LibraryofBirmingham

What’s on May! Free events and activities in the Children’s and Music Library 📚🦖

#PhotoFriday today is this bustling street scene of Broad Street taken on 24 July 1934 looking back down towards the city centre. The spire of the Presbyterian Church in the background. Ref: WK/B11/5127 @LibraryofBham @Brumpic

We’re continuing to highlight resources to help your research as part of #LocalHistoryMonth. This week it’s the turn of electoral registers - useful if you want to look at changing population diversity in your locality @LibraryofBham @histassoc

#Eurovision2026 Remember when Brum hosted the Eurovision back in 1998 - that’s the last time the UK hosted on the back of a win. Dana International, Sir Tel and Ulrika! Good luck to all this weekend. Reference - LF 55.3 @LibraryofBham @Eurovision

#BirminghamLibrary another set of artefacts from the Central Library - the two heavy large stone medallions of David Garrick and William Shakespeare originally from the front of the Theatre Royal are doing well in storage here @LibraryofBham

#Maps visitors to the Central Library may remember Saxton’s Britannia Insularium, c 1585 on floor 6 inside its wooden cabinet with adorning ruched velveteen curtains. It’s safely in storage in the new library @LibraryofBham

#PlanOnATuesday today is this 1900 block plan of the Birmingham Union Workhouse and Infirmary located on Western Road which was a sprawling institution built in the 1850s to the designs of J.J. Bateman. Ref: HRA Map Cabinet Drawer 2/2 (922610) @LibraryofBham

Mental Health Awareness Week takes place from 11 – 17 May. We have set up a display on the Upper Terrace, Foyer, featuring a curated selection of resources focused on mental health and wellbeing. @LibraryofBham

#SundayShowcase is Empire of Guns by Priya Satia which explores the role Britain's prosperous gun trade played in the Industrial Revolution with focus on Birmingham’s Samuel Galton - one of Britain's most prominent gun makers. Ref: L 65.52 @LibraryofBham @PriyaSatia

We will be out and about today at our usual monthly Saturday stops, in our smaller replacement van. Still plenty of books onboard to borrow! @LibraryofBham @BhamCityCouncil

#CityOf1000Trades The "Lullabye" nursery furniture & cot bedding book, 1952. Orders could be sent by telegram - the old school tweet - to Mattress, Birmingham. Ref - LS 10/Lullabye @LibraryofBham

This May, hire meeting rooms & boardrooms at The Rep or Library of Birmingham at half price. 🌟 Ideal for meetings, workshops & more in city-centre venues to connect & collaborate. New bookings only in May. 📞 Call us on 0121 245 2066 or enquire here: bit.ly/42lgacV

May is #LocalHistoryMonth history.org.uk/historian/reso… Maps are wonderful for exploring the history of your area. As well as flat maps, we have an extensive collection of folded maps such as this 7th Edition one inch map of Birmingham @LibraryofBham @histassoc

#BritishAsianHistory we recently located an album of photos - Memento of the visit of the Indian Colonial troops to the Birmingham Small Arms Works, June 16th 1911 when helping a researcher look at Birmingham’s gun industry. Ref: LF 65.54/ 438346 @LibraryofBham

#PhotoFriday is the Old Meeting Church, Bristol Street photographed in 1954. The church served the local area from 1885 but was subject to post - war redevelopment. Ref – WK/B11/1469 @LibraryofBham @Brumpic

Today we are honouring #VEDay with this photograph of a crowd gathered outside the Council House in Victoria Square rejoicing at the end of conflict in Europe. One can only imagine how they must have felt knowing the war was over. Ref – Council House 124 @LibraryofBham @Brumpic

8 June 2026 is celebrated as VE Day. We have a large selection of books available to borrow to learn about this period of history. @LibraryofBham

#ScreenFreeWeek is here. Best ‘algorithm’ is a walk down the library aisles. @LibraryofBham #BookTwitter

#CityOf1000Trades as we’re repackaging the records of Albright and Wilson (MS 1724), paper attachments are being replaced with brass paper clips or wrapped in archival paper. Here’s a sample of the items used to hold documents together @LibraryofBham

The next in-person Book Chat is scheduled for Saturday, May 09. Please note the new time. We will be meeting from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. in the Job Box, located in the Music Library. @LibraryofBham #BookTwitter

Having some reading time in @LibraryofBham soooo many books to choose from and the actual library is soooo huge #tarlietravels @BhamLibReader @visit_bham