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.

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.

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!