Ladder shortage at new £190m library leaves books unreachable

Tens of thousands of books at Birmingham's new £190m public library cannot be borrowed because ladders to reach them are yet to be delivered.

Now, more than six months after the landmark facility was opened, it has been branded ‘unfit for purpose’.



Furious students, researchers and academics are unable to access reference books and old periodicals because the library does not have the equipment to reach high shelves. The setback has been described as ‘farcical’, and one insider aid that staff had been demoralised by dealing with angry visitors unable to carry out research.

It means that researchers and academics have been unable to access a wealth of material for more than 18 months, as many of the archives were closed off a year in advance for the library move. Medieval historian George Demidowicz, of the University of Birmingham, described the situation as a ‘tragedy and a scandal’.