I am once again begging people who state LLMs will not help in their field to stop adding “but it will no doubt be valuable in medicine/history/education/any field which I am not in, don’t understand, and perhaps should wonder if LLM claims in those fields are similarly misleading“

#openpharma just published a vision statement calling on #Pharma companies to make their research #openaccess. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/16/5/e104128 The vision statement calls for OpenAccess to texts, #opendata (under #fair principles), open #pids (#ORCID and #ror), plain language […]

Pride Month in US Libraries: How to Prepare and Help Track Targeted Attacks in 2026 bookriot.com/how-to-prepa...

Today's #RLUKRepositories conference feels pretty overwhelming. It feels like repositories have had to mostly stagnate (with some nice initiatives) for years due to underinvestment and there's so much to do. But it feels like there might suddenly be more appetite to do that development work.

A analysis of open access citation advantage was conducted at Liverpool. Loving seeing that bonferroni correction. Results align quite strongly with what we've seen when looking at papers for our Systematic Review. The paper is nearly finished folks, promise! #RLUKRepositories

The #RLUKRepositories conference is already going well. Everyone who's everyone in #greenOA and institutional repositories seems to be here! However @rosiehigman.bsky.social pointed out to me that we are now decidedly mid career rather than the young folks, so there's also that!

My wife got her call up to the England powerlifting team for the 3 lift event after a serious fight for silver at the All England comp on Saturday (she was in the bench only team). I couldn't be prouder of her 🥰

Do we think Labour will learn anything from these results, or will they brush them under the carpet and carry on? Being Reform-lite obvs hasn't worked when people can vote OG reform. We'd already seen the complete dismantling of the Tory party as a serious concern. Is Labour next? #UKElections

Do we think Labour will learn anything from these results, or will they brush them under the carpet and carry on? Being Reform-lite obvs hasn't worked when people can vote OG reform. We'd already seen the complete dismantling of the Tory party as a serious concern. Is Labour next? #UKElections

I keep seeing a 'what could you give an hours talk on', but for many of us that's the job. So...What could you give a 10 wk intro course to? (Not work related) 1. Queer representation in SciFi 2. Subcultures in sports 3. Themes & character development in the Wheel of Time

Feels like I'm off to the office in London, but actually I'm going to pivot at the last minute into the BL for RLUK's repositories meeting. Anyone else on their way? And is there a hashtag?

When I go to powerpoint now the first option is to create a presentation using Copilot. Mate, I don't know what I'm saying yet - how can you?

When the NIH abruptly terminated thousands of research grants last year, the fallout wasn’t distributed equitably. A new analysis suggests the cuts disproportionately hit women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ investigators. My latest for @nature.com

Spotted elsewhere.

This was the exact rationale behind setting up the LGBTQSteminar. #LGBTQSTEM I was so tired of being asked to speak about "being gay in science", so much boring navel gazing. I wanted to showcase the really cool science that LGBTQ+ people were doing, so that's what we did.

I'm glad skype has gone*. I had several postdoc interviews via it in 2009/10 and I still feel anxious when I hear that ringtone. *I may or may not be joking.

Books are hard to write, LLMs make it easy. But they also make it awful and pointless. I'll stick with the hard work, thanks.

For anyone looking for a little fascinating read to pass the time, I've just stumbled on the diary of Thomas Sullivan. That boy new absolutely everyone! archive.org/details/pass...

I just wrote the words "After a stint working at the Adams family archive" in the book. It's staying in. Little joke for anyone who reads that far.

The biggest issue with my wife @katemontaguehellen.bsky.social being in London today, and back late is that I appear to be completely unable to switch off from work when she isn't around. She is the magic sauce that prevents me being a total workaholic.

Attempting to delegate something that I'd really like to just get done myself. Wish me luck 😂

The latest from #UKSGInsights "Experiencing open access: a role-play approach to practical learning" by Laura Tobler from Bern University of Applied Science dub.sh/qvey0MC

I've been very lax in book writing recently, but back on the wagon again this morning. Delving into the marriage bar on librarians (which I know my great aunt fell foul of) - horrible for women who wanted to work and marry, but arguably a bit of a safe haven for lesbians!

