General Chat

In Birmingham every one of the 40 branch libraries is under review, and major cuts are expected in staffing and the book budgets. Despite this, two enormous concrete towers have risen above a huge hole in the ground in Centenary Square in the city centre. The super library, planned for a decade, has been under construction for the last year, At a cost of £188.8 million the new Library of Birmingham will open to the public on Tuesday 3rd September 2013.

Despite all the hype and spin about the new building, Birmingham city council is currently keeping very, very quiet indeed about its plans for the 'ordinary' branch library users of Birmingham.

We had all that in Gloucestershire a year ago, we lost some libraries thatw ere underused, retained some (after ther was a lot of hoo ha and it was found that there was a legal commitment to provide libraries. And some went to mainly volunteer run.

It isn't just the library. Its also the Record Office and other depts as well. The old Central library is a dreadful 1960's creation, a weather stained concrete block.

Andy

I made full use of the old central library because I lived in the city centre, so it was my "local". Not just for borrowing books, but for the archives & the local history floor, especially when I was studying for my Cert HE in Family History & the one in Local History. In fact the classes for the family history cert were held in the library on the 6th floor & for most of the 1st year, the escalators weren´t working, which kept us fit, as well as improving our minds.
Don´t live in England any more, but hope to visit the new library at some time in the future.

Andrew I am aware of the other uses for the building, but £188.8 million is still an awful lot of money. Many people are not able to get into the city and local libraries are shutting down. Some branches are more than just a library but also a meeting place where people get together for coffee and take part book clubs, our branch also runs children’s reading groups plus other activities which sadly will be lost with these closures. I have to say that new building in my opinion is not much of an architectural improvement. I wonder what it will look like in fifty years time?

Paula.
I agree with you wholeheartedly. As a family we were great readers & would have been lost without our local library when we lived in the suburbs.
I´m old enough to remember the wonderful old library that was pulled down in the 60s to make way for the current monstrosity.
Sacriledge in my opinion.

Our local libraries were saved by a group that formed to fight the cuts, made up of ex librarians, local councillors and 'ordinary' people. They worked hard, lobbying and looking up legalities etc, and they won. (for now).

I love the new library building and can't wait for it to open. I love that it's going to be linked to the theatre next door as well.

Gwynne