Birmingham Library Bookstore

The Friends Bookstore at the Central Library re-opened in a new location in April 2016. The library bookstore is now on the first floor now just to the left of the checkout desk, as you come in the main entrance. The big bright windows are fantastic to browse by (though I hope the spines don’t fade!).

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I stopped by to check it out and found some great finds. You probably will too. Most everything in there runs between $.50-$3 range depending on if it’s a mass or trade paperback or hardback.

The library bookstore constantly runs sales and updates the community about recent donations. So I highly recommend signing up for their newsletter list.

Anyway, here are a few photos I snapped back in April when they first opened.

library bookstore

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If you want to see what the shop looked like on the second floor, here is the 2011 photo tour of it.

Book Review “Life on the Edge”

I am very thankful for having read this Life on the Edge. And 100% of that thanks goes to the authors. While I can not say I agree (or even understand) everything they brought forth, they did so in a very “common sense” manner that I appreciated.

life on the edgeAt times, when reading Life on the Edge, it felt more like a conversation than a lecture. Which is not how a lot of science books I pick up often feel. They both must have a natural knack for explaining things. And even though their own certainty and mastery of the subject is apparent (and well researched) their sense of wonder of the biological systems and bodies around them still comes through their writing.

Quantum physics, quantum effects, quantum mechanics seem to be ingrained not only in our physical universe but also through all of nature and biology. The passages about the brain and neurons and the whole system is very fascinating.

I was surprised how much ink was spent on the “why” of the ideas in the book. That is until I fully realized how new and forward thinking their ideas are. Hopefully others will write more in this area as new discoveries are made.

I have a new appreciation for nature and all of the amazing too-small-to-see processes that happen. Processes that labs can’t replicate. Processes that scientists can witness but not explain. All very very cool.

I still have tons of new vocabulary words I need to look up. I give this book three out of five stars and am recommending to every one I know that has read folks like Bill Bryson and Bryan Greene.

(Please note that I received a free copy of this book, from the publisher.)

$5 Fine Coupon for JCLC Libraries

Here is a coupon for a $5 credit to be applied to your library fines at Jefferson County libraries. You must print the coupon out and take it to a JCLC branch next week April 10th – 16th.

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The $5 coupon is part of the JCLC library system’s celebration of National Libra$5 ry Week which is next week. According to the full press release there are a few other new things of note:

  • they are going to start allowing folks to renew library cards via the phone as well as online (though I can’t find where)
  • there is an instance when the $3 cost is waived for replacing a library card
  • expiration dates for library cards has been extended from one year to two years

So, if you use the Jefferson County Library system, grab the coupon and knock out some fines!

Free Science Fiction Magazines

Sometimes the internet shows up to the party dressed to impress. This past week was one of those times as the Internet Archive made the entire original 175-issue run of the science fiction magazine IF available for free download.

If vintage pulp or vintage magazines are you thing, then is is something you definitely want to check out. The magazine ran from the early 1950’s to the early 1970’s. Each cover is like a time travel capsule to a different age. I think many are worth framing.

Science Fiction Magazine

There even seems to be a “bonus issue”? The very last issue posted at the Internet Archive is listed as Fall 1986 and declares a relaunch of sorts for the magazine, which closed in 1974. Not sure what happened to the rest of the run.

IF magazine published  serialized versions of many well-known science fiction authors like Robert Heinlein, Larry Niven and Harlan Ellison.

According to the Internet Archive, IF magazine won three Hugo Awards for “best professional magazine” in the late 60’s. At the end of its run IF magazine was folded into the Galaxy Science Fiction magazine.

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So check them out, if science fiction is your thing. I’m also anxious to take a look and see who designed these covers. Too many great representations of vintage science fiction artwork here not to dig in deeper.

Books, Publishing and Birmingham