Jefferson County Library System; Your Budget’s Best Friend

Borrowing instead of buying is always a smart budget move and in 2020, that includes the technology of audiobooks, online picture books, music streaming, movies, and games.

Besides these free options to keep you busy, many public libraries are the biggest providers in their communities for fun, educational, and free events for all ages.

With over twenty branches in the Birmingham area, the Jefferson County Public Library System is filling up our events calendar with so many awesome, free things to do, it’s hard to keep track.

Concerts, movies, date night and more

Several Birmingham libraries feature theater spaces, auditoriums, and even concert venues,  bringing you a variety of entertainment. From live music at the Hoover Library Plaza to dinner theater events in the Homewood Library’s Large Auditorium, options for a cheap or free date night at one of our libraries are plentiful.

Love Trivia Night but don’t want to be part of the local bar scene? Find a Trivia Night at one of your library branches and even grab a coffee or a light dinner from Coffee-ol-ogy cafe’ at your Hoover branch before an event.

Bards and Brews, is sponsored by the Birmingham branch, because who doesn’t like beer-tasting with their open-mic poetry?

Adult Programs

Need help with your taxes? Take a class! Want to learn a foreign language? Sign up today! Desire a better understanding of technology or getting ready for college? The library system has you covered.

With adult programming, you’ll find plenty of classes to choose from to improve your understanding of timely topics. You can even stay healthy with a Yoga, Zumba, or Body Changers class.

You can also new friends who love the same things you do when you join one of the many recurring monthly or weekly meetings. From book clubs to knitting clubs, recipe clubs to creative writing groups, find your niche with these regularly scheduled meet-ups.

Teen Events

Tell your parents you’ll be at the library (and you really will be!) when you join in some of the awesome teen events happening around town. Find video game tournaments and fandom nights at the Vestavia Hills branch (Library In The Forest.)

Learn Teen Self-Defense at the Springville branch and Mountain Brook branch (Emmet O’Neal Library), take part in GameOn! at the Ensley branch, or come to Teen Movie Night at the Gardendale branch.

Find teen book clubs, cooking classes, and more on event calendars.

Children’s Department

The world is a better place because of library children’s departments. Storytime, storytime, storytime, arts-and-crafts, character visits, lego-building, ukelele lessons, puppet shows, read-out-loud to live dogs. Sometimes even snacks. Dogs! Snacks! Dogs and snacks!

Pre-registration is occasionally required due to limited space so be sure and go to the website of the branch and choose the event you’re interested in attending. Family events are often available, too. Many regularly scheduled events happen weekly for specified age groups and can become part of your child’s daily routine.

Happenings

Stay on top of all events with online calendars for the following branches:

Bessemer Public Library:          400 19th St N, Bessemer, AL 35020
Event Calendar

Birmingham Public Libraries: Branch locations and hours
Event Calendar

Gardendale Public Library:      995 Mt Olive Rd, Gardendale, AL 35071
Event Calendar

Hoover Public Library:              200 Municipal Dr, Hoover, AL 35216
Event Calendar

Homewood Public Library:      1721 Oxmoor Rd, Birmingham, AL 35209
Event Calendar

Irondale Public Library:            105 20th St S, Irondale, AL 35210
Event Calendar

Mtn Brook Public Library:        (Emmet O’Neal Library) 50 Oak St, Mountain Brook, AL 35213
Event Calendar

Vestavia Hills Public Library:  (Library In the Forest) 1221 Montgomery Hwy, Vestavia Hills, AL 35216
Event Calendar