There once was a soul who went forth, To Academic Libraries North When asked if they'd be At the Poetry Library They immediately answered "of courth" Want a place on one of our limited visits to the Poetry Library during #ALN26? Please reserve a space at the desk during Registration.

You can get a flavour on the number of events, popular training sessions & our activities on our new "ALN 2025 in numbers infographic". Hopefully providing a good summary of all the great things we've offered last year. Looking forward to releasing new events soon academiclibrariesnorth.ac.uk/about/

Travelling to #ALN26 next week? From Victoria you can go via Deansgate by the amazing John Rylands Library, or Central Library via St Peters' Square. Piccadilly? Maybe walking via the Vimto statue will refresh you? Oxford Road is on the venue's doorstep- but can you spot the space invaders en route?

Time to start thinking about next week's #ALN26 in-person day and what you need in your conference survival kit. Last year the venue was wonderfully air conditioned but the train home was not! What are your essentials? A good book for the train?

Thanks to our speakers, sponsors and everyone who attended #ALN26 today. We hope you enjoyed the event despite the technical issues and the heat and can now relax somewhere cool with a refreshing beverage. We look forward to seeing some of you at our in-person day in Manchester in July.

A special thanks again to two of our of #ALN26 sponsors for gifting two competition prizes for our online conference today ⭐⭐@kortext.bsky.social and @tandfresearch.bsky.social

#ALN26 3B: Open to all? Practical steps to make e‑resources genuinely usable @dulib.bsky.social Opening the doors wider: how academic libraries can support carers as workers, learners, and visitors @dulib.bsky.social #openaccess #accessibility #libraries

#ALN26 cont. 3A: From ideas to actions: how HE libraries can support refugees and asylum seekers in local communities @wellcomecollection.bsky.social Developing an Equality Impact Assessment: a case study of Gypsy / Roma / Traveller History Month engagement activities at @ducollections.bsky.social

We'd like to thank delegates and speakers for their patience with today's tech issues at #ALN26 and us shuffling everyone back and forth between rooms. Please check the access links doc for the latest locations and we hope the afternoon runs smooth while we continue to play whack-a-mole with Teams.

@libraritron.bsky.social Great visual 💡

how to reframe support and equity - make it difficult for staff to act in ways that don't support our users #ALN26

we have a moral duty to provide equitable access to everyone we serve #ALN26

Accessibility is not a problem you solve once. It's an ongoing relationship #ALN26

If you are attending or following #ALN26 - do send in any competition photos to our email and you can view them on our Instagram stories: www.instagram.com/academiclibr...

@elysegirard.bsky.social speaking at #ALN26: Libraries being open and available to the communities we serve is not an aspiration but an institutional commitment.

Delegates had questions and have definitely been inspired by you and Billy 🐝 - thank for sharing your lovely open (and yellow!) project with #ALN26 today 💛

Thanks @ajpickering.bsky.social - the breaks have been enjoyed to top up drinks and indulge in ice cream/lollies. Hoping laptops and PCs cope in the heat too! #ALN26 #hotconference #notacardyinsight

#ALN26 2A: Student partnership in the creation of accessible library guides (Univ. of Chester Library); Library induction: engaging non-campus-based students through flexible resources @hallamlibrary.bsky.social; Moving beyond discussion: open philosophies into practice @uomlibrary.bsky.social

Session 1B for #ALN26 papers Beyond advocacy: designing sustainable and ethical Open Research @hallamlibrary.bsky.social Investigating the link between open access repositories and citation impact @livunilibrary.bsky.social #openresearch #openaccess

Yes, we do too...really strong way of capturing the ethos of the #openaccess movement #ALN26

Parallel sessions for #ALN26 now - here's what our delegates have to choose from... Session 1A Student wellbeing: a year round commitment @libraritron.bsky.social Exploring accessibility through sensory mapping @lborouniversity.bsky.social

@stephenpinfield keynote question on #generativeAI treat it with caution, with criticism, especially in relation to #scholarlypublications. Two-facedness of GenAI - benefits AND challenges need to be swiftly explored. Publishers research funders report an increase in agentic AI submissions. #ALN26

Epistemic openness can involve engagement between conventional scientific knowledge and indigenous knowledges can yield fruitfuk results e.g. -Environmental management -Biodiversity -Sustainable agriculture -Fisheries management #ALN26

"Scientific openness" (OA and other forms of open research) is necessary but not sufficient to achieve a global OA which is effective and equitable. @stephenpinfield.bsky.social argues we also need epistemic openness AND participatory openness #ALN26

The MORPHSS project @morphss.bsky.social "Materialising Open Research Practices in the Humanities and Social Sciences" morphss.hcommons.org #ALN26

#ALN26 keynote speech, where @stephenpinfield.bsky.social has provided informative slides with helpful further reading. This talk draws on his 2024 book www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-mon... which is, of course, published by @routledgebooks.bsky.social #openaccess with @creativecommons.bsky.social

