Library of the month
Each month we will feature a different library that is embracing the Love Libraries campaign. Our current library of the month is Handsworth Community Library in Birmingham.
Handsworth Community Library
Soho Road
Handsworth
Birmingham, B21 9HP
www.birmingham.gov.uk/handsworthlibrary
Opening hours:
Mon, Tues, Fri, Sat 9.00-5.00
Thurs 12.00-7.00
Weds and Sun Closed
“Thanks for giving us a posh library”.
What’s the best thing about the library?
The sight of so many people, from so many different ethnicities and cultures making use of the service every day. The visits have rocketed from 40,000-50,000 from 2000 to 2004 up to 91,312 in 2006 and 119,184 in 2007.
Why did the library need transforming?
Previously the internal space was inflexible and not suited to delivering the types of services that the community expected from us. The designers John Hunt Associates: Birmingham and Baltimore, based their design around the aspirations of local people as described in the community consultation report that took place prior to writing the design brief. This has created an internal space that is flexible, offering a range of possibilities to develop new services and enhancing the existing ones.
A performance space seating 70 people has been established along with a community room that can be hired out. Plasma screens and a projection wall help to market services and an exhibition space gives opportunities for local artists to show their work. Public toilets for adults and children have been provided along with baby changing/breast feeding facilities. A retail approach has been taken to lighting, ensuring that stock is shown off to its best advantage and a colourful desk with an illuminated glass top greets customers as they enter the library. The children’s library is a bright, vibrant and exciting space for children to explore and it links to the community room so that activities requiring more space have the opportunity to spread into other areas. IT facilities are threaded throughout the building enabling those needing some seclusion to study. The community language stock is better displayed in recognition of the communities that are served and the adult area at the rear retains a more traditional library feel. The design opens up interesting vistas at every turn, making it a constant delight to those visiting for the first time, or those making return visits. The music playing in the entrance and the coffee machine helps to enhance their visit and encourages them to stay for a longer period of time.
Have you introduced new services?
We now have live music, photographic exhibitions and film shows by local directors. We ran Urban Digital, a digital arts project offering training in Film, Photography, Web Design and Graphic Design and students are able to borrow Nikon digital cameras, Canon video cameras and all the associated equipment to make films along with the Adobe software and IT facilities to do all the editing and digital imaging for a range of disciplines. The community room enables us to raise income along with the hire of the performance space. A music CD loan collection has been introduced.
Do you work with other service providers in the community?
Yes, we work with Surestart, City College, the Centre for Music and Technology, Connecting Histories, Words Out, Heart of Birmingham teaching primary care trust, Schools and so on.
Do you support the Love Libraries campaign?
Yes, because the profile of libraries must be raised in communities, with decision makers, with those of influence if we are to retain our place in society among so many competing options for people's time. Fun days, staff wearing Love Libraries Tee Shirts and using the Love Libraries Mugs, Posters and Carrier Bags all promote libraries. We now have our own range of Tee shirts: ‘Be Smart Read’ and also carrier bags, pens etc branded with ‘Handsworth Library’, and we wouldn't have thought of this idea without the Love Libraries campaign.
If you think your local library deserves to be featured as our ‘library of the month’ we want to hear from you! Contact the Love Libraries campaign email info@lovelibraries.co.uk
View previous libraries of the month:
Essex Libraries
Lewes Library, Lewes
Handsworth Community Library, Birmingham
Hoddesdon Library, Hertfordshire
