Expedition to the top of the Library

This was my second attempt to take my mother on a tour of one of my favourite buildings in Birmingham, and this time it was actually open. We started in the basement for a quick comfort break and I showed her the children’s section, the amphitheatre and the music library. Then we carried on up the escalator into the stacks. Walls of books were in front of us surrounded by narrow walkways. At the end of this section was a balcony to the first rooftop garden. We enjoyed smelling the heather, lavender and mint, then decided to climb a little higher and boarded the travellator to the next floor. Once again, the glass elevator was broken but Mum had a phobia of those anyway. Instead we walked through the map room and took a less glamourous elevator to the ninth floor. After following a series of narrow passages past service doors and offices we reached the secret garden.