Library of Birmingham

At 31,000 square metres, the Library of Birmingham is one of the largest public libraries in the world. Inside you will find a huge collection of written works and Birmingham's internationally important collections of archives, photography and rare books.

Diverse collection

Over a million books line the shelves, encompassing a vast array of genres and topics. Popular collections include literature, newspapers dating back to the mid 18th century and photography, including the Warwickshire Photographic collection documenting the changing face of Birmingham since the 19th century. There are also over 8,000 books on world history and one of the UK’s most important music collection with specialist recordings, scores and books on music.

A celebration of Shakespeare

As well as the Shakespeare Memorial Room, fans of he Bard of Avon will be interested in the Library of Birmingham’s (LoB) Shakespeare Collection, with more than 100,000 items including books, illustrations posters and photographs. It also houses Shakespeare’s First Folio, the first collected edition of his plays, of which only 750 copies were published in 1623. The collection is held in store rooms so viewing needs to be booked in advance.

Educational hub

The Library of Birmingham goes far beyond the traditional library experience. There's a dedicated children's area, while teenagers have their own space for study and socialising. The library fosters creativity with a state-of-the-art performance studio and an amphitheater that hosts an array of events and the BFI Mediatheque provides free access to the National Film Archive's vast collection.