The Book Drop

Temporary Policy for Donations

noreply@blogger.com (Jenne) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 18:30:00 +0000

Thanks to everyone for all the great donations over the last year! We’ve gotten so many and it really helps us to provide you with a good selection. We get a lot of great items! Also, it has contributed greatly to our ability to have awesome and successful book sales in the last year, helping us raise several thousand dollars for our building fund.

But for the next several months (until our building expansion is completed) we will not be able to take as many donations.

Here is what we will gladly take off of your hands throughout the expansion:
-   DVDs
-    Audiobooks on CD
-    Books with copyright dates 2009 and up

Here are the items we will not be able to take until the expansion is complete:
-    Encyclopedia sets or other sets of books
-    Audiobooks on cassette
-    Magazines
-    Books with copyright dates below 2009
-    Large quantities of any items

We ask that you either donate these items to another library who would like the donations, donate the items to your local thrift store, or hang onto those items until we are done with the expansion and then when we are ready and able to store and process them bring them on in to us!

Monday Night BCB for February : The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson.

noreply@blogger.com (Jenne) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 15:29:00 +0000

Lisbeth Salander—the heart of Larsson’s two previous novels—lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She’s fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she’ll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge—against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life.

Once upon a time, she was a victim. Now Salander is fighting back.

Monday Night BCB for March: The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

noreply@blogger.com (Jenne) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 13:40:00 +0000

Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.

Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town -- and the family -- Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.

What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.

For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells her own story. A regular contributor to MSNBC.com, she lives in New York and Long Island and is married to the writer John Taylor.

Free Nook Classes in March!

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 20:20:00 +0000

Learn to use your Nook and download ebooks from the library. FREE!!!!

We will have both free day classes and night classes in March at the Gardendale Public Library!
Day Class Thursday, March 10th:

10-11 a.m. Nook Class
11 a.m.-12p.m. NookColor Class

Evening Class Tuesday, March 22nd:

5:30-6:30 p.m. Nook Class
6:30-7:30 p.m. NookColor Class

The classes are presented by Barnes and Noble.
No registration is required.
Classes are free and open to the anyone with a Nook or interested in learning more about Nooks/e-readers.
Call the Library at 205-631-6639 for more info.

Construction has begun!

noreply@blogger.com (Jenne) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 20:14:00 +0000

First day of digging

Removing the pavement for the new wing

Beginning digging up the parking lot

The first pile of pavement

Inside the library bookshelves are moved

Space made in Fiction for an electrical closet

Microsoft Excel 03 class

noreply@blogger.com (Jenne) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 16:58:00 +0000

Do you work with numbers? Then join us on Wednesday March 23rd at 12-2pm at the Gardendale Library to learn how to use Microsoft Excel 2003.

In this free class, you'll discover dozens of shortcuts and tricks for setting up fully formatted worksheets quickly and efficiently.

You'll also learn the secrets behind writing powerful mathematical formulas, quickly and automatically calculate statistics, loan payments, future value, and more.

Class space will be limited so call us at 205-631-6639 for more information!

Monday Night BCB for April: Cradle and All by James Patterson

noreply@blogger.com (Jenne) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:37:00 +0000

April's meeting has been CANCELLED due to construction at the library

DESCRIPTION
Two pregnant teenagers one in privileged Newport, Rhode Island, one in a poor, remote Irish village have nothing in common except for the stunning fact that both are virgins. Private detective and former nun Anne Fitzgerald is called by the Archdiocese of Boston to investigate and to watch over the girls as they come to term. But Anne hasn't been told the secret prophecy of the Virgin of Fatima known only to the Pope: one of these girls will give birth to the Messiah while the other will bear the child of Satan. Caught between the certainty of science and the possibility of a miracle, Anne finds herself at the center of a terrifying battle on which the fate of humanity hangs.

Ground breaking at Gardendale Library

noreply@blogger.com (Jenne) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 15:25:00 +0000

In 1998 the Library Board realized that the current building would not accommodate the growing population and services needed by the City of Gardendale, as well as the surrounding service area. It was put into the Library's Five Year Plan to expand the existing building. It has been a slow process and has taken many hours of talking to officials, raising money, citizen surveys and applying for grants. But we are happy that the plan has now become a reality.

The city council and Mayor join us to break ground

Ms Lucy and Ms Janet get help to break ground

Bunny Cowart and Phyllis Kelly enjoying the refreshments

Monday Night BCB for May: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

noreply@blogger.com (Jenne) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 19:50:00 +0000

Synopsis

As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.

Free Nook Classes in April!

noreply@blogger.com (Jenne) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 18:47:00 +0000

Learn to use your Nook and download ebooks from the library. FREE!!!!

We will have both free day classes and night classes in March at the Gardendale Public Library!
Evening Class Tuesday, April 26nd:

5:30-6:30 p.m. Nook Class
6:30-7:30 p.m. NookColor Class

The classes are presented by Barnes and Noble.
No registration is required.
Classes are free and open to the anyone with a Nook

or interested in learning more about Nooks/e-readers.
Call the Library at 205-631-6639 for more info.

