Where is Kings Heath Library?

2 High Street, King's Heath, Birmingham, B14 7SW

In brief

Kings Heath Library was built in 1905 for the then King's Norton & Northfield Urban District Council. Funds were provided by Andrew Carnegie. The library became part of Birmingham from 1911. The building was extended later in the 20th century.

Kings Heath Library (December 2009). Photography by Elliott Brown

Kings Heath Library - history

Kings Heath library was built in 1905 at a cost of £3000.

It was for the Kings Norton & Northfield Urban District Council.

Kings Heath Library (March 2021). Photography by Elliott Brown

It is one of ten Carnegie-funded libraries to be built in Birmingham between 1903 and 1909.

Kings Heath Library (April 2022). Photography by Elliott Brown

Kings Heath was incorporated into the City of Birmingham in 1911, this included the library.

A modern extension was built later in the 20th century (1970s or 1980s).

The library has a collection of photographs, maps, and newscuttings as well as a selection of books about Birmingham and the surrounding area, including a selection of digital images of old Kings Heath and Moseley.

Moseley Gallery shows historic images of the area taken from the Warwickshire Photographic Survey, one of the Library of Birmingham's significant photographic collections.

The photographs date from 1900.

The library acts as the focus for local history activity in Kings Heath.

The Kings Heath Local History Society meets in the library once a month, and has its own archive of local history materials.