After constructing an £188 million library, Birmingham councils are now asking the public to donate books after running out of money.
Birmingham City Council confirmed it put its book fund on pause after a result of budget cuts. As a result, the libraries in Birmingham, including the one recently built for £188 million, have been asking patrons to donate any new books, which would be “gratefully received”, as they will not be purchasing any new books or newspapers in the meantime.
The new library only opened up 15 months ago and was opened by the Nobel Prize winner, Malala Yousafzai. It has since had to cut back on the number of staff working there, the opening hours, and has had many of its other services cancelled, as well.
A trustee of the The Library Campaign, Elizabeth Ash, tells the Telegraph: “It’s unbelievable. They’ve spent all that money on that big library, then cut the hours; now to appeal for books is just madness.”