Monday Night BCB for June: Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

noreply@blogger.com (Jenne) — Wed, 11 May 2011 16:15:00 +0000

Product Description

Steel Magnolias meets The Help in this Southern debut novel sparkling with humor, heart, and feminine wisdom

Twelve-year-old CeeCee Honeycutt is in trouble. For years, she has been the caretaker of her psychotic mother, Camille-the tiara-toting, lipstick-smeared laughingstock of an entire town-a woman trapped in her long-ago moment of glory as the 1951 Vidalia Onion Queen. But when Camille is hit by a truck and killed, CeeCee is left to fend for herself. To the rescue comes her previously unknown great-aunt, Tootie Caldwell.

In her vintage Packard convertible, Tootie whisks CeeCee away to Savannah's perfumed world of prosperity and Southern eccentricity, a world that seems to be run entirely by women. From the exotic Miz Thelma Rae Goodpepper, who bathes in her backyard bathtub and uses garden slugs as her secret weapons, to Tootie's all-knowing housekeeper, Oletta Jones, to Violene Hobbs, who entertains a local police officer in her canary-yellow peignoir, the women of Gaston Street keep CeeCee entertained and enthralled for an entire summer.

Laugh-out-loud funny and deeply touching, Beth Hoffman's sparkling debut is, as Kristin Hannah says, "packed full of Southern charm, strong women, wacky humor, and good old-fashioned heart." It is a novel that explores the indomitable strengths of female friendship and gives us the story of a young girl who loses one mother and finds many others.

Adult Summer Reading - Win Weekly Prizes!

noreply@blogger.com (Jenne) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 20:46:00 +0000

This Summer don't let the kids have all the fun! Join us for our Adult Summer Reading Program and enter to win weekly fabulous prizes!

Simply fill out a card with your name, the number of books read since last visit or entry, and phone number or email into the boxes located at the front Checkout Counter and at the Adult Services Desk.

You may enter your name each time you come into the library each week.

And don't miss the Father's Day special! Enter your father, husband or man in your life to win manly prizes especially for that special guy!

Japan and the Birmingham Botanical Gardens

noreply@blogger.com (Jenne) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 19:01:00 +0000

Monday, June 20, 1-2pm

Presenter Jason Kirby from the Birmingham Botanical Gardens Archives and Rare Book Room will be here to discuss Japan’s tie to the gardens and highlight treasures stored at the archives. Explore this interesting part of Birmingham history with us!

Tea and refreshments will be served.

Monday Night BCB for July: Under Orders by Dick Francis

noreply@blogger.com (Jenne) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 14:02:00 +0000

Product Description

Sid knows the perils of racing all too well, but in his day jockeys didn't usually cross the finish line with three .38 rounds in the chest-which is how he found Huw Walker, the winner of a coveted race only a few hours earlier. Now Halley's quest for answers will push him to his very limits-both on and off the track.

Drinks from Around the World!

noreply@blogger.com (Jenne) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:46:00 +0000

Saturday, June 25, 12:30-1:30pm

Presented by Stuart Carter from Free the Hops, Woody Wiginton from Finergrind Coffee Roasters and our own Gina Robertson!

We’ll educate you about beers, coffees and sodas served all over the world! We'll even have some sodas to sample!

Come have some educational and culinary fun.

Gypsy Dancing & Henna

noreply@blogger.com (Jenne) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:05:00 +0000

Monday, July 11, 1-2pm

Come learn about these beautiful ancient art forms. Megha Gavin from Devyani Dance Company will be demonstrating and teaching us about Gypsy Dance and Henna.

House Rules, by Jodi Piquolt.

noreply@blogger.com (Jenne) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:31:00 +0000

When your son can’t look you in the eye . . . does that mean he’s guilty?

Jacob Hunt is a teen with Asperger’s syndrome. He’s hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, though he is brilliant in many ways. But he has a special focus on one subject—forensic analysis. A police scanner in his room clues him in to crime scenes, and he’s always showing up and telling the cops what to do. And he’s usually right.

But when Jacob’s small hometown is rocked by a terrible murder, law enforcement comes to him. Jacob’s behaviors are hallmark Asperger’s, but they look a lot like guilt to the local police. Suddenly the Hunt family, who only want to fit in, are directly in the spotlight. For Jacob’s mother, Emma, it’s a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, Theo, it’s another indication why nothing is normal because of Jacob.

And over this small family, the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder?

Library closing in August

noreply@blogger.com (Jenne) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 15:24:00 +0000

Gardendale Library will be closed from Saturday, August 13 to Saturday, August 27, while construction is going on at the library. Although staff will be here, we will not have access to the library phones or our computer system. If you need to renew items during this time, please call the renewal line on 205-226-3790, access your account online at www.jclc.org or call any of the other libraries in Jefferson County.

Gardendale items will not be available for holds until Monday, August 29 and requested items will need to be picked up at another library. If you have items set to come to Gardendale during that two week period, we will contact you soon about changing your pick up location.

