General Information

The Hoover Public Library will be closed in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, January 16, 2012.  We will reopen at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, January 17.

If you're looking for something to do to celebrate the holiday, there are some great ideas on Magic City Post.Com.

It's hard to believe, but today (Thursday, December 29) is the last day the Hoover Public Library will be open in 2011.

We will be closed Friday, December 30, 2011 - Monday, January 2, 2012.

We will reopen at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, January 3. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Want to keep the season merry and bright?  Stop by the Hoover Public Library to pick up books, movies, and video games to keep your family entertained over the holidays.  And don't forget -- the Hoover Public Library will be closed Friday, December 23 - Monday, December 26, 2011.

The Hoover Public Library will be closed this Thursday, December 1, 2011 for Staff Day.  We will re-open Friday morning at 9 a.m.

HOLIDAY FYI
The library's Staff Day corresponds with the City of Hoover's Tree Lighting Ceremony at 5 p.m. at City Hall.  Families coming to this evening of holiday cheer can park right next door at the Hoover Public Library.

Banned Books Week = September 24 - October 1, 2011

Here are the top ten books that were challenged in 2010.  Did one of your favorites make the list?
And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Crank by Ellen Hopkins
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Lush by Natasha Friend
What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
Revolutionary Voices edited by Amy Sonnie
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment.  The books featured during BBW have been targets of attempted bannings.  Fortunately, in a majority of cases the books were not banned, all thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, booksellers, and members of the community (people like YOU) to retain the books in the library collection.  We've made it very easy to check out a banned book this week.  Just browse our display on your way to the Plaza.  Happy reading! 

Need a mini vacation, but can't break away from the office, school, family, etc.?  We have the answer to this all-too-common problem: Celebrate Brazil!  We're honoring the largest country in South America during our seventh annual Culture Week Celebration.  There are events for everyone, ages 1 to 100, including YOU.  So update your passport, pack your bags, and head to the Hoover Public Library.

A Taste of Brazil
Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at 6:30 pm
Sample Brazilian cuisine from Coffee-ol-ogy, including empadinhas, kibe, mortadella sandwiches, arrodoce, and quejadinhas.  Treat your eyes to a samba exhibition from Bailey Dance Studio, followed by a lesson.  Fun for the whole family @ the Plaza!

Brazilian-themed storytimes
Tuesday, September 27 - Thursday, September 28, 2011
Check our calendar for specifics.

Brazilian Carnaval!
Thursday, September 29, 2011 at 6:30 pm
The Youth Program Room will be transformed into a street in Rio de Janeiro, lined with opportunities to make feathered masks and bone-and-bead bracelets, have your face painted in a traditional carnaval style, and sample popular Brazilian exports like bananas and chocolate.  There will also be an opportunity to join the big parade.  Call the Children's Department at 444-7833 to register.

Free Friday Flix: Rio
Friday, September 30, 2011 at 6:30 pm
Stop by after hours to watch an animated hit on the big screen in our Library Theatre.  Free admission and refreshments.

As students head back to school, the Hoover Public Library wants to make sure that all children and teens have the most important school supply of all -- a library card.  Owning a library card provides students with the resources they need to compete academically.  Public libraries provide students free access to databases of news articles, encyclopedias and test preparation materials, as well as homework help and resources.  In addition, public libraries are the number one access point for free Internet, an important resource for families without access at home. 

A library card is serious business, but it's also an opportunity for fun!  Library card holders of all ages can get their hands on tons of fantastic books, movies, video games . . . the list goes on and on. 

So what are you waiting for?  Getting a library card is as easy as 1, 2, 3.
1. Drop by the big Circulation desk at the front of the library.
2. Fill out the form.
3. Show the librarian your official picture ID and proof of address.

Still have questions?  Visit our website at www.hooverlibrary.org/faq/membership or call 444-7800.

1. Food for Fines = September 1-30, 2011 

2. The 39 Public Libraries of Jefferson County will accept donations of canned or boxed food.

3. $1 dollar in fines will be waived for each item of food donated.

4. Up to $10 per library card holder

5. The waived fees apply to fines only.

6.  Expiration dates must be visible on the food containers.

7. The food drive is open to anyone, even if they do not have overdue materials.

8. "Our goal is to encourage users to return overdue materials, while at the same time giving back to our communities, especially in the aftermath of the tornadoes."
-Pat Ryan, executive director of the Jefferson County Library Cooperative

9. Libraries will be collaborating with the United Way Food Bank, Greater Birmingham Ministries, and Magic City Harvest. 

10. Individual libaries also can decide to give their items to a local church or charity of their choice. 

11. Hoover Public Library's donations will go to Green Valley Baptist Church in Hoover.

Call 444-7800 for more information.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

