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Library Of Birmingham 2013

Oisin said:
I've been too busy sitting back with a smug look on my face to make any recent contribution to this thread but now I can't help commenting that I told you so. The project was flawed from conception.
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i said the same thing as soon as i saw the plans and the cost oisin...an absolute disaster and i was hoping i would be proved wrong but i am afraid it is far worse than i thought it would be especially to those of us who used the archives dept on a regular basis...

all the best

lyn
 
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Lyn,

I have yet to visit it and due to increasing age, I may never do so. But without doing so, the two reader comments at the end seem quite reasonable.

Maurice
 
Reading the report, for the council to say " We have also recently increased the library’s opening hours, offering users greater flexibility." in the circumstances is reminiscent of me strangling someone and then expecting a medal for giving them the kiss of life afterwards




 
Maurice, I have never visited the new Library either and never will and I only live 10 miles away, and its nothing to do with my age, I think its an ugly monstrosity. Quite happy with my modest (but efficient) Library at Chelmsley Wood, with the occasional visit to Solihull main Library, used to exhibit paintings there. Have also exhibited (and sold) painting at the Library they are now demolishing. Bet the new Library fails to hold exhibitions, I could be wrong of course, may be someone knows different. Eric
 
cookie273uk said:
Maurice, I have never visited the new Library either and never will and I only live 10 miles away, and its nothing to do with my age, I think its an ugly monstrosity. Quite happy with my modest (but efficient) Library at Chelmsley Wood, with the occasional visit to Solihull main Library, used to exhibit paintings there. Have also exhibited (and sold) painting at the Library they are now demolishing. Bet the new Library fails to hold exhibitions, I could be wrong of course, may be someone knows different. Eric
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Visited this new library in October, loved the views from the balconies, surprised that there wasn't a restaurant such as the Edwardian Tea Rooms in BMAG which could use these roof top views to attract repeat visits from tourists. Did a little research on level 4 while there, the staff were so very helpful.
 
Eric,

I think that they have designed modern cities so that no one lives in their hearts any more. It's certainly the case with Manchester and the same with the financial areas of London. Far more profitable to build office blocks than living accommodation. And if you haven't got people, you don't need community centres, which the local libraries are. In a suburb of Bournemouth a friend of mine has the headquarters of the local history society and can put on exhibitions of old photographs, maps and newspaper clippings, and also staged a special exhibition associated with the World War 1 Millenium, all at no cost to the locals.

I can't imagine that happening at the Library of Birmingham where floor space is expensive - and let's face it, the real killer here, on the Council's own admission, are the huge amounts in interest payments. Never having visited it, I don't know what space could be made available, assuming there was the goodwill to do so.

Here in Crete we have a few libraries bursting at the seems with books and any spare space has been commandeered by some local Councils as office space. But we do have a few community centres that we can use, but we have to be prepared to clean them and staff them with our own volunteers. But if we want to sell anything, it's almost a no-no these days as the financial situation has resulted in the tax office almost removing out non-profitmaking status. We're allowed but two fundraising events a year now and then they come down on us like a ton of bricks.

As many of us have said in the past, the old building could have been re-roofed and extended for a fraction of the cost except that the Council would not then find some outfit to lend the money, even at the exhorbitant rates they charge. I'm afraid that the world has changed, but I do worry about the poor citizens who are paying all that interest forever and a day and wondering why. In short, I think we've been around this loop before!

Maurice
 
There are less local groups displaying in the spaces of the Library of Birmingham because the spaces are so large. They also have more formal organisations that will fill those and the smaller galleries within the building. This leaves local groups to mount exhibitions in local libraries. I have been heavily involved with a local history group that has mounted exhibitions in our local library. I have also been involved in events that have run in the front court of the Library of Birmingham. They just have different standards because they cater to a lot more visitors.
 
devonjim said:
Visited this new library in October, loved the views from the balconies, surprised that there wasn't a restaurant such as the Edwardian Tea Rooms in BMAG which could use these roof top views to attract repeat visits from tourists. Did a little research on level 4 while there, the staff were so very helpful.
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There is a Library Cafe on the ground floor (right of the entrance). You can take your drink up to the mezzanine if you want to. There was some kind of bar on the third level, although never seen it open or in use.

And The REP has a restaurant on the ground floor also.

Plus there is several places to eat within The ICC.
 
I think it was always the idea that the Rep and the Library would share restaurants, which seems reasonable as they are connected. Not so keen on the idea of having to go right to the other end of the Rep to get to the Gents though
 
mikejee said:
I think it was always the idea that the Rep and the Library would share restaurants, which seems reasonable as they are connected. Not so keen on the idea of having to go right to the other end of the Rep to get to the Gents though
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You shouldn't have to go that far but, since that's the largest in the building, it's probably easier. The library has toilets scattered throughout the building and not terribly well signposted. They don't have any on the ground floor for some reason or close to the cafe on the ground. Surprisingly, they didn't provide any quantity of them for the bar on the third floor either. The main blocks are in the basement behind the Children's library and on the 4th floor behind some racks in the history section.
 
