Great to see that our work @fanlis.bsky.social continues to be read! #Superman #pinkkryptonite

This lecture is uplifting and inspiring. Anyone connected to the LIS profession and indeed, anyone in local/national government, should take 50 mins to listen. It will certainly be of interest to any former CityLIS students. Focus on the last section. Libraries underpin democratic society.

Compelling photos of past (grimy!) London. Lovely post.

Medieval King Arthur manuscript could fetch £2m at auction

Historians slam ‘marketisation and neglect’ of higher education. Royal Historical Society issues stinging rebuke of English model amid escalating cuts. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...

‘Such was Æthelstan’s stature that leading Continental families sought (and gained) alliance with him, establishing an unprecedented network of foster-sons and in-laws, from Scandinavia to the Alps.’ Nicholas Higham on England’s first kings. www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

In sampled HEIs (in a sample of unstated size [it's over 140] and % of sector), 38% are making compulsory redundancies, 79% voluntary redundancies, 31% cutting research, 44% are cutting courses. Link to the UUK report on the survey, which is open access, is below. 2/2

For decades I was in awe of political systems that allowed universities to exist as bastions of free, independent, scholarship and teaching even when it was sharply critical of those in power. Seemed to me a litmus test of the liberal democratic spirit. Fearing now I’ve lived through its heyday.

Leiden University Library published Nomenclator, world's first institutional library printed catalogue #OTD 1595. ⁦‪University of Leiden

Matthew Payne’s lecture, ‘Who was Elizabeth Northe? John Lettou and London’s first printing press’, is now online: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRmU... It examines the circumstances surrounding the setting up of London’s first press, and the distribution of works produced by it in London in the 1480s.

'Archaeological evidence shows immigration from many parts of Northern Europe, and Bede supposed that several Germanic tribes were involved, resulting in Saxon, Jutish and Anglian settlers. He considered them all English (Angles) in some sense, united by language and obedience to one archbishop. 1/3

‘We want to see continuity in print, but it took a lot of actual and ideological work to make the printed word actually do the things that it came to stand for.’ @tomlukejohnson.bsky.social on William Caxton and the story of the English printing press. www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Also one of life’s joys.

Wes Streeting wants new laws to force your GP to share your medical records. The bill was not in Labour's Manifesto and Palantir has explicitly said, under a new Government, it would be happy to use medical data for other purposes. Be afraid.

“Tyrants and autocrats have always understood that literacy, learning, books and newspapers are potentially dangerous. They can inspire independent thought and even rebellion.” — Carl Sagan

Palantir’s focus is surveillance. They should be nowhere near the NHS, and certainly not near patient data. They are bad actors, and those pushing the contract know this.

This sentiment aligns well with the need for libraries, archives, museums and galleries to keep the record of humankind. In an age of fake images, hallucinated texts and deleting of inconvenient evidence, the importance of accurate history is fundamental to civil society.

The Government ten days ago released a new strategic vision for archives which makes a strong and convincing case for their central importance. Using it as a yardstick shows just how far short of best practice the BBC Written Archives Centre falls. www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/new-strategi...

“.. a sector widely described as toxic. Astonishing that any society would place so little value on higher education and research.

Some background to the Biobank data breach.

“All the data are de-identified”. No probs then. 🤷‍♀️

This little book is delightful. I recall it being pointed out that the book fits perfectly in a human hand.

Happy for Hungary - hopeful for humankind.

“Books are patient where we are slow to understand, allow us to go over the hard parts as many times as we wish, and are never critical of our lapses. Books are key to understanding the world and participating in a democratic society.” — Carl Sagan

Next week, Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style, a landmark exhibition of the late Queen’s fashion opens at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace. The exhibition represents the largest display of the Queen’s fashion ever staged: ft.trib.al/hKAtQae

Book banning is an arrogant practice, which has little to do with safeguarding children. It has more to do with restricting access to ideas. Schools should encourage pupils to read widely, and to think critically.

after much deliberation and giving AI the benefit of the doubt, Wikipedia editors have had enough of AI slop. New policy bans LLM generated content, periodt www.404media.co/wikipedia-ba...

In the UK we can watch The Librarians documentary on iPlayer It's vital. Defend the knowledge base, defend libraries, defend librarians. They are the stewards of our culture and progress.

Brilliant news! Congratulations Jack 😎

Today marks the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere meaning winter is officially behind us! This idyllic scene was painted by English-born painter Charles Conder.

A lovely preservation story.

Exciting news - I have actually updated the Library Conferences on BlueSky page, and it now has current and previous 2026 sections! Lots to do to add in events I have noted in screenshots and saved emails, but good progress.

Enjoyable visit today to the Fashion and Textile Museum to see Costume Couture: sixty years of Cosprop. The company was founded by John Bright in 1965, and has an outstanding collection of original and commissioned costumes for film, relevions and theatre. fashiontextilemuseum.org/exhibitionsd...

Study finds signs and symbols on central European artifacts between 43,000 and 34,000 years old, appear statistically similar to protocuneiform from approx 3500-3200BC. #TheStoryOfDocuments www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Reading any book can lead to understanding, which is something of a joy.

Now open!

Extra tour date announced for Wednesday 9th April. www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/tic...

Job losses at UK research-intensive universities double in two years. Exclusive: Scale of redundancies branded a “disaster”. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Thinking just isn’t profitable.

Never underestimate a cat.

This @historytoday.com article is FREE for 7 days to mark the 200th anniversary of London's first university #UCL200 @ioew.bsky.social @uclnews.bsky.social @ucl.ac.uk

The study shows association with a reduced risk, rather than a definitive link - but still encouraging!

Exposition of Libraries Alliance from founder @richove.bsky.social in conversation with Rob Green @cilip.bsky.social - importance of technologically up-to-date library staff. Listen to the end for clear statement on what libraries mean to society.

📚 Two centuries of student life reveal a dynamic, changing London. To mark UCL’s 200th anniversary, Student London: A New History of Higher Education in the Capital is out today- free to read and download: bit.ly/3NcnXpi #StudentLondon #LondonHistory #HigherEducation #OpenAccess

MAGAZINE MONDAY | From fragile fragments to the digital world: Library conservators treat crumpled Egyptian papyrus texts and bring them to a global audience online. https://lcm.loc.gov/issue/january-february-2026/history-unfolded/?loclr=blsky

' Ronald Barnett describes the contemporary fascination with skills as a form of ‘bewitchment’ (others have put it more strongly elsewhere)....When individuals are defined in this way, they become more easily interchangeable in the labour market, increasing workers’ vulnerability.'

An uplifting photo of our crocus lawn. Every single bulb moved there from under the trees by resident squirrels over the years 🐿️ No yellow ones. I guess they eat those straightaway.

It’s never a good thing to dictate what other people’s children can read. School libraries are spaces for every child.

The joy of books!