LIBRARY GAMBLES ON SPACE

15-02-2008

Campaigner Alan Clawley notes with alarm that Birmingham Central Library is shrinking before our very eyes. Boss Brian Gambles seems to be reducing the space available for, er, you know….BOOKS!

Visit the Central Library, as I did today, but instead of looking for what you want, take a cool look around and ask some searching questions about what you see. It’s a worrying picture.

The Chief Librarian, Brian Gambles, has often complained at length about the shortcomings of the building. He says there is not enough space for exhibitions and no room for the archives.

But his actions belie his words. Far from trying to acquire MORE space Mr Gambles and his predecessors have been busily DISPOSING of useful floor space. It seems the Library Service needs the income more than they need the space.

The process began some years ago with the leasing of Paradise Forum to a developer who in turn sublet the space to the likes of McDonalds. Not only has the library lost a fine public arena and exhibition space but the basement below the Library, that could be used to store books, has become a service area for these fast food outlets.

More recently half of Floor Five and a ground floor area next to the entrance has been taken over by the “Health Exchange”, laudable in itself, but still a loss of library space. The facilities in these spaces are not run by Library staff but by Health Authority staff wearing Library nameplates. The public naturally think it is part of the Library Service.

In return Mr Gambles has secured a “makeover” for parts of his run-down building. The Health Authority no doubt covered the cost of painting the ceilings and walls, laying new floor coverings, adding logos to glass panels, improving the lighting, building a reception desk, installing computer terminals, and designing eye-catching displays, as well as paying for the staff to be around to deal with the public, whilst the Library contributed its collection of books on health.

The café also occupies potential exhibition space, popular though it may be. I don’t imagine its owner is pushing for more space, as there is no lack of competition from the dozens of other coffee shops in town.

The display facilities that are already available are hardly used by Library staff. The 10 display boards in the corridor opposite the cafe have occasionally shown the work of artists, but since “Back to the Modern” in 2006 we have seen hardly any original material specially produced for the boards either by Library staff themselves or outsiders.

Most of the material is in the form of pre-printed posters or advertising material. The little exhibition area at the top of the entrance escalators is mostly used by outside bodies such as those selling charity Christmas cards.

If Mr Gambles says that his hard-pressed staff do not have the time to make exhibitions of any kind how will they have the time in a new library with so much more space to do it in?

If Mr Gambles says that the Council needs the income from letting out floorspace it is hard to see how a bigger building will help him, unless it gives him more space to let out to other non-library users. Is he to become an estate agent rather than a librarian?

As he well knows space needs staff to manage it. Buildings are also expensive to run. More space means higher costs. If he cannot afford to keep and manage the space he has now how can he possibly afford a bigger building?

See also “Paradise For Developers?”

And “Bookworm Turns Over Library Refurb”