is simple – just get out, if you can. Here’s a handy map where you can type in your zip code to see if any of the 2000+ participating shops are near you. (If you don’t have an independent bookshop around you, do check out Bookshop.org. The site is very well done, supports indie shops and is helpful for those living in book deserts.)

Enjoyer Books at Cala Coffee – Independent Bookstore Day 2025

This week I was asked, “Which shops are worth visiting?” This is a tough question to answer as I want to simply say “All of them?”. But that’s not as helpful as I want, so I am offering up a little strategic plan of attack for this Saturday (the rain will be off and on) with an itinerary that would put a few miles on your car, but allow you to visit some really fun shops around town. Maybe next year we can all get together and do a bookstore crawl or something!? (I’m a tad jealous of all these bookstore crawl events.) So just think about it, fellow Birminghamsters… 

Anyway, for all you folks in and around Birmingham, AL, here is what your Saturday could look like tomorrow:

That would have you start out at The Summit, then down 280 to downtown, then Homewood and back to 5th Ave. Pretty easy driving. What changes would you make? There are a few more shops around town. Last year, for Independent Bookstore Day, we closed out the day in Trussville at Bookmarked Paperie so we could get the pimento cheese, chips, and beer at Ferus.

Bookmarked – 2025
Ferus Pimento Cheese – 2025

For those a little farther out, here is a list of all the bookshops that have officially said they are participating around Alabama:

  1. Greene Books – Athens, AL
  2. The Mossy Lantern – Atmore, AL
  3. Auburn Oil Co. Booksellers – Auburn, AL
  4. Burdock Book Collective – Birmingham, AL
  5. Thank You Books – Birmingham, AL
  6. Court Street Books – Florence, AL
  7. Dorothy June Booksellers – Foley, AL
  8. BOOKCLUB – Fort Payne, AL
  9. The Bookwyrm – Huntsville, AL
  10. Blushing Books – Huntsville, AL
  11. The Snail on the Wall – Huntsville, AL
  12. Blue Apple Bookstore and More – Madison, AL
  13. All In Books – Madison, AL
  14. Storylight LLC – Mobile, AL
  15. The Haunted Book Shop – Mobile, AL
  16. The NewSouth Bookstore – Montgomery, AL
  17. Hyperbole Books – Montgomery, AL
  18. The Second Story – Pratville, AL
  19. Ernest & Hadley Booksellers – Tuscaloosa, AL
  20. Sweet Home Books – Wetumpka, AL

There are some good ones on there.

Than You Books on Indie Bookstore Day 2025

Wherever you are, I hope you have a wonderful weekend and have a good book nearby.

Alabama, Birmingham, Events

Booking in Birmingham, AL

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December is always a fun time here in Birmingham, AL, especially if you like shopping for books. With all of the Maker Fairs and local bazaars going on, there is always something to do on the weekends. What’s been fun is seeing all of the different bookshops sharing not just books, but new ways of selling books.

The Burdock Book Collective was set up outside the MAKE BHM space when we went to shop at a recent market event.

They had plenty of new and used titles. The new books were sold at cover price, and it was $5 for a used paperback and $10 for a used hardback. What’s fun about Burdock’s selections is that you will find lots of new titles and unique voices you won’t find on the shelves of other shops around Birmingham. 

I’ve not been able to get by their community space/shop while they’re open, but they do lots of pop-ups and currently have books at the Cha House Tea Room in Avondale.

We often see the Enjoyer Books folks at Cala Coffee (Cahaba Heights), and their pop-up at the most recent Cahabazaar was worth checking out. Focused on new titles, there is always plenty to look at. They also have some cool new shirts and stickers—such a fun couple to talk books with. I can’t wait to see their book bus in action. That’s going to be fun!

More than one outlet had new zines and small press printings, which were really cool.

But one of my favorite vendors while booking in Birmingham this season is Deep Woods Bindery. The work is so well done, and I really enjoy the marbled patterns on their notebooks. I even picked up one of their ornaments to go on the tree at home.

The craftsmanship of both casebound and paperback options is equal in quality and artistry. I am already looking forward to seeing their booth set up again somewhere.

Hope you all are tucked in, avoiding the chill in the air, and reading good books this weekend!