Birmingham Zoo and Birmingham Public Library Team-up To Make Learning A WILD Adventure – June 30th, 2022

The Birmingham Zoo and Birmingham Public Library are pleased to announce the launch of the Birmingham Library Zoo Family Pass Program! This inspiring collaboration is an adventure-packed program encouraging children PreK through 8^th grade to read, learn about animals, and experience them in real life during a fun-filled day at their Zoo.

“This program is truly a union of our missions,” according to Chris Pfefferkorn, Birmingham Zoo President & CEO. “The goal of the program is to foster lifelong learning, cultural enrichment, enjoyment, and passion to conserve the natural world. This collaboration between Birmingham Public Library and the Birmingham Zoo team has resulted in an adventure that’s really engaging and exciting for kids – and their families!”

Children begin the program by checking out a Birmingham Zoo Family Pass backpack from one of the four participating Birmingham Public Library locations: Avondale, Central, Five Points West, and Springville Road.

Each fun-filled backpack is uniquely themed and represents popular animals found in four different areas of the Zoo:

1. The Rainforest: Primates (Avondale)            Trails of Africa: Elephants (Central)
2. Alabama Wilds: Bears (Five Points West)        Alligators and Friends: Reptiles (Springville Road)

Each themed backpack contains six library books, a felt animal habitat set, informative animal magazine articles, animal activity sheets, and a Birmingham Zoo animal DVD.

Children may keep the backpack to read, play and explore the activities for up to 3 weeks. Upon return to the library, children receive a Birmingham Zoo Family Pass certificate, allowing a single daytime admission to Birmingham Zoo for up to four people, valid for 2 months from the issue date. The only way to obtain the certificate is by visiting the library, checking out and returning a backpack. Upon arrival at the zoo, patrons will be required to present their Birmingham Zoo Family Pass certificate and their library card for admission.

“This summer’s launch is the pilot of a much larger program,” says Tiffaney McClendon, Manager of Guest Services. “We plan to expand the Birmingham Zoo Family Pass Program so that every Birmingham Public Library branch will eventually have backpacks available for check-out.”

“We are so excited about this Birmingham Zoo partnership and this fantastic program,” says Carla Perkins of Birmingham Public Library. “The response from library visitors has been great – two backpacks were checked out within two hours of being available.”

Guests are invited to check out a backpack now at any of the four Birmingham Library locations, read and learn about the Zoo’s animals, then enjoy a fun day at their Birmingham Zoo enjoying some of the animals they have learned about!

View Birmingham Zoo Announces Birmingham Public Library Team-up To Make Learning A WILD Adventure Press Release HERE