Having a Blast with Local Music

  • Posted on: 21 April 2021
  • By: Annie Phillips

Music in Huntsville and North Alabama has always had strong roots and a far-reaching legacy. WC Handy, Mervyn Warren, Rose Maddox, Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, Jim Nabors, Spooner Oldham, GMANE, Rick Hall, Brittany Howard, Patterson Hood, Jason Isbell, Dave Anderson, Susanna Phillips, the Oakwood Aeolians. These names and so many more represent just a fraction of the talent that has come out of North Alabama and continues to be a gift to the world.

Supported by the Marguerite Cartwright Hawthorne endowment bequeathed to HMCPL, we are proud to announce the launch of Blast, a platform built specifically for our library to showcase and stream local music.

Psst! You Should Read These!!: The Best Teen Novels of the 21st Century

  • Posted on: 21 April 2021
  • By: Laura Noble

I may not be a teen anymore, but that won't stop me from reading books marketed to them.  Young adult books often get a bad reputation, in my opinion, by people outside the teen demographic. But since their skyrocket to popularity in the early 2000s, teen books continue to be at the forefront of inclusivity, creativity, and mindfulness for the world around them. I've included in this blog ten of the most influential, popular, and well-written YA books to have been published since the year 2000. This, of course, does not include all of the titles I think are great. I'd end up writing a whole book on all the titles that I'd want to include, but alas, this is a blog and I'm no writer (just an avid reader). Also, this list is in no particular order of the books I think hold the most influence or popularity.

Introducing the new North Huntsville Library

  • Posted on: 20 April 2021
  • By: Melanie Thornton

The new North Huntsville Library is now open!

The City of Huntsville debuted its latest public amenity on Sparkman Drive to benefit residents living in North Huntsville.  

Mayor Tommy Battle and District 1 Council Member Devyn Keith hosted a ribbon-cutting on April 7 to open the Dr. Robert Shurney Legacy Center, an eleven-acre campus featuring the new North Huntsville Library and recreation facilities. The $11 million project was funded by the City of Huntsville and donations from private and government partners.  

“We are so glad to be investing in such a worthy project for our community,” said Mayor Tommy Battle. “Transforming this site and creating live, learn and play facilities are among the best ways we enhance quality of life.” 

Introducing Poetry to Kids

  • Posted on: 11 April 2021
  • By: Laura Noble

What do you think of when you think of poetry? It can mean a variety of things to different people, but generally speaking poetry is a work of literature expressing emotion through the use of distinct rhythm and style. Learning to express emotion is not often prioritized and why many of us (me included) have such a hard time understanding and enjoying poetry. Instead, we are told as kids to dissect a poem for hidden meanings and intellectually find its message. But what if we approached poetry differently? Many of the first books read to us as children are rhythmic poetry. Picture books are often in verse. Their purposes are not only to help kids learn, but to emotionally engage with a story's ideas through rhyme. As children get older, rhyming seems to be emphasized quite a bit less in favor of other means of learning.

Pages