Hey folks, Fancy helping out a Phd student @katemontaguehellen.bsky.social who has been accepted onto the Wngland Powerlifting squad? We've got to get her to Canada! gofund.me/46d33ed9f

I am being forced to use Microsoft Copilot instead of Claude at work. I've been using it for 20 mins and already want to through its sycophantic Clippy ass out of the window.

Started off the day so frustrated and annoyed, but I then had a day of colleagues taking my concerns and expertise seriously and I've ended the day feeling so much better! It's easy to just complain on social media, so here's a positive one 😉

I'm on one of the fancy EMR trains and I can confirm that the Wifi works! Game changer 😂

Hey folks, Fancy helping out a Phd student @katemontaguehellen.bsky.social who has been accepted onto the Wngland Powerlifting squad? We've got to get her to Canada! gofund.me/46d33ed9f

Happy birthday, Dad. Wish you were here. You’d know what to do. Or at least you’d know what to write. ❤️

Why do funders keep sending important open access comms to people in the organisation who don't actually care? So not helpful.

Trying not to let the splintering of open access policy rile me up...even with a post holiday positive outlook when external organisation essentially make your job impossible it's difficult not to lose heart a bit!

A bookshop/coffee shop by day, bar by night has always been the dream.

I look at English higher education, and its destruction by this government and those before it, and feel such melancholy sadness. They have torn down something wonderful. They have hurt so many good people, who only wanted careers teaching and researching.

2026. The platypus is even weirder than thought, scientists discover phys.org/news/2026-03...

Being an amateur sportsperson is expensive! @katemontaguehellen.bsky.social has been selected to represent England (powerlifting) in Canada - now we've got to get her there. If you'd like to support a PhD student balancing elite sport alongside writing her thesis -> www.gofundme.com/f/help-kate-...

Back from 2 weeks in Australia, no thinking about work (or at least trying not to). Bit apprehensive about jumping back in. Any massive fires whilst I've been away? #OpenAccess #UKLibrarians #Library

Hong Kong was really great, but Australia feels like home. #Holibobs

As @drbeth.bsky.social & I discussed, CRUK's amendment is... unwelcome. Providing £ for (A)PCs was always a fool's game that assumed rationality of people under capitalism & markets. Sam's 100% right. It highlights the distance between funder approaches & academic pressures vis-a-vis prestige etc.

💯I never feel like I'm doing enough, making enough impact, writing enough, speaking enough, thinking enough. It doesn't matter how many people say I am.

Anyone know of a switch I can install in my brain so I can go on holiday and not think about work?

This week I just feel like maybe I shouldn't bother caring. You work for 10 years on making things better and then sudden policy changes pull the rug out from under you. Whilst it's a particular policy for me, it might be a different policy for you. It's going around.

BMJ reporting that government has said that 1000 extra training posts for resident doctors will no longer be available from this April. Stupid. Impact of resident doctors on patient care and healthcare system make it essential to provide adequate training posts for them www.bmj.com/content/393/...

Ah, Saturday on a double bank holiday weekend. West Street in Sheffield always reminds me a bit of Gin Lane 😬

I just had a toasted mini egg and creme egg sandwich bc it's Good Friday. And I'm not even sorry.

OMG, why am I arguing with someone on LinkedIn. Never worth it. Did I not learn my twitter lessons properly?

I keep thinking about the fact that someone asked if I'd gone to the "Leading introverts as an introvert" session as an extrovert spy 😂 I really don't think the people who knew me in high school would even recognise adult Beth!

What a wonderful women. She's going in the book 😉

Just had an email reminding me that a deal for a perpetual access collection we subscribe to will end on 30 June 2114. You know, I suspect someone else will have to worry about that!

I have 100% failed to not work today. Well done Beth. At least everyone in the UK is off for a few days now.

Very proud of the work I did pushing forward EDI while in STEM, glad there are still brilliant people like Alex continuing the fight.