Alan Clawley remembers the opening of the Central Library.
There are some who will celebrate the knocking down of the Central Library because it reminds them of an era they would rather forget. Some might even call its authors idiots. But whilst they can wipe the building off the face of the earth they can’t re-write history.
Big projects are always driven by a few strong-minded politicians regardless of which party they belong to. Cross-party support is crucial as governments can change hands in mid-stream. The Central Library was no exception then and the Library of Birmingham is no exception now.
So, between 1966 and 1973 plans for the new library were drawn up in the offices of the John Madin Design Group on the Hagley Road. The City Librarian at the time was WA Taylor, who had considerable experience of procuring new public libraries, one of which was for the government of Nigeria. One of Taylor’s most important stipulations was that there should be a childrens’ library with its own entrance and workshop area for painting, puppetry and other activities, arguing that this would benefit the children who lived closest to the library in what we was being referred to as the Inner City.
He also called for a Commercial and Quick Reference Section with an informal readers lounge within the lending Library. Madin went to the USA to study several newly completed libraries and to see how emerging information technology could be taken into account in his own design.
The City’s public libraries committee was responsible for the project. Its Chairman between 1961 and 1962 was Councillor Beaumont-Dark, who was an early enthusiast for the new library and who later became the Conservative MP for Selly Oak.
When Harold Wilson opened the new library he was Leader of the Opposition having lost the 1970 general election to Edward Heath and was yet to regain power in 1974. Opening the largest municipal library in Europe was a perfect role for a man who built his political success on the idea of modernising Britain’s tradition-bound institutions. Its striking modern style was entirely free from any reference to the past other than its close proximity to its ornate and cluttered Victorian predecessor that was about to be demolished despite the protests of the local Victorian Society. The new library precisely symbolised modernity, yet it was part of that tradition of bold and foresighted local government epitomised by the Liberal Victorian Joseph Chamberlain.
The newspaper reports were glowing. The Evening Mail quoted Wilson saying that the Library was “a great leap forward” and “a proud achievement for all parties in the city”. The Mail reported that the complex was regarded as the finest provincial library in Europe. Mr Wilson unveiled a plaque to open the library officially in front of council representatives and civic officials but before the ceremony he paid a lightning visit to the children’s department, for which he was full of praise. “It must be a tremendous boon for the mothers of the city to go shopping and leave their children here for a couple of productive and creative hours,” he said.
Mr Wilson paid tribute to the work of Mr Denis Howell (Labour Member of Parliament for Small Heath and former Minister for Sport), who had given the scheme final approval. “The opening of this library is an act of faith in meeting the needs and creating the demand of the future”, said Mr Wilson. The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Mrs Marjorie Brown (Labour, Small Heath) thanked Mr Wilson for help in the “difficult days” before the finances had been approved. Some members of the minority Conservative group on the City Council carried out their threat to boycott the ceremony but Alderman Neville Bosworth and Alderman Sir Francis Griffin attended.
The unexpurgated Library Story, which will be published this year and which has provided material for this article, shows that the people responsible for creating the Central Library were neither lackeys of the Soviet Union nor idiots.