Three years after its closure, Birmingham’s historic Spring Hill Library remains perfectly preserved yet eerily frozen in time. Once a bustling community hub, the Grade II-listed Victorian building adjacent to Tesco on Spring Hill shut its doors “temporarily” in December 2022 over heating issues caused by old pipework—but it has not reopened since.
Campaign group Birmingham Loves Libraries recently released striking images revealing an interior untouched since closure. Books still line the shelves, posters cling to noticeboards, and the front desk sits cluttered as if waiting for staff to return. Even a half-full box of sweets prepared for children’s events stands as a poignant symbol of what once was.
Despite initial hope for reopening, Birmingham City Council declared the library surplus earlier this year amid financial difficulties and plans to dispose of the site. Yet the council has pledged to retain ownership and is seeking a long-term lease with an organization that will repurpose the space for community use.
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Historian Professor Carl Chinn lamented the loss: “The Grade II-listed Spring Hill Library will not reopen as a library. It’s another crucial local facility lost due to council cutbacks that disproportionately affect working-class neighborhoods.”
Campaigner Rebecca Danks, who visited the 132-year-old building, expressed deep disappointment but welcomed the opportunity for community use: “While it’s heartbreaking that the library won’t reopen as before, maintaining ownership offers hope the building can remain a vital community space.”
Danks and Chinn recently led a talk during Birmingham Heritage Week—held outside the library due to health and safety restrictions—with Tesco generously providing a nearby meeting room. The event underscored the library’s role beyond book lending, highlighting its importance in an area facing high child poverty rates.
As Spring Hill Library stands frozen in time, its preserved interior serves as both a moving snapshot of the past and a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges facing public libraries and their communities.