About – The Old Library

A quirky central location

"We are proud to be located in the heart of Digbeth - Birmingham’s Creative Quarter!"

The Old Library and Zellig team are a warm and friendly bunch who love people! We are on hand to help ensure that your event with us is always a huge success. Pop in for a chat or give us a call and let’s start our relationship!

FAQs

Here’s some helpful information about the venue.

How do I get to the venue?

We are ideally located just a 15-minute walk from Birmingham City Centre in Digbeth, easily reached by public transport, foot and car. Click here for a handy guide on how to find us from Birmingham New Street. For more information on our location, please see below.

Is there parking onsite and is it free?

No, unfortunately we do not have a car park. There are plenty of local pay and display car parks in the area, contact us to receive our car park guide.

Is there parking onsite and is it free?

No, unfortunately we do not have a car park. There are plenty of local pay and display car parks in the area, scroll down to check out our car park guide.

Is there parking onsite and is it free?

No, unfortunately we do not have a car park. There are plenty of local pay and display car parks in the area, contact us to receive our car park guide.

Is the venue hire exclusive?

Yes.

Is the venue accessible?

Yes, we have a ground floor entrance around the back of our building on Heath Mill Lane. We also have an accessible bathroom and baby changing facilities.

What is your maximum capacity?

Our maximum capacity for a seated event is 130, for a mixture of seating and standing it is 250.

How many toilets are there?

We have 5 cubicles in the ladies, 1 cubicle and 3 urinals in the gents, and 1 accessible gender neutral toilet.

When can I access the venue?

You can access the venue from 2 hours before your event is due to start. Wedding access times can differ.

Do you allows animals in the venue?

Yes we do – please let us know in advance if there will be any animals in attendance!

What is the venues bag policy?

For evening events, security guards will check bags on arrival. We don’t have a restriction on bag size, but we do not have a cloakroom onsite to store bags.

Do you allow external catering?

Yes, but we do charge an external catering fee.

Do you have a kitchen onsite?

No, all food must be prepared offsite ready to serve or prepared outside and served out of a food truck.

Is there a bar?

Yes, the bar can be opened and staffed as part of your venue hire. We do not offer a corkage fee.

What time does the bar close?

The bar will close at 12am, you can extend the bar until 1am for a small charge.

Do you supply audio-visual equipment, or can we bring our own?

We have a microphone and a Bluetooth PA system that can be used for background music. We do allow other audio-visual equipment to be brought into the venue (such as speakers) but they must be PAT tested.

Are there any noise restrictions?

No.

HOW TO FIND US

Ideally located just a 1/4 mile from Birmingham City Centre, we are easily reached by public transport, foot or car. Check out our guide below on how to find us from Birmingham New Street.

Parking

There are several pay and display car parks within a 2 minute walk of the venue, the closest being behind the Zellig Building. Click below for more information on nearby pay and display car parks.

Accessibility

The Old Library is a fully accessible venue. We have a ground floor entrance around the back of our building on Heath Mill Lane for wheelchair users, pushchairs and people with limited mobility. We also have an accessible bathroom and baby changing facilities.

Accommodation

As we are located near Birmingham city centre, there are plenty of hotel options to suit any budget. Click below for information on nearby accommodation.

Our History

1866

1867

19th/20th century

1898

1940

2003

2025

As part of Birmingham’s original plan to open five free libraries, Deritend Library was the third to open on the 26th October 1866. However, it did not receive a grand opening, as the new Central Reference Library opened on the same day. Constitution Hill free district library had opened in 1861, and the Central Lending Library in 1865. Deritend Library – or “The Old Library” as it is known today – is Birmingham’s oldest surviving library building as the only one of the five originals still standing.

Photo: Deritend Library in the late 19th/early 20th century, showing the main entrance on Heath Mill Lane.

The Annual Report in 1867 showed how successful Deritend Library had been in the first seventeen months. About 450 people used the newsroom each day. There they could read the Birmingham Daily Gazette, the Birmingham Daily Post, the Daily Telegraph, the Morning Star, the Standard or the Times. 2113 people had registered to borrow books, over half of them being under 20 years old. As can be seen in the photos, the catalogue is advertised because for many years readers had no direct access to the books but had to make a request to the librarian.

Photo: Deritend Library in the late 19th/early 20th century, showing the books stacked high on the walls.

Photo: Deritend Library librarians in the late 19th/early 20th century.

Photo: Deritend Library in the late 19th/early 20th century, showing tables and chairs for quiet reading and study.

Photo: Deritend Library in the late 19th/early 20th century, showing a reserved table.

Due to its popularity, the library closed for a short period in the late 19th century for enlargement and reopened in 1898. In 1910, like the other lending libraries, it was open from 10am – 9pm each day. The librarian at that time was A.T.Hancox. Photo: Deritend Library under construction in the late 19th century.

After 74 years in operation, Deritend Library closed in 1940. The building remained closed for 30 years until the dilapidated space was bought alongside the Bird’s Custard Factory in 1990 and lovingly refurbished by Bennie Gray.

In 2003, it opened as a conference centre and event space with a unique history in the heart of Digbeth. The building was then leased to another company from 2004 until 2017 when it was returned to its original owner.

Today, it is a beautifully preserved historical building hosting weddings, parties, corporate events and more – as part of the Zellig family in central Digbeth. We love preserving our history as the Deritend Library with the classic book collection behind our bar.

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