Mending Café – Needle Felting Special

September 29, 2026

Mending Café is back this month – with a needle felting special!

Got a hole in a favourite woolly? Bring along a jumper or other woollen garment that needs some TLC, and we’ll provide the equipment and materials you need to give it a new lease of life.

Saturday 3rd October
10am–12pm
Stirchley Library

Come along and have a go at needle felting, or bring along anything else you need to mend. No need to book – just drop in!

Free tea, coffee & biscuits.

Mending Café takes place on the first Saturday of every month at Stirchley Library. Come …

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The Library is Open on Thursdays Again!

September 26, 2026

It’s official – Thursdays are back!

Friends of Stirchley Library celebrated our first Thursday reopening on 24th September, and we had a lovely turnout. Some people had spotted the news on social media or in the library, while others simply saw our sign outside and popped in to see what was happening.

And yes… we’re afraid we ate all the cake!

But there are still plenty of ways to get involved.

Our Thursday Wish Tree
Pop in and add a leaf telling us what kinds of events and activities you’d like to see at the library on Thursdays.…

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Authors Panel – How Writers work: Loneliness and company

April 20, 2026

Join us on Saturday 30th May – 10am to 11am for a 1-hour panel discussion with three Midlands-based writers (chair Leila Rasheed, Charlie Hill & Sue Brown), including short readings from the Royal Literary Fund archive.

About this event:
Most people experience feeling lonely at some point in their lives. Sometimes this drives them to write. Many people see writing as a lonely job, but it can also bring you into companionship. In this panel, we’ll discuss how we as writers work in company and how we work alone – and whether and when ‘being alone’ tips over into …

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Carnegie Libraries Exhibition for Birmingham Heritage Week

October 1, 2025

As part of Birmingham Heritage Week 2025, Stirchley Library hosted a special exhibition celebrating the city’s Carnegie libraries.

The display explored the history, architecture, and community role of Birmingham’s Carnegie buildings, which were funded in the early 20th century by Scottish-American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Through research, photographs, and interpretation boards, visitors could learn about the enduring features of these much-loved libraries – from their light-filled reading rooms and junior sections to their distinctive architectural details.

Highlights included the story of Northfield Library, rebuilt after an arson attack in 1914, and boards focusing on how design choices – skylights, windows, …

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More Tales from Stirchley Story Garden

August 21, 2025

As part of this year’s Story Garden summer reading challenge, children at Stirchley Library stepped outside into the garden behind the library and turned plants, trees, and wildlife into inspiration for new tales.

Armed with pencils, paper, and plenty of imagination, they gave the garden voices, secrets, and adventures – from magical nests and hidden treasures to talking plants and mysterious pathways. Some chose to write stories, while others sketched and coloured their ideas, filling the garden with characters and colour.

Before we finished, everyone painted stones with garden characters and story sparks. Some of these have now been hidden …

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