Main Space at The Old Library

  27 reviews  – 
Zellig, Gibb Street, Digbeth, Birmingham, B9 4AT
Bordesley Green

About this space

Built in 1866, The Old Library is a refurbished Victorian library and historic venue nestled in Birmingham’s vibrant city centre in Digbeth, Birmingham. The main space is light and airy, flooded with natural daylight. Full of period features including vaulted ceilings and iconic arch windows, this space will conduct a positive and warm atmosphere.

For corporate events, the adjoining Reading Room is available either as a breakout space, buffet area or cloakroom to serve your needs. You will find our venue just ¼ mile from the city centre. Why not organise a walking taxi to greet your delegates off their train and stroll in together, ready to start the day. Alternatively if you don’t fancy the walk we are just a 5 minute taxi ride down the road.

The Old Library offers a versatile space for weddings of up to 250 guests. Up to 130 guests can be accommodated for a ceremony and reception. Your ceremony will take place in the main room in front of the stunning original Victorian windows. This bright and airy room is the perfect place to say ‘I do’ in front of your friends and family. You can toast your marriage during a drinks reception in Nomad, a quirky and relaxed space ideal for enjoying drinks, canapés, and mingling. You will also be able to capture some unique wedding photographs within the building and in the gorgeous surroundings outside. The ceremony room will be transformed into your wedding breakfast space, with dedicated chefs, delicious menus and literary-themed cocktails served at the bar. Following your meal, you can dance the night away. With Birmingham’s key transport links, top hotels and attractions on the doorstep, it’s the ideal place to extend the party into a weekend, allowing you to truly relax and enjoy the celebrations.


Event offers and packages

Christmas Party Offers

£1500 hire fee
Have a magical party this season in our beautifully restored Victorian surroundings.

Exclusive Room hire from 7pm – Midnight.
Package includes:
• Christmas Table décor
• DJ
Traditional 3 Course Meal (Mximum 130 Guests)
£42 per person
STARTERS
1. Maple Roasted Parsnip Soup (VE option & GF option)
2. Tempura King Prawns, Bloody Mary Ketchup, and Baby Leaf Salad
3. Chicken Liver and Brandy Parfait (GF option)

MAINS
1. Turkey Ballotine
2. Stem Broccoli, and Bone Marrow Gravy (GF, DFA)
3. Honey Roast Gammon (GF, DFA)
4. Market Fish, Red Curry Caramel Sauce, Roasted Baby Carrots, and Coconut Sambal (GF, DF)
5. Butternut Squash Nut Roast (V, GF, VE option)

DESSERT
1. Traditional Christmas Pudding, Brandy Sauce, and Berries (GF, VE option)
2. Spotted Dick, Bird’s Custard, Marmalade and Spiced Rum Syrup (V)
3. Winter Eaton Mess, Chantilly Cream, Crushed Meringue, Stewed Plums,
4. Tangerine, Raspberry Coulis, and Cadbury’s Chocolate Flake (V, GF)
Sharing Platters (Up to 130 Guests)
£20 per person
Platters are portioned for 5 people | 1 to 2 pc of each item per person

FESTIVE PLLATTER
1. Grilled Flat Bread with Hummus
2. Sage and Onion Stuffing Sausage Rolls
3. Tandoori Chicken Skewer with Pineapple Glaze
4. Duck Rillette Crostini with Onion Marmalade
5. Roast Baby Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary
6. Pea and Ricotta Arancini with Aioli

FESTIVE VEGAN PLATTER
1. Grilled Flat Bread with Hummus
2. Homemade Sausage Rolls
3. Kofta with Pineapple Glaze
4. Roast Red Pepper Crostini with Vegan Cream Cheese
5. Roast Baby Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary
6. Onion Bhajis with Mango Chutney

DESSERT PLATTER: £12.50pp + VAT

1. Mini Cinnamon Donuts with Nutella
2. Lemon Posset with Meringue Crumble
3. Chocolate Brownie Bites with Cherry Compote (GF) (VG)
4. Mince Pies & Clotted Cream

Conference Offers

DDR 1
£33.50 per person
All Packages Include:

- Room hire from 8:30am - 5:30pm
- High speed WiFi and handheld mic
- Flipchart and pens
- Arrival hot drink selection with biscuits
- Mid-morning hot drink refresh
- Afternoon hot drink

DDR 1 Lunch:

Cold Buffet
- A selection of deliciously filled sandwiches and wraps
- Tortilla chips and dips
- Superfood salad
DDR 2
£38.50 per person
All Packages Include:

- Room hire from 8:30am - 5:30pm
- High speed WiFi and handheld mic
- Flipchart and pens
- Arrival hot drink selection with biscuits
- Mid-morning hot drink refresh
- Afternoon hot drink

DDR 2 Lunch:

Buffet
- A selection of deliciously filled sandwiches and wraps
- Superfood salad
- Gourmet sausage rolls
- Handmade samosas
- Tortilla chips and dips
DDR 3
£48.50 per person
All Packages Include:

- Room hire from 8:30am - 5:30pm
- High speed WiFi and handheld mic
- Flipchart and pens
- Arrival hot drink selection with biscuits
- Mid-morning hot drink refresh
- Afternoon hot drink

DDR 3 Lunch:

Two Course Hot Fork Buffet
PLEASE CHOOSE THREE OPTIONS, INCLUDING ONE TO SUIT DIETARIES.

