The Library at the Gardens
Use your library card here!
Archives & Rare Book Room | Art Gallery | Catalog | Honors & Memorials | Thyme to Read | Contact Us
About The Library
The Library at Birmingham Botanical Gardens is part of the Public Libraries in Jefferson County, making it the only public horticultural library in the United States. Simply present your blue or black library card to check out one of over 8,000 books, DVDs, audio books and magazines from our circulating collection. As a full-service public library, we can access all of the vast resources of the entire Public Library System in Jefferson County. Stop by today and dig into our collection—your knowledge is sure to grow!
Hours of Operation
PLEASE NOTE THESE HOURS OF OPERATION AS OF MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2020:
As of June 8, 2020, the Library at Birmingham Botanical Gardens is open for curbside service 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
If you would like to set up a time to pick up a book or other resource, please call 205.533.6062 or 205.588.4593.
About Curbside Pickup
- When you request a curbside pickup time, you will be given a 30-minute time window to pick up your items.
- You must come to the back (outside) door of the Library to pick up your items.
- Pre-order all items at least 24 hours prior to your pickup time so that we can pull and process your items properly.
- You can access the JCLC Encore Catalog system and order items by clicking here.
- If you need assistance in selecting materials to place on hold, please call the Library at 205.588.4593 or 205.533.6062.
- If you have more than $5 in fines, you will not be able to place items on hold. You can pay your fines by logging into your account here.
- You must have a valid JCLC library card to use this service. Digital library cards will not be accepted.
The Library Offers:
-
Large selection of new gardening books
-
Children's section. Click here for the Kid's Catalog!
-
Over 65 different circulating gardening and horticulture magazines
-
Archives and Rare Book Room
-
A large collection of DVDs
-
Free internet access
-
Free Wi-Fi
-
Magic School Bus DVDs
-
Eyewitness books and DVDs
-
Resource material for Hands-on Activities Science Program (HASP) modules on Living Things, Organisms, Plant Growth and Development, Butterflies, Ecosystems and Earthworms
-
Multiple copies of Peterson's First Guides: Forests, Trees, Urban Wildlife, Butterflies & Moths and Caterpillars
-
The entire Discovering Alabama series on DVD
-
Teacher Resource Area with lesson plan materials
-
Used books & magazines for sale
-
Friendly staff and volunteers to help with all your gardening questions
CLICK HERE TO SEARCH THE CATALOG OR RESERVE A BOOK
Complete list of newest available titles at JCLC
205.414.3920 | phone
205.414.3922 | fax
Got a gardening question? Email us 
Original brochure for The Library at The Gardens
Honey for Sale
Take advantage of the Library at the Gardens' curbside service to purchase locally sourced honey from Birmingham Botanical Gardens' hives or honey flavored in cinnamon, lemon, or jalapeño from Ivy Brook Apiary.
Cost: $10/bottle (Birmigham Botanical Gardens)
Cost: $7-12 (Ivy Brook Apiary)
Call 205.588.4593 or 205.533.6062 to schedule a pickup between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays.
Free Holiday Tags from Recycled Cards
While you're picking up your honey or a curbside book request during December 2020, ask for a set of free holiday gift tags made from recycled holiday cards! While supplies last. Happy Holidays from the Library at the Gardens!
Simply call 205.588.4593 or 205.533.6062 to request a curbside pickup.
2021 Thyme to Read Book Club
A monthly virtual gathering hosted by the Library at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Join us via Zoom 6 p.m. on select Tuesdays (preregistration required) to discuss the month's reading selection. For more information contact Hope Long, library director, at 205.588.4593 or [email protected]
The Alabama Humanities Foundation, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, co-sponsors this project.
.jpg)
Explore our 2021 Book List:
February 2, 2021
The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree
By Susan Wittig Albert
March 2, 2021
Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard
By Douglas W. Tallamy
April 6, 2021
American Dirt
By Jeanine Cummins
May 4, 2021
Dirt: Adventures in Lyon as a Chef in Training, Father, and Sleuth Looking for the Secret of French Cooking
By Bill Buford
June 1, 2021
The Body in the Castle Well
By Martin Walker
July 6, 2021
Where I Come From: Stories from the Deep South
By Rick Bragg
August 3, 2021
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants
By Robin Wall Kimmerer
September 7, 2021
The Cooking Gene: A Journey through African American Culinary History in the Old South
By Michael W. Twitty
October 5, 2021
Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia-to-Zion Journey through Every National Park
By Conor Knighton
November 9, 2021
The Secret Wisdom of Nature: Trees, Animals, and the Extraordinary Balance of All Living Things
By Peter Wohlleben
December 7, 2021
Always Home: A Daughter's Recipes and Stories
By Fanny Singer
Honors and Memorials To Support the Library at the Gardens
Don't see a book in the library that you think we should have? We welcome suggestions and donations. You can also choose to memorialize or honor a relative, friend, or colleague and help grow the Library at Birmingham Botanical Gardens at the same time. Be sure to note that your tribute gift is for the Library at the Gardens. Thank you for your support!