Three Alabama Library Bookplates

Many books that have come through my collection over the years are ex-library and thus have library markings of various kinds, including bookplates. Below are examples from Birmingham and Vestavia public libraries and a specialized medical library at UAB.

I've written a number of posts about libraries in the state and hope to do more. A list of some is here. A chronology of early Alabama library history is here. I've also done a post on state library bookmarks. 

Bookplates and other marks of book ownership have a long and fascinating history. 

Some more comments are below. 

This bookplate depicts the 1969 library building. The current facility opened in December 2010; a photo is at the Bham Wiki site. 

The facility was briefly named after Richard M. Scrushy, CEO when HealthSouth donated a building occupied by the library in 1995. 

Source: BhamWiki

In 1925 most of the collection of Birmingham's twelve year-old public library was destroyed in a devastating City Hall fire. A new library opened in 1927 and is depicted on this bookplate. The current Birmingham Central Public Library opened in 1984 and after renovation this building reopened as the Lynn-Henley Research Library. 

This bookplate features an electrocardiogram, which for decades was used as the logo of the UAB School of Medicine's Department of Anesthesiology. The department's library opened in 1980; I served as the Clinical Librarian from 1983 until 2015. I began when the library was located in the Kracke building, which UAB demolished in 2021. After a few years the library moved to the ninth floor of Jefferson Towers; the photo below shows the main room there. 

 The structure opened in 1929 as the dormitory for nursing students at the Hillman Hospital next door and operated as such until 1963. In July 1965 the building reopened as the Roy R. Kracke Clinical Services Building, named in honor of Dr. Roy Kracke, the first Dean of the Medical College of Alabama. Various clinics and offices were located there over the years. I think Kracke was the third oldest building on campus, behind only Old and New Hillman.

Charles A. McCallum, D.M.D., M.D., RIP

I would like to note the passing on January 16 of Charles A. "Scotty" McCallum, Jr., dentist, physician, UAB's third President from April 1987 until September 1993, two-term Mayor of Vestavia Hills and much more at UAB: professor, vice president for health affairs, dean of the School of Dentistry, and chair of the Department of Oral Surgery. But wait--there's more! See the plaque below. 

For more details on his remarkable life and career, see his entry at the Alabama Academy of Honor and the extensive obituary at AL.com The UAB Archives also has some material about him. 

I had two minor encounters with Dr. McCallum in the late 1980's that were helpful to me and indicated the scholar and gentleman he was. When I first started researching the life and career of Alice McNeal, MD, the first Chair of UAB's Department of Anesthesiology, Dr. McCallum took the time to meet with me and let me pick his brain about her years in the School of Medicine. He didn't know her that well, but gave me some details and names of others to contact. 

In 1988 I served as Vice-President of the Alabama Health Libraries Association and was responsible for organizing the annual meeting to be held in Birmingham. Dr. McCallum graciously agreed to be the luncheon guest speaker and regaled us with a talk on the remarkable history and growth of UAB. I remember vividly that he noted the university then occupied 84 [or close to that!] blocks in the city. I wonder what the number is now?

RIP, Dr. McCallum....

Source for this photo and one below: BhamWiki