The Birmingham Public Library actively seeks books that are written and/or published locally. We are especially interested in titles about the Birmingham and Jefferson County region. As a public library we select books containing content that is written for the general reader rather than for the specialist or professional. We do not, in general, buy textbooks.

Books with pages designed to be filled in by the reader or torn out are not appropriate.

Because library books get heavy use, we look for those which are sturdily bound, preferably sewn or glued. Spiral and comb bindings do not stand up well for the multiple uses library books will receive.

The best way to bring your book to our attention is through reviews. A positive review in one or more of the review journals, such as Library Journal, School Library Journal (for children's books), Publisher's Weekly, Booklist, or Kirkus, will give your book an excellent chance of being bought by BPL. A list of contact information for these publications is listed below.

The next best method is a letter mailed to the Collection Management Office. The collection management librarians generally only have a few minutes to look at a letter, so your best bet is to emphasize the essentials. We look for:

• WHAT the book is about. This should be brief and pithy.
• WHY the book is appropriate for our collection. Here you should include quotations from reviews, or reader testimonials if you have them. If the book has been reviewed you should also attach a copy of the review.
• WHO the intended audience is for the book. Is it intended for adults, young adults, or children? Parents, business persons, hobbyists, etc?
• WHO the author is. This should include qualifications, such as education, experience in the field, experience as a writer. Be sure to mention that you are a local author or publisher, since this is a factor in our selection decision.
• WHEN and WHERE the book was published. We need complete bibliographic data, including date of publication, price (including discount if multiple copies are purchased), ISBN (very important), edition statement, type of binding. If the book is self-published, please give some indication of its physical appearance, including how it is bound.
• HOW the library can purchase the book. Libraries prefer to purchase from wholesale vendors such as Baker & Taylor, Ingram, and BWI. There are also national vendors that specialize in small press books, including Quality Books and Unique Books. If the book is only available directly from you, be sure to provide a phone number, address, and email address if you have one. Be prepared to accept purchase orders, and to wait a month or so for payment. A review copy of your book is not necessary and if included will not be returned regardless of the library's ultimate purchase decision.

Drop in visits are not encouraged.

You may also want to consider attending library conferences. This is one way to reach many librarians in a short space of time. National conferences such as the American Library Association can be overwhelming, but smaller ones such as the Alabama Library Association attract many librarians from this area.

Send information to:

Birmingham Public Library
Collection Management Department
2100 Park Place
Birmingham, AL 35210

Write or see web site for information on how to submit a book for a review:

Booklist
50 East Huron St.
Chicago, IL 60611

Kirkus
200 Park Ave. South
New York, NY 10011

Library Journal
245 W. 17th St.
New York, NY 10011

Publishers Weekly
245 W. 17th St.
New York, NY 10011

School Library Journal
360 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10010

Quality Books
1003 W. Pines Rd.
Oregon, IL 61061-9680
(800) 323-4241

Unique Books
5010 Kemper Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63139
(800) 533-5446

The American Library Association Events Web Page - lists upcoming conferences. Information on exhibiting at each conference is available through the links for the individual events.

Alabama Library Association - lists links to all of its member activities and upcoming conferences.

Text adapted from Pima County Public Library