The call for Lightning Talk Presentations for M25 Consortium Annual Conference 2026 9 June 2026 is now open. Find out more: www.m25lib.org.uk/m25-resource...

River Thames this morning

New exciting exhibition soon at Hereford Cathedral on the inner life of their oldest manuscript, the Hereford Gospels. www.herefordcathedral.org/news/the-her... #medievalsky

Which bath would you choose for a long, luxurious soak? Photos: Packwood, Warwickshire by James Dobson; Cragside, Northumberland by Andreas von Einsiedel; Dunster Castle, Somerset by Nadia Mackenzie; Tredegar House, South Wales by James Dobson

Magnolia alert! 🌸Spotted at Greenway, Devon. The garden here often wakes up in January with magnolias, snowdrops, daffodils and cyclamen making an appearance. Let us know if you've spotted any of these blooming and where. 📸 Lauren Hutchinson

Hellebore and Snowdrop ‘Wild Flowers’ (1957) Artists: Edith Hilder, Rowland Hilder

They don't make playgrounds like they used to, mainly because launching a bunch of kids down a slide into what looks like girders probably stopped being fun after the first few times. #MKMonday

Me: What would you like for breakfast? Weetabix? Crumpet? Small daughter: Is there cheese on toast on the menu? Me: Sure Small daughter: I want it shaped like an axolotl head

Early morning Minster. In drizzle.

10yo and chores? Whose 10yo does what? Mine is desperate to “earn” more money but is meant to make bed, clear dining table, keep room tidy(ish) and put clothes in laundry basket for existing pocket money.

Will there be any drier and brighter days during the week ahead? Find out in the latest forecast 👇

I’m sure a memo goes out to the birds ahead of #BigGardenBirdwatch. Most days we have loads of feathery visitors. Today: one female blackbird scoffing Pyracantha berries

Sold something on Vinted then found some #snowdrops en route to post it. Plus a daffodil not too far off flowering.

My wonderful idea for a family day out going for a walk to look for snowdrops was vetoed by the smallest person as “too boring”. After intense negotiation the compromise solution did result in this though.

That’s a lot of river

Thought I’d give knitting at the swimming lesson a go. Reading the other week was a bad idea (too much indignant “Mummeee LOOK at me”!)

Watching one of this week’s episodes of Patience and still getting twitchy about the pet mice in the records store thing. Just no.

Colour version of twisty willows near Norsworthy bridge. I love the spirals in the branches, #Dartmoor, #Devon. #photography #moss

🚨 Two @rarebookschool.bsky.social courses coming to York in July! @wordsmith.bsky.social 'The Culture & Craft of Wood Type' & @jenniebatchelor.bsky.social 'The Rise of Periodical Print Culture' rarebookschool.org/courses/typo... rarebookschool.org/courses/hist... 🗃️ #bookhistory #earlymodern #18thC

Maybe the dairy is on Bluesky. We’ve moved on from milk bottle ads for memorial stones back to dairy-related ads for butter and ice cream.

We are having technological troubles with internet at the Society of Antiquaries and tonight’s lecture will likely not be broadcast online. Our speaker will be recording his talk at a later date.

Snowdrops!

Evening Minster

Found in a volume of Latin poetry (Florence, 1497) @theulspeccoll.bsky.social today: the judge Sir Thomas Rokeby (d. 1699) pondering his end with 'the order to be observed in the disposall of the incomes of my estate'. The portrait, c. 1687, is by Godfried Schalcken. The book is Inc.5.B.8.20[2031].

Early morning Minster

Late afternoon, the middle of January and there's already a difference in the light. ❤️

Reason to be a Special Collections librarian no. 43…

After all the urgency of yesterday’s toy shop trip to buy doll stuff with the remaining Christmas money… Today the doll stuff has been abandoned, the Playmobil History box is out and Cleopatra is feeding people to the lions.

My church keeps the Christmas trees up until Candlemas in early February. As I’m not a fan of January, I think this is a great idea!

last 11 years the 11 warmest globally on record, and the top three are the last three www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Yay it stopped raining so I dug out the contents of compost bin #1. This is our first batch of compost made in York.

After an extensive consultation, I'm delighted to see CILIP's 2026-30 strategy Empowering Impact published www.cilip.org.uk/page/empower... feedback and ideas for how we can deliver it together v. welcome. Thanks to all those who inputted.

The doll aisle at the toy shop. It’s the way they’re all staring into the distance. Very creepy

First time I’ve noticed a non-dairy-delivery related advert on one of the milk/juice bottles.

I have a fantastic student who wrote a great paper on knitting patterns from a book/media history/history of documents point of view recently and wants to do more research... this is a bit outside my wheelhouse — friends, do any of you have readings you'd suggest?

A reminder that the closing date for applications is next week - 20 January.

Any recommendations for nice herbal/decaff tea? I just searched the online shop and found 92 options (gulp). I like this one, rooibos/vanilla rooibos and peppermint. All of which I’ve drunk for years and fancied a change.

Heading back North again, not only have I got a SeatFrog upgrade but there is someone else knitting on the train!

Our upcoming event on ✨Historical Bibliography✨ is live! 🗓️ Tuesday, March 17, 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm 📍 Brotherton Library, @universityofleeds.bsky.social 🧑‍🏫 Ed Potten This introduction to historical bibliography covers all aspects of the mechanics of hand-press printing (no prior knowledge assumed).

A Man in Serious Dragon Trouble This 12th-century font at Thorpe Arnold (Leicestershire) depicts a dramatic battle scene - a Christian warrior with sword and cross-marked shield fights two dragons. One dragon, magnificently maned, projects a stream of fire and sprouts multiple heads.

A calendar collision rather than extreme piety means I’ve now been to church three times in one weekend. From Archdeacon plumbing in, to the usual Sunday morning and onto knitted lost sheep at #MessyChurch and possibly the funniest children’s Bible story book I’ve come across.

When your worlds collide and you end up having a conversation about academic libraries at the children’s party you’ve just delivered your bling-encrusted child to, still rather damp from the swimming lesson before the party.

How many of the Department for Education’s 13,495 staff do you think have responsibility for school libraries & librarians?

Square 14, knitted trees (more like a small orchard?) is done. Which means I can no longer put off the last square, the intarsia giraffe, which I’ve been avoiding since about October. Hopefully the #knitting pattern holder I got for Christmas will help though.

Looking for more heritage accounts? Our pinnable lists can help you track them down and keep up to date with content! Archives and library special collections: bsky.app/profile/did:... Museums and galleries - bsky.app/profile/did:...

Does anyone know of any large collections of correspondence between women covering the 1910s-1960s? I have surveyed a huge collection covering 30+ years of friendship and I’m wondering how unique it is?

Skills in UX/UI Design, Coding Web/Application Development, Systems Integration +/or Database Mgmt? Join us in York (UK) to: - Experiment with real museum data and problems - Collaborate with a small, focused group of people - Influence the future of collections use knowledge Link in Alt Text 👇

Day off today to help a friend move house. I am unpacking books and arranging them on shelves…

Hellebore purchasing. Funny how I’m the only person in the outside section of the garden centre but the cafe is full.

We’re seeking 5 new members to join the Archive Service Accreditation Committee! Do you have experience supporting development across a range of archive services and good understanding of the UK’s accreditation standard? Apply by 23 January: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sec...