Head of Birmingham Libraries Service Brian Gambles with the latest in a series of blogs looking at the exciting £193million Library of Birmingham project.
A hectic week and its still only Wednesday! That’s what being Conference City does for major projects I guess. Monday started on Sunday evening, advising that the promised but highly confidential Prime Ministerial visit to the Library site was going ahead – but on Monday rather than the Tuesday we’d been discussing all week. Frantic phone calls to sort out PR and media, make sure site management were fully briefed, and the Leader’s office informed.
Complications because immediately before David Cameron’s visit we entertained Kevin McCloud, of Channel 4 Grand Designs fame, in town ahead of the big show at the NEC. Kevin knows the city well and gave us great support, covered on Midlands Today the same evening.
Then the PM’s visit, with the usual retinue of PR and Security; he spent 20 minutes with Cllr Mike Whitby looking at the progress of building work and chatting with the Carillion team (who were magnificent) in the site canteen. He also endorsed the formation of a Library of Birmingham Development Trust, created to facilitate fundraising and further ensure continued excellence for the project.
This fits well with his vision for a Big Society, and will allow the whole community to engage with the library as opening day in June 2013 approaches.
Still only Tuesday, and Cllr Whitby and I welcomed the Culture Minister, Ed Vaizey, for an extended tour of the site and an inspection of plans for the service offer. He too was incredibly positive and enthusiastic about what we are trying to achieve, and how we are setting about the task.
Ed then went on to meet renowned photographer Brian Griffin and to declare open the fabulous exhibition of Brian’s work at One Snow Hill – both portraiture from the 1970’s and 80’s, and a wonderful project, the Water People, shot in Iceland. Both collections will be added on deposit to the world class photography collections in the Central Library, but in the meantime, do go see – fantastic images.
And now its Wednesday…
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