Epistemic injustice: "a wrong done to someone specifically in their capacity as a knower" Miranda Fricker ndpr.nd.edu/reviews/epis... #ALN26

#OpenAccess has long been seen as an unequivocal good🔏 More recent critiques include: 1. Imposing inappropriate and unsustainable business and publishing models 2. Perpetuating and exacerbating inequalities 3. Imposing oppressive forms of knowledge on the Global South - epistemic injustive #ALN26

Great to see many people signed in for the #ALN26 conference today. Our keynote speaker today is @stephenpinfield.bsky.social talking about Effective and Equitable Global Open Access - growth in open access flourished in STEM subjects... (cont.) #open #openaccess #HElibraries

Looking forward to online day #ALN26 today, ahead of in person event in Manchester on 6th July academiclibrariesnorth.ac.uk/conference/a... Keynote this morning from @stephenpinfield.bsky.social: "Effective and Equitable Global Open Access"

Great to see @nickshepp.bsky.social from the Leeds Open Research Team, a WRL collaborator, presenting at @academiclibsnorth.bsky.social on connecting the "opens". A topic closely aligned with WRUP's mission and the role of repositories in supporting equitable access to knowledge!

The online day is tomorrow! #ALN26 We can neither confirm nor deny that we may be a bit excited about it!

#ALN26 online is this week! What do you have in your online conference survival kit?- Water, snacks, seating comfort, fidget toys, notepad and pen(s)- what are your essentials? Not forgetting the end of day celebratory ice cream/fizzy drink!

You can still buy tickets for the ALN conference (online closes 22nd & in person or both days closes 21st) There's a bulk buy discount option (valid on purchases for 5 or more in person only or both days tickets). Head to www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/academic-l... to book!

The ALN cat says please let me in. Wait, let me out. Now I need to come in again. Book tickets* for #ALN26. NOW I NEED TO BE OUTSIDE AGAIN. *via www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/academic-l...

Time to start thinking seriously about next week's #ALN26 online day and what you need in your online conference survival kit!- Water, snacks, seating comfort, fidget toys, notepad and pen(s)- what are your essentials? Not forgetting the end of day celebratory ice cream/fizzy drink!

Getting prepped for @academiclibsnorth.bsky.social ...

I'm presenting at @academiclibsnorth.bsky.social conference 2026 with @nickshepp.bsky.social about the @knowledgeen.bsky.social #KnowledgeEquity & #OpenScholarship Week #CoCreation experiment. Bookings are open: academiclibrariesnorth.ac.uk/conference/a...

Early Birds have booked on already but you can still buy tickets for the #ALN26 (online til 22nd & in person or both days til 21st) If sending a group of 5 or more to our in person or both days then you can still get a bulk buy discount. More details academiclibrariesnorth.ac.uk/conference/a...

Our algorithm* has informed us that there's still time to book tickets to #ALN26 *Our ALN conference team colleague

The ALN cat says please let me in. Wait, let me out. Now I need to come in again. Book tickets* for #ALN26. NOW I NEED TO BE OUTSIDE AGAIN. *via www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/academic-l...

#ALN26 Less than a month to ALN In Person! With keynote Caroline Ball and 22 confirmed speakers now is a great time to book- visit us at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/academic-l...

Early Birds have booked on already but you can still buy tickets for the #ALN26 (online til 22nd & in person or both days til 21st) If sending a group of 5 or more to our in person or both days then you can still get a bulk buy discount. More details academiclibrariesnorth.ac.uk/conference/a...

#ALN26 Do you secretly have a music track in mind when you think of our conference theme? (Reimagining Openness in Academic Libraries.) Open can bring many things to mind, but for our dedicated focus group* these songs (and albums!) came to mind…. what about you? *The conference planning team

#ALN26 Less than a month to ALN online! With keynote Stephen Pinfield and 20 confirmed speakers now is a great time to book a place if you haven't already. academiclibrariesnorth.ac.uk/conference/a...

Thanks Mags, Ghida and Alice at Covidence and Newcastle University Library for hosting the Systematic Review day last week. Slides from the event now available academiclibrariesnorth.ac.uk/event/system...

Did you know you can use our draft programme to *map* out your #ALN26 experience? Visit academiclibrariesnorth.ac.uk/conference/a... to see what the options are. You can also map your route to the in person day venue using our handy Manchester map.

#ALN Our early birds are ready to leave the nest! Early bird rates will end on Monday and this is also your last chance to apply for our very last sponsored place! Visit academiclibrariesnorth.ac.uk/conference/a... to get details.

What's on at #ALN26? Visit academiclibrariesnorth.ac.uk/conference/a... to discover the range of short papers, workshops and lightning talks (plus our #keynote speakers Stephen Pinfield and Caroline Ball!)

This week's ALN Staff Development Update is now available, with lots of internal and external events & opportunities, and ways you can get involved. It's the final few days for early bird registration for #ALN26 and our draft programme is available now: academiclibrariesnorth.ac.uk/staff-develo...