Huntsville-Madison County Library Foundation

10/20/2026

Thank you, Sharon Cameron, for visiting the Madison Public Library last night to discuss your new novel, UP FROM THE ASHES.

The #1 New York Times bestselling author brings readers a powerful story based on the true experiences of two people who resisted the horrors of the Holocaust. This novel is a reminder of the courage it takes to stand up for others and the hope that can be found even in the darkest of times.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this special evening!

Presented in partnership with Blue Apple Books and the Huntsville Madison County Public Library.

10/16/2026

Last night’s LIVE FROM THE STACKS was all about the stories that stay with us!

Steve Johnson WHNT News 19 and Greg Screws WHNT joined us at the South Huntsville Public Library for a great evening of conversation about favorite first sentences, the power of poetry, authors who left lasting legacies, and, of course, the books they love.

Thank you to Steve and Greg for sharing their love of reading with our community!

10/14/2026

What a full-circle moment! Tayari Jones first joined us for a library event in 2012 to celebrate "Silver Sparrow" and returned in 2018 to help raise funds for the North Huntsville Public Library’s capital campaign. Last night, we had the honor of welcoming her back to celebrate her latest bestselling novel, "Kin," with a packed house of enthusiastic readers!

Since that 2018 visit, the North Huntsville Public Library has celebrated its fifth anniversary and become a vital part of the community, welcoming 166,000 visitors in 2025. Seeing how much this branch has grown makes last night’s event all the more meaningful.

A very special thank-you to Alabama A&M University for hosting us at Walter S. Buchanan Hall and partnering with us to make this wonderful evening possible. We’re especially grateful to Dr. Charlotte Teague, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of English & Modern Languages at Alabama A&M University, for being such a fabulous conversation partner. Her insight and thoughtful questions made the evening all the more special!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for a memorable night!

10/13/2026

📚 This Thursday! Join us for LIVE FROM THE STACKS!

Local newsmen and lifelong readers Steve Johnson WHNT News 19 and Greg Screws WHNT are heading to the South Huntsville Public Library to talk books, swap stories, and share the reads they’ve loved over the years.

🎟️ Tickets are $15, and proceeds benefit YOUR library!
https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/qZ_ycdFRFhyrAMwV6iLKCQ

10/08/2026

We had a blast talking about the work and mission of the Library Foundation, the tremendous impact of the HMCPL, and the upcoming Great Big Book Festival on November 7! We’re excited to bring this new event to our community and hope to see you there!

A big thank you to Brenda Martin, host of Inside Huntsville, at the City of Huntsville, Alabama - Government for welcoming us to the show!

Carolyn Reagle, Adult Programming Librarian at the Madison Public Library and Chair of the Great Big Book Festival Committee, and Brooke Rawlins, Development Director of the Huntsville-Madison County Library Foundation and Co-Chair, had a wonderful time discussing the upcoming Great Big Book Festival and all the exciting things happening at the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library!

We appreciate the opportunity to share more about our library and this exciting event with the Huntsville community!

📚 The Great Big Book Festival will take place on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Downtown Huntsville Public Library!

For more information, visit: hmcpl.org/gbbf

🎥 Be on the lookout for the episode of Inside Huntsville airing soon on HSV-TV!

Watch here: huntsvilleal.gov/government/media-center/hsvtv/

10/06/2026

We’re grateful to Huntsville EVENT Magazine for capturing the evening and to everyone who joined us and helped make Vive le Livre such a success!

10/05/2026

We are honored to welcome bestselling author Sharon Cameron to the Madison Public Library on October 19 at 6:30 p.m.

Sharon's new novel, UP FROM THE ASHES, tells the remarkable true story of Chaim Engel and Selma Wijnberg, two Jewish prisoners at Sobibor who fell in love, survived the camp’s 1943 uprising and escape, and built a life together.

PEOPLE featured Sharon and Fred Engel, Chaim and Selma’s son, discussing the extraordinary story behind the book.

Read the PEOPLE feature, then join us at the Madison Public Library to hear Sharon share more about UP FROM THE ASHES and the real people who inspired it.

The event is FREE. A $22 ticket includes a copy of the book.
Register: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/iBj7HJINHLM-j5SgERjYQQ



Blue Apple Books Huntsville Madison County Public Library

Chaim Engel and Selma Wijnberg-Engel escaped the Sobibor concentration camp during the 1943 prisoner uprising. Their story inspired bestselling author Sharon Cameron’s new young adult novel ‘Up from the Ashes.’ In an exclusive Q&A, Cameron and Selma and Chaim’s son, Fred Engel, discuss colla...

09/21/2026

Vive le Livre! Long Live the Book!

The Library Foundation’s 40th annual Vive le Livre was a success, and we are so grateful to everyone who helped make it possible. Thank you for coming out for a night celebrating YOUR library system, enjoying an evening with friends, and hearing inspiring words from our keynote author, Mitch Albom.

A huge thank you to Redstone Federal Credit Union for being our Presenting Sponsor and to the Ashburn Foundation for being our Reception Sponsor.

And to every sponsor, donor, and guest who supported Vive le Livre, thank you. Your generosity makes a difference every day and helps HMCPL provide books, programs, resources, and opportunities for our community across all 10 branches.

Until next year!

Huntsville Madison County Public Library

09/11/2026

A big thank you to Demetria Green at 48 News for helping us spread the word about our 40th annual Vive le Livre!

We’re so excited to celebrate this special milestone with bestselling author Mitch Albom on September 16 at the Jackson Center. Proceeds from Vive le Livre support the Huntsville Madison County Public Library, helping provide more books, programming, and digital resources for our community.

We appreciate Demetria and the entire team at WAFF 48 for having the Library Foundation on today and helping us share more about this very special evening!

Tickets and Details: https://hmcpl.org/foundation/vive