Birmingham’s libraries are a vital part of the picture for Birmingham City Council. Doug Morgan of the National Education Union wondered “why do they care so little about the people that use them?” Kent has 99 libraries and I think the council there must value them.
I’m standing at the end of the Red Rose Centre in Sutton Coldfield. The area is dead. A few businesses remain open just around the corner, but on this patch there’s no life, just the pretence of it. An automated message plays: “Attention please, the area is under surveillance,” followed by an alarm.
It has played for months, disturbing the graves of former businesses and what was once Sutton Coldfield library. Only a couple of years ago I came here to borrow history books and research the town’s archives. Years before there were constant primary school trips, borrowing books I only pretended to read.
Sutton Coldfield library closed after 50 years
On 27 June Sutton Coldfield library closed after over 50 years, one of multiple library closures across Birmingham. Despite petitions from campaigners and the town’s Conservatives, the building will be closed indefinitely. Birmingham City Council said in May that the closure was due to “the significant investment required to address the condition of the building and associated Health and Safety concerns.”
The only alternatives for Sutton residents are three other libraries much further way, which are only open two to four days a week. The sole local option is the mobile library which opens for just three hours on Friday afternoons. Despite the local council taking over their funding elsewhere in Sutton Coldfield, Boldmere and Walmley libraries are at risk of closure this autumn.
An issue for all of Birmingham
Library closures are not isolated to Sutton Coldfield. The issue is Birmingham-wide. To think that the city with Europe’s largest library is set to lose many more is staggering. Libraries are needed by many, whether it’s students, those without computer access, those looking to search local archives or people who just want to read.
So why are our libraries in crisis? The obvious reason is the financial situation of Birmingham City Council. Since its bankruptcy in September 2023, it has been much more difficult to maintain funding. Thus, unpopular decisions have been made to save money: pay cuts for refuse workers, the introduction of parking charges at several parks, and the auctioning of former council assets.
Sutton Coldfield Library is the second to have shut in the past ten years. Others have been classed as ‘temporarily closed’ for quite some time, such as Balsall Heath (closed since 2023 for refurbishment) and Spring Hill (closed since 2022 due to building issues).
Council defends cuts to library services
There is also controversy over reduced opening hours. It was announced in June that several sites would no longer open on Saturdays, others on alternating Saturdays, with only ten libraries keeping their schedule. Changes are expected as early as this autumn.
Unsurprisingly, this was met with major contempt, both from the public and multiple councillors. One petition, Save Our Saturdays, has gained over a thousand signatures. This campaign also involved a writing competition for Hall Green Library where entrants could write a poem or story about ‘Saturday at the Library’.
At a Birmingham City Council meeting on 8 July, Cabinet Member for Digital, Culture, Heritage and Tourism, Saima Suleman, was questioned about library closures and reduced hours, particularly the difficulties for working parents wanting to access libraries with their children.
Suleman defended the “tough decision” in the face of financial challenges and highlighted how bringing library services together had avoided multiple closures. She added that: “Even if the way we deliver access looks a little bit different, this is about long-term sustainability.”
Suleman may have a point, considering it was only back in February that seven libraries were at risk of closure. So far, only one has closed. The rest have been given what can be considered the best-case scenario with reduced opening hours.
A teacher speaks out
In the short term, people have limited access to library services or none at all. People will be angry regardless, and perhaps see this approach as a return to austerity. In the long-term, the council may still have financial pressures and only sort out our public services if given the right situation.
I spoke to Doug Morgan, a representative of the National Education Union about whether they were in a better position given only one library had closed. He disagreed and warned that Sutton Coldfield should be a “marker” to people; in many other areas there is less local representation and councils are making significant cuts.
Morgan, also a teacher, commented on the impact of cuts on his students: “In the summer holidays, […] parents often need things for their kids […] that are cost effective. The librarians go above and beyond every single day to make all of our resources accessible. The council cut will mean that it will be more difficult for children to not just learn to read but to develop a love of reading.”
Councillor avoids questions over library cuts
While it may still be argued that the Council are making the best of a bad situation, they haven’t been fully transparent on their handling of the matter. When questioned about the basis for reduced opening hours, Councillor Suleman failed to answer. Instead, Suleman defended the changes stating that: “The alternative was greater loss and less equity of access. While not perfect, this safeguards a sustainable future for our library service.” No data on how the reduced schedules were managed has yet been released.
I spoke to Ben Auton, Green Party candidate for Sutton Trinity ward, who criticised Sutton Coldfield Council for “being very cagey about who they’re talking to or what things are going on” and pledged to be more transparent should he become councillor. Auton petitioned to prevent the closure of Sutton Coldfield Library amid huge public support for libraries, and spoke of councillors’ “bonkers” decision to allow cuts to happen.
Political future of Birmingham hangs in the balance
Next year, Labour-run Birmingham City Council is set to face a potentially disastrous result in the local elections. According to polling website, Find Out Now, Labour is expected to make heavy losses to Reform UK, as in other local elections this year. The Labour Party has already pushed out around a dozen of their Birmingham councillors from running next year.
When I interviewed Perry Barr Independent MP, Ayoub Khan, he spoke about how “the Labour-run council here has failed the citizens of Birmingham across the board”, including a 21% council tax rise and reduction in services such as libraries.
This isn’t only a question of our libraries, but whether the council can afford to continue on this course. Finances are an issue but to cut services that directly benefit the people is only asking for trouble. The party has dominated Birmingham since 2012, and now, with rubbish piling up on the roads, angered workers and a generally fed-up populace, it’s clear that they will be on the way out should this situation continue.
Labour may not be in power next year. Perhaps Birmingham will be another domino knocked over by Reform UK. The fate of our services rests on whoever fills the inevitable power vacuum.
