The Birmingham Public Library, built in 1886, is a part of the Jefferson County Library System and currently possesses nearly a million books as well as over 30,000 documents in its archives. It was founded by the city?s education superintendent John Herbert Phillips, who was also responsible for establishing the first library in Birmingham in 1886. In 1891, the Birmingham Public Library began drawing revenue from subscriptions, collecting an annual fee of $2 from its members. More than a decade later, the library was moved to its present location at the Birmingham City Hall.

Today, the Birmingham Public Library manages a books-by-mail program to provide reading and research materials for disabled and elderly residents as well as operating a literacy center that focuses on helping children and adults alike with literacy problems.