Birmingham Public Library — Central
🏢 Birmingham Public Library · Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham Public Library — Central
Birmingham's flagship public library pairs a 1927 Beaux Arts limestone building — its main reading room lined with 16 Ezra Winter oil murals — with the Tutwiler Collection of Southern History (100,000+ volumes) and the Rucker Agee Map Collection, one of the largest cartographic collections in the American South.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–6pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–6pm |
| Thursday | 9am–6pm |
| Friday | 9am–6pm |
| Saturday | 9am–6pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 2100 Park Place, Birmingham, AL 35203
Phone: (205) 226-3600
Website: cobpl.org
Plus Code: 865MG5CR+CV (Birmingham, AL)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Birmingham Public Library — Central
The Birmingham Public Library traces its roots to 1886, when superintendent John Herbert Phillips set aside books near his downtown office. Today the Central library occupies two connected buildings: the 1927 four-story Beaux Arts limestone structure designed by Birmingham architects Miller, Martin & Lewis — now the Linn-Henley Research Library after a 1985 renovation — and a modern 133,000-square-foot East Building completed in 1984. The Linn-Henley building's grand reading room features 16 oil-on-canvas murals installed in 1929 by American muralist Ezra Winter, each depicting a world literary tradition from Egyptian to Japanese to Scandinavian. The two buildings together house the Tutwiler Collection of Southern History and Literature (more than 100,000 volumes), the internationally referenced Rucker Agee Map Collection (4,000+ maps from the 16th century, including a 1662 first-edition Atlas Maior by Johann Blaeu), a Department of Archives and Manuscripts holding 30+ million documents and 500,000 photographs, and the James Bowron Rare Book Collection of early Americana.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Tutwiler Collection of Southern History: 100,000+ volumes on every facet of Southern life, named for Alabama civic reformer Julia S. Tutwiler
- Rucker Agee Map Collection: 4,000+ maps from the 16th century onward, including a 1662 first-edition Atlas Maior by Johann Blaeu; 900+ maps digitized via University of Alabama
- 16 Ezra Winter oil-on-canvas murals (1929) in the Linn-Henley Research Library main reading room, depicting 16 world literary traditions
- Department of Archives & Manuscripts: official repository for the City of Birmingham; 30M+ documents, 500K photographs — research source for five Pulitzer Prize-winning books
- U.S. passport acceptance facility at Central (walk-in Mon–Fri 10 AM–4 PM; on-site photo service available)
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Birmingham Public Library cardholders can read, research, and stream free through Alabama's shared digital collections:
📚 Services
- Tutwiler Collection of Southern History and Literature (100,000+ volumes)
- Rucker Agee Map Collection (4,000+ maps, 16th–20th century)
- Department of Archives and Manuscripts (30M+ documents, 500K+ photographs)
- U.S. passport applications — walk-in Mon–Fri 10 AM–4 PM; photo service $15
- Interlibrary loan (ILL) through the Jefferson County Library Cooperative (JCLC)
- Books-by-Mail for homebound Jefferson County residents
- Alabama Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
- Friends of the BPL used bookstore (Central branch)
- Public computing and free Wi-Fi
- Government documents (federal depository collection)
- Ask-A-Librarian reference service (in person and virtual)
🎸 Programs
- Children's programming (Youth department on-site)
- Virtual programming and school outreach
- Community classes and special events
- Career and job-search resources
- Homework help and study support
📍 Nearby Libraries in Jefferson County
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Birmingham · Browse all Alabama libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Tutwiler Collection, and who was Julia S. Tutwiler?
The Tutwiler Collection of Southern History and Literature contains more than 100,000 volumes covering Southern life, culture, folklore, genealogy, and history, with special depth on Birmingham, Jefferson County, and Alabama. It is named for Julia S. Tutwiler (1841–1916), an Alabama educator and social reformer who advocated for prison reform, women's education, and labor rights. The department (phone 205-226-3665) is open Monday–Saturday 9 AM–6 PM and offers reference assistance for genealogy and Southern history research.
What makes the Rucker Agee Map Collection significant?
The Rucker Agee Map Collection holds more than 4,000 maps and atlases from the 16th through 20th centuries, with strong emphasis on the historical geography of the American Southeast. Its crown jewel is a 1662 first-edition Atlas Maior by Johann Blaeu. Donated in 1964 by Rucker Agee and enriched by subsequent gifts, the collection has been used by scholars worldwide. More than 900 maps are freely accessible online through the University of Alabama's Alabama Maps archive at alabamamaps.ua.edu.
Who painted the murals in the Linn-Henley Research Library?
In 1929, American muralist Ezra Winter installed 16 large oil-on-canvas murals in the main reading room of what was then Birmingham's central library. Each mural depicts a literary scene from a distinct world tradition — American, Egyptian, Greek, Hebrew, Chinese, Persian, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Scandinavian, and more. A separate mural in the children's room depicts fairy-tale scenes. Winter painted the works in his New York studio and supervised their installation personally. The building is now the Linn-Henley Research Library following a 1985 renovation.
Does the Central Library offer passport services, and what are the requirements?
Yes. The Central Library is an authorized U.S. passport acceptance facility. Walk-ins are welcome Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 4 PM. On-site passport photo service is available for $15. You will need your completed DS-11 application form, proof of U.S. citizenship, a valid photo ID, and the applicable government fee. Call (205) 226-3600 for current processing times.
🛂 This library offers U.S. passport services. See how library passport acceptance works — requirements, fees and appointments — and find other passport acceptance libraries by state.
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✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.
