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LIBRARY GAMBLES: GAMBLES REPLIES

16-02-2008

Birmingham Library chief Brian Gambles responds to recent Stirrer articles by Alan Clawley and Steve Beauchampé complaining about the lack of space given over to books in the building – especially following a refurb of the archive section.

If you’re new to the discussion, best start here and here

Here, in full, is Brian Gambles reply:

Our vision and ambition for the new Library of Birmingham will create the largest public library in Europe and the best public library in the world. Within the limitations of the present building we are seeking to pilot a modern approach to service delivery for the 21st century.

The Health Exchange are not our tenants. They are our partners. We work together on an acclaimed new approach to health information and the achievement of better health outcomes for our citizens.

The Health Exchange is part of the Library - a modern library.

Our ambition for exhibition space is to allow us to display, for the benefit of citizens, some of the amazing treasures - books, photographs and archives - held in the Central Library in trust for the people of Birmingham.

I do not think it would be very responsible to expose these treasures on display boards.

We need a properly designed exhibition gallery. And Mr Clawley can be assured that the resources, knowledge and skills will be in place to create some truly astounding exhibitions in the new library.

Public consultation tells us that the cafe is a much demanded service and indeed it is very popular considering the small space it occupies.

Do you use Birmingham Central Library?

Are you up to scratch?

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