Opened in 1974, the third public library in Birmingham City Centre was a modern, ambitious, ‘built to last’ construction; yet, less than forty years on, the building’s closure has been announced, and a replacement library is in the process of being built.

The closure is fast approaching – some of the floors are due to be taken out of service sometime in July. Surely, this is all the more reason to take the chance and have a wander round Architect John Madin’s radical design.

Writing West Midlands are offering one more afternoon during which you can hire an mp3 player to listen to local writer Sibyl Ruth’s Bodies in the Library: 14th July 2011.

Taking the untimely demise of the building as her inspiration, Sibyl has woven together a tapestry of stories that celebrate the building and its short history.

Be transported back to 1974 and get your tour of the newly opened building; follow Anya as she navigates the unknown building searching for someone; learn about the grand vision for the building from architectural historian Andy Foster… but above all, take your chance to walk a long farewell to the library, before its doors close forever; to be replaced with this….

The audio files are available individually on the Ears Wide Open website here