We were only expecting around 400, but we had even more than that waiting in line for us to open the doors at 7 p.m.!  A whopping 610 fans came to our grand goodbye to the wizarding world of Harry Potter!  Everyone received a special edition of The Quibbler from Luna Lovegood to guide them through the evening.  The giant Marauder's Map and the Fat Lady Painting were also close at hand to help wizards and Muggles alike find their way.  And Sir Cadogan was handing out bags to help carry all their forthcoming magical loot

The Theatre level of the library was transformed into Diagon Alley.  Party goers could get their gold from Griphook the Goblin at Gringotts.  They could also pick up Helga Hufflepuff's cup from Bellatrix's vault while they were there (as long as they could get past Bellatrix, who was standing guard).  There were also five shops:
1. Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes - where you could use your gold to buy joke items like Canary Creams and Pygmy Puffs
2. Ollivander's - where you could get your very own handcrafted wand
3. Flourish & Blotts - where you had the chance to meet Gilderoy Lockhart, and even get an autograph
4. Eeylope's Owl Emporium - where you could fold your own origami owl with Cho Chang
5. Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions - which was the venue for our 8:30 p.m. costume parade and contest, hosted by the Fat Lady Painting, Tonks, and Gilderoy Lockhart

The main level of the Hoover Public Library was transformed into Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and Azkaban Prison.  Of course, to get to those enchanted places, you had to get past Umbridge and her "I Must Not Tell Lies" pen (charmed to look like a rubber stamper).

Hogwarts offered attendees a variety of magical education opportunities:
1. Professor MacGonagall oversaw the sorting and presented new Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Slytherins with a house badge
2. Ginny Weasley took names for Dumbledore's Army in the Room of Requirement. She also passed out summoning coins (chocolate) and helped wizards determine their patronus (animal-shaped bracelets).
3. Professor Trelawney did fortunes.
4. Rowena Ravenclaw helped the fashion-forward wizards create diadems.
5. Madam Hootch and Gwenog Jones of the Holyhead Harpies led Quidditch practice.
6. Professor Sprout helped students repot mandrakes.
7. Albus Dumbledore passed out bottled memories from his office.
8. Beetle the Bard presented one of his famous wizard fairytales four times during the evening.

Hosmeade gave everyone a chance to eat a treat and take a break.
1. Honeydukes offered a 2-for-1 coin deal on all their candies, including Bertie Botts' Every Flavour Beans and Fizzing Whizzbees.
2. Madam Rosmerta was serving samples of Cauldron Cakes, Pumpkin Pasties, and Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks.

Azkaban Prison gave the darkest wizards (or bravest fans) a chance to be bad to the bone.
1. Severus Snape airbrushed Dark Mark tattoos.
2. A dementor bestowed his dreaded (chocolate) kiss.
3. Death Eaters introduced the newest craze - basilisk fang necklaces.

There were also tons of characters that refused to be limited to one area of the library.  Harry, Ron, and Hermione apparated to different locations.  Harry passed out lightning bolt tattoos; Ron stamped Weasley Is Our King onto hundreds of hands; Hermione distributed glow bracelets.  Rita Skeeter and her photographer interviewed many of our guests, gleaning gossip along the way.  Mad Eye Moody and Tonks took their Auror duties seriously, patrolling the halls for troublemakers.  The Whomping Willow decided it didn't want to wait for people to wander up; it pulled up its roots and smacked young wizards all along the corridor.

All in all, our final tribute was . . . I'll just say it, completely and utterly amazing!  Thanks to the 45 staff and volunteers who helped make the night a magical success!  Now, we say goodbye to the wizarding world of Harry Potter. 

"Mischief managed."

In 2007, the Hoover Public Library celebrated the much-anticipated release of the final book in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.  And we did it in a big way . . . a late-night party with tons of characters, contests, games, and prizes.  It was huge!  It was epic!  It was nothing compared to what we have planned to celebrate the final movie release.

Party with Potter will take over the Hoover Public Library this Friday, July 15, 2011 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.  It's an event for Pottermaniacs of all ages.  Costumes are encouraged!  There will be over 35 characters and more than 20 stations throughout the library, but we don't want to reveal all of the magic that awaits you.  Here's just a hint of the amazing things you will see and do: 

Get your gold, your wand, and other wizard must-haves in Diagon Alley.

Fill your head with magical knowledge and hone your Quidditch skills at Hogwarts.

Take a holiday in Hogsmeade.

Try to keep your sanity in Azkaban.

Rita Skeeter and her friendly photographer Creevey will make sure the party is well-documented for our website, but don't forget to bring your Muggle cameras too.  There will be LOTS of opportunities for pictures!  So get excited!  And get ready to have tons of fun as we say goodbye to the wizarding world of Harry Potter.