During this two week period, the parking lot is being redesigned, which may mean there will be no access to the building to return items. All items can be returned to any of the other libraries in Jefferson County.

When we re-open, the parking lot traffic flow will be different and we will have a new temporary entrance to the library through the new part of the building.

Thank you for your patience during our construction process.

Monday Night BCB for September: The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

noreply@blogger.com (Jenne) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:29:00 +0000

Product Description

For defense attorney Mickey Haller, the clock is always running. With two ex-wives, four Lincoln Town Cars that he uses as offices, and dozens of guilty clients, he can't afford to miss a trick. When he gets picked by a Beverly Hills rich boy arrested for assault, Mickey sees a franchise case: a nice, long, expensive trial with maximum billable hours--until it hurtles him into the last place he wants to be. Suddenly hustling, cynical Mickey Haller is confronted with pure evil and someone who may be truly innocent. Now, for a lawyer who has always gone for the easy score, getting justice means taking the deadliest risk of all.

Free Nook Class in September

noreply@blogger.com (Jenne) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 18:04:00 +0000

Learn to use your Nook and download ebooks from the library. FREE!!!!

We will have a free day class at the Gardendale Public Library, on Friday, September 16th:

10-11 a.m. Nook Class
11-12 p.m. NookColor Class

The classes are presented by Barnes and Noble.
No registration is required.
Classes are free and open to the anyone with a Nook

or interested in learning more about Nooks/e-readers.
Call the Library at 205-631-6639 for more info.

Gardendale Library closing in October

noreply@blogger.com (Jenne) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Gardendale Library will be CLOSED from Monday October 3 till construction is completed. (Hopefully, about 4 weeks.)

Patrons will still be able to return items to our outside book drop and staff will be here checking in those items.

Staff will also be trying to answer phones during this time. However, setting up our phone system will be part of this process and so we may not be able to take your call. If you need to renew items during this time, please call the renewal line on 205-226-3790, access your account online at www.jclc.org or you can call any of the libraries in Jefferson County.

Also Gardendale items will be available for holds and you will be able to pick up items requested through the online catalog.

Grand Re-Opening of the Gardendale Public Library

noreply@blogger.com (Jenne) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:25:00 +0000

Come join us for our Grand Re-Opening and Open House of the Gardendale Martha Moore Public Library Expansion and Renovation Project!

December 16 from 11am.

After the ribbon cutting, we will be offering tours of the entire library building, including the new Children's Department, Children's program room and also the staff areas that are usually closed to the public.

For you enjoyment we will be serving refreshments.

January Monday Night Book Club: Fragile by Lisa Unger

noreply@blogger.com (Jenne) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:36:00 +0000

From Publishers Weekly

Set in the Hollows, a secluded town about 100 miles outside New York City, Unger's contemporary thriller offers solid entertainment, but lacks the tension of her 2008 stand-alone, Black Out. Psychologist Maggie Cooper and her husband, Det. Jones Cooper, disagree on how to handle their rebellious son, 17-year-old Rick, who prefers to spend time with his band or holed up with his girlfriend, Charlene Murray. When Charlene disappears one night after a fight with her mother, Maggie and Jones wonder if she ran off to Manhattan, but are reminded of the disappearance 20 years earlier of Sarah Meyers, whose mutilated body was found after she vanished on her way home from school. Though the alleged killer confessed, there are still unanswered questions, and Maggie and Jones find themselves forced to revisit the past as suspicion falls on Rick. Since the Hollows is so small, characters continually rehash secrets--and rumors--so that Unger relies too heavily on the community's interconnectedness to bolster her plot.

Gardendale Library Holiday Hours 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Jenne) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:54:00 +0000

Our opening hours will be changing for the holiday season. Please note the changes below :

Monday December 19
9am -6pm

Tuesday December 20
9am -6pm

Wednesday December 21
9am -5pm

Thursday December 22
9am -6pm

Friday December 23 - Monday December 26
CLOSED

Tuesday December 27
9am -6pm

Wednesday December 28
9am -5pm

Thursday December 29
9am -6pm

Friday December 30
9am -5pm

Saturday December 31 - Monday January 2
CLOSED

February Monday Night Book Club Book The Things We do for Love by Kristin Hannah

noreply@blogger.com (Jenne) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:49:00 +0000

Book Description:

Years of trying unsuccessfully to conceive a child have broken more than Angie DeSaria’s heart. Following a painful divorce, she moves back to her small Pacific Northwest hometown and takes over management of her family’s restaurant. In West End, where life rises and falls like the tides, Angie’s fortunes will drastically change yet again when she meets and befriends a troubled young woman.

Angie hires Lauren Ribido because she sees something special in the seventeen-year-old. They quickly form a deep bond, and when Lauren is abandoned by her mother, Angie offers the girl a place to stay. But nothing could have prepared Angie for the far-reaching repercussions of this act of kindness. Together, these two women—one who longs for a child and the other who longs for a mother’s love—will be tested in ways that neither could have imagined.