BEEF LASAGNE
With Sicilian green bean salad and crusty bread
BEEF AND CHORIZO CHILLI
With steamed rice
STEAK AND ALE PIE
With honey roast root vegetables
CHICKEN AND CHORIZO GUMBO
With dirty rice and southern slaw
CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM PIE
With creamy mash potato and bone marrow gravy
THAI GREEN CURRY
With fragrant rice and prawn crackers
PORK AND PARMESAN MEAT BALLS
With short grain brown rice and caponata
CUMBERLAND SAUSAGE
With mustard mash potatoes and red onion gravy
SPICED LAMB AND APRICOT TAGINE
With tabouleh and garlic yoghurt
TARKA DAL
With chapati and garlic yoghurt (V)
WILD MUSHROOM AND PEA RISOTTO
With garlic focaccia (V)
QUINOA STUFFED PEPPERS
With chilli, tahini and slaw dressing (VG)

DESSERTS
PLEASE CHOOSE TWO OPTIONS, INCLUDING ONE TO SUIT DIETARIES.

BAKED NEW YORK CHEESECAKE served with Mango Coulis
LEMON TART served with Berry Coulis and Crushed Meringue
CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY TART served with Chocolate Soil and Creme Fraiche (GF, VGA, HA)

Prices

Monday
9:00 – 0:00
from £900 hire fee
Per evening
19:00 – 0:00
from £900 hire fee
Per day
9:00 – 17:00
from £900 hire fee per day
Note: Alcohol licence until 0:00. Extension available. All prices include VAT.
Tuesday
9:00 – 0:00
from £900 hire fee
Per evening
19:00 – 0:00
from £900 hire fee
Per day
9:00 – 17:00
from £900 hire fee per day
Note: Alcohol licence until 0:00. Extension available. All prices include VAT.
Wednesday
9:00 – 0:00
from £900 hire fee
Per evening
19:00 – 0:00
from £900 hire fee
Per day
9:00 – 17:00
from £900 hire fee per day
Note: Alcohol licence until 0:00. Extension available. All prices include VAT.
Thursday
9:00 – 0:00
from £900 hire fee
Per evening
19:00 – 0:00
from £900 hire fee
Per day
9:00 – 17:00
from £900 hire fee per day
Note: Alcohol licence until 0:00. Extension available. All prices include VAT.
Friday
9:00 – 1:00
from £900–£1200 hire fee per day
Per evening
19:00 – 1:00
from £1200 hire fee
Per day
9:00 – 17:00
from £900 hire fee per day
Note: Alcohol licence until 0:00. Extension available. All prices include VAT.
Saturday
9:00 – 1:00
from £1200–£2500 hire fee
Per evening
19:00 – 1:00
from £1200 hire fee
Per day
9:00 – 0:00
from £2500 hire fee per day
Note: Alcohol licence until 0:00. Extension available. All prices include VAT.
Sunday
19:00 – 0:00
from £900 hire fee
Per evening
19:00 – 0:00
from £900 hire fee
Note: Alcohol licence until 0:00. Extension available. All prices include VAT.

Capacity

Standing
up to 250
Dining
up to 130
Theatre
up to 130
Cabaret
up to 100

Catering and drinks

In-house catering
External catering allowed
Venue provides alcohol
BYO alcohol not allowed

Facilities

Wi-Fi
Flipchart
Air conditioning
Natural light
Free on-street parking
Paid parking facilities available nearby
Projector
Flatscreen TV
Whiteboard
PA system / speakers
Conference call facilities
Storage space
Quiet space
Accommodation available

Music & sound equipment

Own music allowed
Bring your own DJ
Noise restrictions

Accessibility

Wheelchair accessible
Disabled access toilets
Ground level
Disabled parking space available
Lift to all floors

Rules of the space

Allowed events

Promoted and ticketed events
Wedding licence
Temporary event notices (TENs) available

Reviews and ratings

(27 reviews and ratings - )

M
Marcus
October 2021

The team were SO helpful and the venue great for our event (& most others I'd say!) Communication was great and we'll definitely be back.

S
Samantha B.
June 2019

- Great communication both pre-event and during the event. - clear price plans and packages - Nice location

A
Ami G.
May 2019

Catering was spot in, tasty food and brilliant presentation. Timings were prompt. Staff were attentive, only a couple of times in the day when could not be found. Tables were laid out as agreed and dressed well. Venue is beautiful and our requests to open and close blinds at different times of the day were attended to. Venue was clean.

Couple of the toilets in the ladies were broken and a little dangerous. This was acknowledged when pointed out. The microphone was temperamental. The battery was dead when passed to us to use and even after being replaced it did appear to keep going on and off.

V
Vicky S.
April 2019

Helpful staff, easy to find and a nice spacious venue

The internet cut out, a bit cold, could hear lots of car noises from outside, the room echoed and because it was so light inside the screen wasn’t as clear as it could be, even with the blinds.


The Old Library is a bright, open space perfect for hosting weddings, conferences, corporate dinners, parties, charity events and more. A range of menus and drinks packages are available upon request. We can currently hold up to 130 people seated and 250 standing.

Part of the Zellig Group, the Old Library has been in operation since 1990. The original library first opened as one of Birmingham’s 5 free libraries in 1866, it is now the only one still standing. The public library’s doors closed to the public in 1940 and remained closed until 1990 when the dilapidated space was bought alongside the Bird’s Custard Factory and lovingly refurbished by Bennie Gray.


Other spaces and event packages at this venue

from £100
hire fee / per morning

Location