Archival
Collections
Birmingham Public Library
History
Birmingham’s first library
was organized in 1886 for the public schools. In 1891
it became a subscription library for the general
public. In 1908 The Birmingham Library Association was
founded to establish a free public library and by 1909
had abolished user fees. The City created an
independent Library Board in 1913. For decades the
library was housed in various locations including the
old City Hall where it was destroyed by fire in 1925.
In response libraries from throughout the U.S. sent
books to rebuild the collection. Local civic-minded
citizens raised funds to build a new library, which
opened on April 11, 1927 and served as the city’s
main library until 1984. Today the library operates a
central library, research library and 19 branches.
Alabama
Association for the Blind
Minutes,
1915-1924
(AR 772)
Founded in 1915 as the Birmingham
Association to Provide Recreation and Aid for the
Blind, this organization sponsored readings for the
blind, circulated Braille books through the Birmingham
Public Library, taught Braille classes, sponsored a
lecture by Helen Keller, and employed a teacher to
instruct blind children in their homes. The collection
contains minutes of meetings, list of members,
constitution and by-laws and a brief history.
Size: 1 box
Birmingham
Public Library
Annual Reports
and Director’s Reports, 1910-1952
(AR 408)
This collection contains reports
on library activities and development.
Size: 3 boxes
Birmingham
Public Library
Board Minutes,
1913-1989
(AR 511)
Size: 9 reels microfilm
Birmingham
Public Library
Bookplate
Collection
(AR 1062)
This collection, gathered by the
staff of the Birmingham Public Library, contains
vintage bookplates from throughout the United States
and other countries. The bookplates are arranged in
three series (libraries; families, individuals, and
organizations; and designers) and arranged
alphabetically within each series. The collection also
includes a small number of publications relating to
bookplates.
Size: 5 boxes
Birmingham
Public Library
Branch Library
Closing Controversy Scrapbook, 1981
(AR 689)
Newspaper clippings compiled by
the staff of the Birmingham Public Library’s
Southern History Department on the
controversy surrounding an attempt to close
several library branches. Also
contains material on the bond issue to fund the
construction of a new Central
Library building.
Size: 1 volume
Birmingham
Public Library
Charge-Out Book,
1902-1909
(AR 1040)
One volume containing hand-written
circulation records. Library patrons are
listed by name, and the books
checked out are indicted by a number, but not by
title, along with date of check
out and return.
Size: 1 volume
Birmingham
Public Library
East Lake Branch
Vertical Files, 1923-1973
(AR 684)
These files contain material
relating to the history and activities of the East Lake
Branch Library.
Size: microfiche
Birmingham
Public Library
Scrapbooks,
1913-1985
(AR 1325)
The collection consists of
articles from various Birmingham newspapers about the
Birmingham Public Library. The articles cover such
events as the fire which destroyed the original
library, the building of the new Central Library in
1927, the opening of the first branch library in
Alabama for African Americans and other branch
libraries, exhibits, acquisitions and programs.
Size: 36 volumes
Birmingham
Public Library
Seventy-fifth
Anniversary Greeting Cards, 2002
(AR 1783)
During the spring and summer of
2002 the Birmingham Public Library celebrated the 75th
anniversary of the opening of the 1927 central library
building, now the Linn-Henley Research Library. In
April, as part of this celebration the library
sponsored a children’s birthday party for the
building. Children from Advent Episcopal School and St.
Paul’s Cathedral School brought greeting cards to
the party and these cards were placed in a fifty-year
time capsule.
Size: 1 box
Birmingham
Public Library. East Lake Branch
Library History
Files, 1950-1963
(AR 685)
These files contain material
relating to the East Lake Branch Library.
Size: microfiche
Birmingham
Public Library. East Lake Branch
Vertical Files,
1923-1973
(AR 685)
Clipping files kept by the
librarians of the East Lake Branch.
Size: microfiche
Birmingham
Public Library. Smithfield Branch Library
Clippings Files
(AR 1824)
This collection contains
photocopies of clipping files holding newspaper
clippings, magazine articles, pamphlets, and other
materials relating to Alabama African Americans,
African American organizations, and events. The staff
of the Smithfield Branch Library compiled these files.
Size: 3 boxes
Birmingham
Public Library. Woodlawn Library
Scrapbook,
1949-1950
(AR 485)
This scrapbook contains newspaper
clippings, photographs and other material
relating to the construction and
grand opening of the Woodlawn Branch Library.
Size: 1 reel microfilm
Birmingham
Public Library. Wylam Branch
Wylam History
Files, 1898-1967
(AR 324)
Wylam, Alabama, to the west of
Birmingham, originated as a mining town housing
employees of the nearby coal mines and steel mills. It
was incorporated in 1900. It later became part of the
City of Ensley and in 1910 was incorporated into the
City of Birmingham. The material in this collection was
compiled by librarians at the Wylam Branch Library of
the Birmingham Public Library. The first half of this
collection contains materials recounting the history of
several institutions and churches in the Wylam
community. The second half is devoted to material
relating to World War II. Most of the items are
photographs and newspaper clippings.
Brown, Virginia
Pounds
Birmingham
Public Library History Research Files
(AR 832)
Virginia Pounds Brown is a
Birmingham author and historian. This collection
contains material collected for a proposed history of
the Birmingham Public Library, including correspondence
and other material relating to some members of the
library board, some library branches and special
collections, library directors and a draft of the
history.
Size: 1 box
