Belonging to Birmingham. A Book Mark in our Library History
There is something special about the final stages of a community heritage project. It’s been a privilege working closely on interviews, poetry workshops, the artwork, and the shared moments throughout the project. It has been catalogued and in the final stage becomes a public record in The Library of Birmingham, belonging to the city forever.
We gathered at the Library of Birmingham to hand over the complete project deposit for Book Marks, marking a proud milestone for everyone who shared their stories with us.
Preserving Stories of Our Library Spaces
Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Book Marks project set out to explore and celebrate the vital role that community libraries play in our everyday lives. Working alongside filmmaker Soheila Javaheri, poets Bradley Taylor, Hayley Frances, and Ruben Whitter, and our brilliant partners at Arts Forum Selly Oak and Birmingham Community Libraries Services, we spent months capturing the precious memories of readers across Druids Heath, Stirchley, and Selly Oak Libraries.
The films, the oral histories, the artwork, and the stunning poetic responses generated during the project have now found their permanent home in, appropriately, The Library of Birmingham. By depositing these materials with the Birmingham Archives and Collections, we ensure that the voices of 21st-century Birmingham library-goers are preserved forever for future generations.
Behind the Scenes in the Archives: Making it Official
To bring this collection into the official public record, Archivist Mike Hunkin has been working behind the scenes to process the deposit using the archive management system, Calm. We are thrilled to share that Book Marks is now officially catalogued and accessioned!
- Collection Reference: PHC MS 5244
- Accession Number: Acc. 2026/051
- Depositor Record: People’s Heritage Co-operative (PHC)
A Huge Thank You
We want to extend our deepest gratitude to all the National Lottery players who made this work possible, to the dedicated library staff who welcomed us into their spaces, and, most importantly, to the residents of Birmingham who opened their hearts and shared their library stories with us.
Want to look back at some of the project highlights? You can still watch the project films, read the community poetry, and explore our digital gallery right here on the People’s Heritage Co-operative Book Marks Project Page.
