 |
 |
*** Apologies for cross-posting *** CILIP West Midlands and The Birmingham Salon present: What are libraries for? Wednesday 22 September 2010 The Studio, Cannon St, Birmingham B2 5EP. Drinks reception from 6.45pm. Debate from 7.30 - 9.00pm. Why is Birmingham investing in a new central library? Will it meet genuine needs or is it simply landmark architecture for the city and very little to do with library services? Mike Whitby, Leader of Birmingham City Council, when unveiling the £193 million design by Dutch architects Mecanoo Architecten, declared "This is further evidence of our intention to attract world-class architects to work with the city". The council website waxes lyrical about the building design and its open-air space, an elevated garden with spectacular views over the city. But is the emphasis on the outward appearance of the library at the expense of the books and other resources that the new library will be offering? Many local commentators puzzle over this and question how Birmingham City Council can be confident that the new library will meet the needs of its citizens. How much community consultation has taken place, and what were the findings? Others mourn the loss of the current central library, considered a world-class example of Brutalist architecture. So why is all the talk of beautiful vistas rather than books? Are we consigning our traditional libraries and their dusty books to the annals of history? Is that inevitable with the ubiquity of the Internet and the emergence of e-books? And if so, what will the new library offer on the inside? Will the Library of Birmingham be a glorified coffee shop and performance space? Is that what we want from our 21st century library services? This is a debate that is well overdue in the city. It will bring together the viewpoints of Birmingham's librarians together with those who make use of library services. We want to make it as lively and participative as possible. The debate will be led by Brian Gambles, Assistant Director, Culture, Birmingham City Council. The debate's responder is local author and keen library user, Andy Killeen. This event is organised by The Birmingham Salon and CILIP West Midlands, with sponsorship from TopTec Workspace. As always, The Birmingham Salon is indebted to The Studio and the University of Birmingham for their ongoing support. Cost: £5 on the door (from those in full-time employment). http://www.cilip.org.uk/wm David Viner Chair CILIP West Midlands Assistant Librarian Solihull Libraries Homer Road SOLIHULL B91 3RG Tel: 0121 704 8534 email: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Web: http://www.solihull.gov.uk/libraries ********************************************************************** DISCLAIMER: ‘This e-mail and files transmitted with it are confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately and delete the message. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Solihull Council unless explicitly stated otherwise. Solihull Council may monitor the contents of e-mail sent and received via its network for the purposes of ensuring compliance with its policies and procedures. The contents of e-mails may have to be disclosed to third parties following a request under legislation such as the Data Protection Act 1998 or the Freedom of Information Act 2000.’ **********************************************************************