Thanks Wam. When I felt the need on one occasion the attendant directed me to the one I mentioned.
 
absolutely disgusted with the automated email i received back from the library in response to my request for an archive search for something...even in the first year of the new library opening the longest i had to wait was 3 days...just goes to show how NOT fit for purpose it is and in no way am i blaming the staff...whats left of them...even if i went there myself they still would not have the time to look for material for me so once again the public suffer..



Thank you for contacting the Archives & Collections service at the Library of Birmingham. Please read the following automatic response as it contains important service information and may provide the answer to your enquiry right away.
We receive a large volume of enquiries on a daily basis and work hard to respond to them as soon as possible - it can take at least four weeks in some circumstances for us to reply. We offer our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.
 
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That's a disgrace!
What's the point of the Library if you can't access the information there? It's bad enough that it's not open at times convenient for users let alone this!
It shouldn't just be a visitor attraction, it's supposed to be a library!!
Rant over. (For now!)
rosie.
 
totally agree with you rosie..i just can not see the point in using it anymore...to wait 4 weeks plus for an archive search is out of this world...someone needs to be bought to book (excuse the pun) over how most brummies have been hoodwinked into believing that this library would benifit us all...i had my doubts even before the foundations were laid but i never thought it would turn out as bad as it has what a joke and i am afraid it is on us

lyn
 
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I womder what the reponse timer would be if the request came from "Google digital garage" or that language school they are now hosting
 
Astoness said:
totally agree with you rosie..i just can not see the point in using it anymore...to wait 4 weeks plus for an archive search is out of this world...someone needs to be bought to book (excuse the pun) over how most brummies have been hoodwinked into believing that this library would benifit us all...i had my doubts even before the foundations were laid but i never thought it would turn out as bad as it has what a joke and i am afraid it is on us

lyn
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Ah, if only all the info was on the WWW, Google would be our best friend.
 
Well, the Birmingham City Council MUST be the laughing stock of the world, this is not an isolated problem, the councils refuge collection service is a laugh, and their web site ( which we are referred to on the phone is even worse, GO ON guys try on their web site and find out your collection date !!!! try to report a missed collection) my local councillor is trying to sort it LOL, he has more chance of knitting fog.
The LOB as they now call it has HIDDEN some of the countries, if not the worlds greatest treasures, last year i was able to very archives of Matthew Boultons company Which are extensive, but unable to view the Warickshire Collection of photographs as "The Archives dept has not enough room to display the index files" OMG, sorry folks, but the city i love is being destroyed by The Morons, yes Morons running our once great, " The Greatest Run City IN THE WORLD" in Chamberlains time, to a rag tag bunch of buildings and Badly thought out projects for the benefit of Councillors trying to make a name for them selves, than for the benefit of THE CITY, there is a name for these people, but i prefer to leave that in your minds.
 
Escalators update: Level 1 to Level 2. You have to walk up to Level 2. The down escalator is completely blocked off.

If you want to get back down, you have to go down the stairs, or use the lift. The stairs exit to Level 1 was locked, due to a section of that floor being blocked off (maybe for the Brasshouse Language Centre).


This thing is on the ground floor. I took this from the Mezzanine Level.

 
If the Bullring can get their escalators repaired, why no the Library?

Didn't notice if the glass lift was fixed yet (I didn't go up to level 4 today).
 
What a 'white elephant' the new Library as turned out to be, you gain the impression they simply cannot afford to run it as it should be run !!. I recently read of the 10 most popular venues visited last year, 9 where in London ant other was the new Birmingham library, wonder what they thought ? Eric
 
Nothing to do with Birmingham Library, but I have just seen a film of the work that has been undertaken by Japan after the tsunami disaster. Not only have they rebuilt a new, and very formidable wall, but they have completely erased the old town, and built the foundations for a new town, 15 metres high on top of the old site. An incredible amount of work in such a short period of time.

My point being, in this country, we shout about our achievements, but never seem to have either the energy, or the funds, to see a project through.

Eddie
 
I suggest they learn from Solihull main Library, not only does it provide a very efficient service, it also boasts 2 galleries (for occasional Art exhibitions (I have exhibited/sold paintings there) it also has a popular theatre. Eric
 
Eric,

I think it's too late to learn now - they have an expensive monstrosity on their hands and have largely demolished the old library. I presume this was built under some sort of PFI scheme, so they'll be paying for it forever. Too late the maiden cried!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maurice
 
A new entrance for The REP - on part of the walkway from the Library to the REP.








The library was closed on Easter Monday (probably also closed yesterday on Easter Day / Sunday).
 
Hope it's not the main entrance. Looks pretty non-descript with an uninspiring logo. The 'Welcome to' looks like an apology. Oh dear, this is a disappointment. Viv.
 
I'm not sure. I thought that the original "New" REP building had an entrance somewhere. Well there is an entrance / exit to the far left, but on the Centenary Square side is now that Marmalade restaurant. And you can go in via the library entrance.
 
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