We are in the middle of this year’s Food for Fines month, in Jefferson County. Basically, you get $1 credit applied to your library fines for every canned good you bring in. All 39 JCLC branches are collecting the food for their annual food drive.
It caps out at $10. So if you have $11 in fines, you will need to bring 10 cans and $1. For that you’ll get your overdue library fines erased, help some people in need and get a warm smile from a friendly librarian.
**This is an old post. The Library Bookstore has a new location. You can see and read about it here.**
The Friends Bookstore at the Central Library downtown has been re-vamped and re-opened. For the past couple of weeks, patrons have been able to come in a peruse the newly culled (and VERY well organized) stock of surplus library and donated books.
The Friends Bookstore is even entering into the service side of things, as you can now email them (bplfriendsbookstore [at] gmail.com) and ask to be added to the “new stock” distribution list. So every time the shop adds to their shelves, you’ll get an email. Pretty nifty.
They have even left shelf space for the new additions. So you can run in on a lunch break and see if there is anything new, without having to cruise through all the shelves.
The new set-up also sports new reading chairs and more shelf space for kids and teen books.
One of my favorite new tweaks is that now the overstock magazines are folded in with the books. So when you’re looking at the books on history or crafts, the magazines that fit in that category are on the shelf with the books. The shelves also have new bright green category labels and shelf-talkers, making it easier to navigate the sections.
The books still run from 50 cents (paperback) to $2 (hardback). So the prices are sure to keep you coming back.
The store is on the 2nd floor of the downtown brancj and will be open Monday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and Sunday, 2:30-5:30 p.m. It is maintained by the Friends of the Birmingham Public Library.
I’m a fan of the ebook lending program the JCLC has going. It’s great. But I also would like to have the ebooks to go and not have to lug the laptop everywhere. I’ve tried txtr and BlueFire Reader both of which say they work with Adobe Digital Editions, but have had no luck (apparently the snag lies with something called “transferred” loans). So I was very excited to see over on The Digital Reader (a blog you should follow) that Overdrive has announced their app lineup. Releases start in December.
This is going to be BIG!
Here’s the YouTube video that Nate dug up:
This year, Alabama Bound is taking a different track and falling in line with the state-wide The Big Read initiative. It’s still free (except lunch) and runs from 10a-3p, tomorrow (Saturday, march 20th) at the Central Branch in downtown Birmingham. Since this year’s Big Read is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, they are going to have a Mark Twain impersonator, music “from way back” and the Irondale Cafe will be catering. Looks like the weather is going to be nice too!
