Library Closing

The library will be closed on Monday, May 31st, 2010 in observance of Memorial Day. We will re-open Tuesday, June 1st at 9:30am.

Have a safe and happy weekend!

Summer Reading Programs and Joey the Koala

Joey the Koala made an appearance at PJ Storytime last week! He helped Ms. April read stories all about koalas! Don't worry if you missed Joey this time - he will be around all summer long helping us with our Summer Reading Programs. Check back on our blog & Facebook page throughout the summer to see what he is up to!


Summer Reading Program Events:


Readers - K-5th grade

Wednesdays @ 10:30

June 2 – Coosa River Science School

June 9 – Magician Archie Wade

June 16 – Auntie Litter

June 23 – McWane Science Center

June 30 – Ruffner Mountain Nature Center

July 7 – Movie Day – Popcorn will be Served!



Read-to-Me: 3,4 & 5 year olds


Thursdays @ 10:30

June 3 - Storytime: Join Ms. Kristie for a "Splash" of a good time!

June 10 – Storytime & Craft with Ms. Nina

June 17 – Movie Day – Popcorn will be served!

June 24 – Storytime with Ms. Nina

July 1 – Storytime with Ms. Nina

July 8 – Movie Day – Popcorn will be served!

Summer Reading Finale Party - Free food, fun, games and door prizes!!! Bring the whole family to celebrate a successful summer of reading! Saturday, July 10th from 12:00pm-2:00pm!!!

Teen Eco-Awareness Hike

Photo from Flickr user Southernpixel

Attention Teens: "Make Waves" by learning how to be an activist for the environment! Irondale Library invites 6th-12th graders to join us on an Eco-Awareness Hike at Ruffner Mountain!

From Ruffner Mountain's website:

From the dry hillsides to the lush ravines of Ruffner Mountain, teens will encounter the amazing diversity of the forest ecosystem. This program will explore the interdependence of the environment, plants, and animals on a 3 mile hike. Teens will also participate in an environmentally focused role play activity deciding the fate of Ruffner Mountain from different points of view.

The hike will take place Tuesday, June 1st @ 1:00pm. Space is limited - registration is required. Call 951-1415 for more information!

Fine Free Friday

Call 951-1415 for more information!

SFWA Announces 2010 Nebula Winners

On May 15th the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America announced the 2010 Nebula winners:

Novel - The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

Novella - The Women of Nell Gwynne’s by Kage Baker

Novelette - Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast by
Eugie Foster

Short Story - Spar by Kij Johnson

Ray Bradbury Award - District 9 by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell

Andre Norton Award - The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente

So what exactly is SFWA? Here is the history listed on their website:

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. was founded in 1965 by the American science fiction author Damon Knight and was originally named Science Fiction Writers of America. At that time, the distinction between science fiction and fantasy was less important and SFWA’s name was accepted as encompassing both.

Later, the name of the organization was changed to Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, although the acronym SFWA was not changed. The acronym may be pronounced as either ‘SEFwa’ or ‘SIFwa’.

Today, SFWA is home to over 1500 authors, artists, and allied professionals, and is widely recognized as one of the most effective non-profit writers’ organizations in existence. Each year the organization presents the prestigious Nebula Awards® for the year’s best literary and dramatic works of speculative fiction.

To request the award winners that are found at Jefferson County libraries, just click on the titles above!

Summer Reading Begins!

Summer Reading is almost here! Sign-Up begins on Monday, May 17th.

Everyone who registers the week of May 17th will be entered into a drawing for a Wal-Mart giftcard!

Click here for a complete list of programs. Call 951-1415 or email irondalelibrary@gmail.com for more information.

PJ Storytime!

Join us for stories about koala bears. Wear your pajamas, make a craft and enjoy a bedtime snack!

All ages are welcome. Call 951-1415 or email irondalelibrary@gmail.com for more information.

Hope to see you there!

Book Club Wrap-Up - The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Thank you to everyone who came out to Book Club last night! The book we discussed this month was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.

From the publisher:

Forty years after the disappearance of Harriet Vanger from the secluded island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger family, her octogenarian uncle, convinced that she had been murdered by someone from her own deeply dysfunctional clan, hires journalist Mikael Blomqvist and Lisbeth Salander, an unconventional young hacker, to investigate.

Several people in the group (myself included) thought that the book started out kinda slow. But once the story got moving - watch out! The strong characters and the story's multiple plot lines are guaranteed to draw you in.


We talked a little bit about the author, Stieg Larsson, who passed away in 2004 before the Millennium Series was even published. He was a political activist and journalist for many years in Sweden, working to expose extremism and Neo-Nazism. For the last 15 years of his life he lived under the threat of retaliation from extremist groups.

*Picture from www.stieglarsson.com

If you are intrigued by Stieg Larsson's life there will be a biography that is set to be released in June, "The Man Who Left Too Soon." His longtime partner Eva Gabrielsson is also working on a book where she discusses life after Larsson's sudden death.

If you want to see the The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo brought to life on the big screen the Swedish version was released in the US in March. Unfortunately, at this time, there aren't any theaters in the Birmingham area that are showing it. If you don't mind a little car ride, it will be shown in Montgomery at the Capri Theater on June 4th-9th. Visit the theater's website for movie times.

If foreign films aren't your thing, or you don't like reading subtitles, then all you need is a little patience because there is a US remake in the works. According to NDTV.com, David Fincher is set to direct. There are a slew of actresses reportedly in the running for the lead role of Lisbeth Salander: Scarlett Johansson, Anne Hathaway, Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan, Ellen Page and Natalie Portman. What a list to choose from! Who would YOU choose for the role?!?!

For more information:

Stieg Larsson Site

Official Movie Website

News about US version of the movie

CNN article about Stieg Larsson

If you want to read any of the books in the Millennium Series, click here. The 3rd installment in the series will be released May 25th so get your name on the hold list today!

Next month we have picked out a light read to start of the summer. We will be discussing The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. See you on Monday, June 14th at 6:30pm!

Pre-school Storytime

Join us for lots of stories and lots of fun!

When: Thursday, May 6th

Time: 10:30am

Where: Library Meeting Room

Call 951-1415 for more information. We hope to see you Thursday morning!