Birmingham Public Library, Birmingham

The Birmingham Public Library, a well-respected and one of the largest library systems in the southeastern United States, consists of 19 branches and a main or central library located in downtown Birmingham.

The main library is composed of two buildings, the East Building, with its dramatic atrium, and the Linn-Henley Research Library, with its fine wall murals, the Tutwiler Collection of Southern History, and the Rucker Agee Map Collection. The Birmingham Public Library was established in 1886 as an adjunct of Birmingham's public schools. Annual circulation of roughly 1.7 million checkouts is matched by an equal number of materials being used within the libraries and via electronic access. Tutwiler Collection of Southern History and Literature, listed as one of the top 10 public library collections for genealogists by Family Tree Magazine, is a collection that covers every facet of Southern life and culture.