Melanie Thornton's blog

Bestselling author David Grann comes to Huntsville for library fundraiser

Author hailed as master of spinning true crime tales

The Huntsville Library Foundation (HLF) proudly presents bestselling author David Grann as the guest of honor and keynote speaker at HLF’s 32nd annual Vive le Livre gala on Thursday, September 27 at 6:00 p.m. at the Jackson Center, 6001 Moquin Drive. The event will begin with a cocktail reception at 6 p.m., followed by a gourmet dinner and keynote address by Grann.

The Huntsville-Madison County Public Library welcomed the permanent installation of a community mosaic at the Downtown Huntsville Library on Tuesday, August 28.

"This is one of those wonderful opportunities where we can showcase the talent in our community," said Connie Chow, Downtown's branch manager. "We are honored to be able to display this for all to enjoy."

“Beauty From Brokenness” is a triptych artwork created from glass tiles from the original “Cosmic Christ” mosaic commissioned by Huntsville’s First Baptist Church in the early 1970s. Local artist Stephen Ware was one of three Huntsvillians to assist Texas-based artist Gordon William Smith with the original mosaic installation in the 1970s.

The Huntsville-Madison County Public Library proves once again that it is not only serving the needs of the community, but doing so in a technologically-driven environment. The library was recently awarded a $7500 Digital Inclusion Fund Grant by the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville, sponsored by Google Fiber.

The grant funds will be used to create a Workforce Development Lab for those who need digital assistance to secure employment or job advancement. The lab will be located on the second floor of the Downtown Huntsville Library. The Technology Training Center will manage the lab during scheduled times.

The lab will offer the following services:

Rotary Club of Madison to create children’s garden at the Madison Public Library

The Madison Public Library will soon welcome a new addition to its state-of-the-art campus with a children’s learning garden. The Rotary Club of Madison, along with the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library announced plans for what they are describing as “a space for hands-on exploration of science and nature.”

It is that time of the year again! Summer reading has come to a close, but that doesn't mean we do not have some great picks for you as we get through the first week of school! Handpicked by our youth librarians, these books are great for young readers starting school!

Planet Kindergarten by Sue Ganz-Schmitt

Summertime at the library is exciting! We like to shake things up a little as the weather gets warmer and offer many entertainment, educational and cultural enrichment opportunities for our patrons. There is truly something for everyone at the library. 

Our librarians compiled a list of the top 10 reasons to visit your library this summer:

• Live music in the air conditioning..… Our indoor concert series is one of the most popular in town. And it happens every other Tuesday through September.

The Huntsville-Madison County Public Library and the Alabama Humanities Foundation (AHF) are proud to announce a new book club to serve our veteran population called “Literature and the Veteran Experience,” a humanities-based reading and discussion program for area veterans.

For many veterans, humanities can play an important role in expressing their unique issues and concerns that may arise from their experiences. The program’s goal is to create an opportunity for veterans to connect with one another, build relationships and reflect upon those issues through literature.