Revealed: the hidden treasures of Wirral’s libraries

Aug 26 2009 by Liam Murphy, Bromborough and Bebington News

SHE was the doyen of romantic fiction who sold millions of copies worldwide of her estimated 723 books – but, if you want to find an out-of-print copy of a Barbara Cartland novel, look in Birkenhead Central Library.

The basement area holds the national archive of all Barbara Cartland’s books – along with numerous other authors for the nation’s libraries – but is also at the centre of the debate about what the future holds for libraries.

Wirral’s library service has received national attention for all the wrong reasons in recent months, with protests over the council’s plans to close 11 of the borough’s 24 sites as part of the Strategic Asset Review.

But Birkenhead library on Borough Road – which celebrated its 75th anniversary last month – is reassessing its extraordinary stock, which also includes original books donated to the people of Birkenhead by the shipbuilder John Laird, who played such a major role in the development of Birkenhead. Librarian Pauline Black said many of these books had recently been retrieved from storage and are being catalogued.

She said: “We believe some of these books are not even in the British Library.’’

Wirral Council’s cabinet member for culture, Bob Moon, revealed the authority may recruit partners, such as universities who also have antiquarian book collections, to help look after and maintain Wirral’s treasured volumes.