Recorded Books Inc. - Aspects of birmingham discovering local history

Paul Tolley was born in Birmingham and lived in Kings Heath before moving to his current home in the north of the city. He gained a BA in librarianship from the City of Birmingham Polytechnic in 1983 and has since worked in both libraries and bookselling.

Since 1995 he has worked at the University of Central England Library as a cataloguer.

Like his parents he has always had a keen interest in history, including local history, and having gained his BA decided to embark on a part-time MA in Modern History and Political Studies at Coventry Polytechnic, which he obtained in 1987. Subsequently, he studies part-time for a PhD on the Poor Law history of Birmingham at De Montfort University, Leicester, which he gained in 1995.

Patrick Baird is Joint Head of Local Studies and History Service, Birmingham Central Library.

He was born in Moseley, Birmingham and educated at St Philips Grammar School, Edgbaston. He has been employed by the library service since leaving school, including a period as a junior assistant at Kings Norton library.

After gaining his professional qualification at the School of Librarianship, Birmingham College of Commerce, now University of Central England, he was appointed as Schools Liaison Librarian in 1973 and Head of the Local Studies service in 1981.

He has been involved in a number of activities connected with local history including the foundation of The Birmingham and District Local History Association and he is President of two Birmingham local history societies.

He represents the Birmingham Civic Society on the Sir Barry Jackson Trust at the Repertory Theatre and is a member of the Birmingham Breakfast Rotary Club.

He is the author of A Century of Birmingham - Events of Events, People and Places over the Last 100 Years , published in 2000.

3. THE PAGEANT OF BIRMINGHAM

Richard Albutt was born in Birmingham in 1954 and attended Kings Norton Boys Grammar School. He studied librarianship at Birmingham Polytechnic (now UCE) and has worked in libraries since 1975.

For the last twelve years he has been part of Birmingham Central libraries Local Studies and History Service working as Education Liaison Librarian and currently as Community History Development Librarian. He is responsible for the promotion of local history resources in the Central and Community Libraries, together with the initiating of projects, which lead to the further development of these collections. For the past eight years he has been responsible for the Librarys History Van project, which takes resources out into the community and encourages the donation of digital images by local communities.

4. BIRMINGHAM AND THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR

Peter Drake is one of the two service heads in the Local Studies section of Birmingham Central Library. He has spent most of his librarianship career in different departments in the Reference Library.

He was awarded a MLitt from Birmingham University for a thesis on The Labour Party and the Spanish Civil War. Subsequently he has contributed entries on Birmingham labour leaders to the Dictionary of Labour Biography, written articles about Birmingham during the General Strike and for the Birmingham labour newspaper The Town Crier .

More recently he has compiled a number of photographic histories of Birmingham suburbs and has just completed a history of Bangladeshis in Birmingham.

5. THE CHILDRENS EMIGRATION HOMES

Val Hart started out as a history graduate and trained as an archivist before working as a teacher and community worker at St. Pauls Community Project.

She has lived in Birmingham for the last thirty years and has published a book on the history of Balsall Heath.

Val is a founder member of the Making History reminiscence theatre group and enjoys working creatively on local history topics with all ages in a community setting.

6. FIT AND PROPER COUNCILLORS?

Margaret Holmes is a Londoner by birth but has lived in Birmingham for the last nine years. She has three grown-up children, Tom, Rosie and Luke. With more free time on her hands she was able to study for an Honours Degree in Government at the University of Central England in Birmingham. Her particular interests on the course were Birmingham history and local government, hence her dissertation on Birmingham City Council which forms the basis for this contribution to Aspects of Birmingham. Following her degree she represented Bournville as a Labour Councillor on the City Council for four years a very interesting and educational experience. Whilst doing this she worked part-time as a social research interviewer, a job which she still does.