🎉 BLA summer conference announcement! 🎉 Save the date: Wednesday 1st - Friday 3rd July 2026. Place: University of Brighton. This years theme will be "Libraries as Strategic Partners: Collaboration Within and Beyond the Institution". Bookings will be open soon!

❗Announcement coming soon!❗

Very honoured to be part of this and looking forward to supporting BLA members for the year ahead!

🎉 We’re please to announce new BLA Committee members! Sarah Brain - BLA Chair Sjoukje Schotts - Supplier Liaison Officer Neil Skinner - Training Officer Jennifer Winterburn - Development Officer Algirdas Kraunaitis - Marketing and Communications Officer Join us in giving them a warm welcome! 🎉

A reminder that our AGM will be held online tomorrow (Wednesday 3rd September) at 2pm. Voting for the position of Supplier Liaison Officer will close at midday tomorrow (one vote per member institution).

Applications are now open for the five available committee roles. Further information about the roles and some of the tasks previous officers have worked on are available here: bla1.glasscubes.com/share/s/vsq2... Nominate yourself via bla1.glasscubes.com/form/5a00f28... by 1st August.

#BLA25 reflections..(part deux).. do astronomy, debate with Jo Webb about the future of our profession. This list is just a taste of what happened (didn't even make it to the gin or whisky 'tour'). Bless you BLA, so long and thanks for all the fish. I did eat a lot of fish. Xx

#BLA25 reflections.. Where else could I hang out with Aaron Tay for drinks, or get to the nub of UX with Andy Priestner, learn the inner most thoughts of deans of business, ponder on the unfathomable ripple effects of kindness with Helen Rimmer..

Now for a visit to Glasgow Women’s Library @womenslibrary.bsky.social

With Glasgow just 30 mins on the train from Stirling, it’d be rude not to pop over after #BLA25 and visit some libraries! First up: The Mitchell Library, which houses the BL Business & IP Centre Glasgow

Conference Organiser Neil making a start on his Recovery Pack (Irn Bru and chocolate). @blalib.org #bla25

Great tour of the Library to finish the Conference. I particularly love the Wellbeing Space and the blankets. @isstirling.bsky.social #bla25 @blalib.org

@blalib.org #bla25 It's been a great conference everyone. So much food for thought (and actual food... I am stuffed!)

A fabulous end to the @blalib.org conference today, ending with a keynote on kindess by Helen Rimmer. Big thanks to the committee who did a wonderful job of organising it, and the University of Stirling for hosting. It's been great. Until next time.... #bla25

And that’s a wrap. Thank you to Neil and the committee for organising another wonderful conference. Thank you to those who presented members papers. Thank you for some stimulating keynotes #bla25

Well done everyone and thanks to the fantastic organisers and presenters! It was fab #bla25

That’s it. Congratulations to @blalib.org on their 50th anniversary. What a way to celebrate in beautiful Sterling with excellente member paper presentations and keynote speakers. Big thank you to everyone and safe travels home. #bla25

Thank you Mary Lister for closing out our Kindness session with a wonderful story of the ripple effect in action. It all started with The Very Hungry Caterpillar 🐛 #BLA25

A talk about kindness - what a wonderful way to end a confetence! #bla25

Individual change matters, but collaborative change creates lasting impact. #BLA25

Goals shouldn’t be punishment #BLA25

Kindness starts with you. Ask yourself - Where do I need to show myself more self-kindness? #BLA25

Kindness is an antidote to burnout #BLA25

Interesting statistics about wellbeing and feeling cared for impacts. #BLA25

“Carewashing” is when organisations claim they care about your wellbeing, but their actions say otherwise. Having too many meetings is a part of this. #BLA25

Look at your organisation’s bereavement, parental and fertility policies. The fertility policy needs to be separate from the maternity policy. #BLA25

Hobbies are important in burnout prevention #BLA25

Fostering a supportive work environment is so important - and networks like the BLA are part of that #BLA25

Did any 1st person manage not to smile back? #BLA25

Kindness is not the same as being nice. #BLA25

Kindness is contagious! #BLA25

Our final keynote is @thekindbraveleader.bsky.social Helen is also a former business librarian and attended many BLA conferences! #BLA25

Stick to your core values and professional beliefs. #BLA25

Be in charge of the wheelbarrow, lead on where you should be going, not where you are told to be going. Progress requires professionals to be bold snd make risky choices. #BLA25

“O Librarians are educators, guides and defenders of informed, equitable access to knowledge”. Their role is evolving, not disappearing . Should be seen as core party of the curriculum development. #BLA25

Why not have librarians and business school staff deliver training sessions together? #BLA25

Librarians can help guide the students with: #BLA25

Interesting point about libraries not intervening enough in course materials etc #BLA25

The question of the utility of library inductions arises again #BLA25

Librarians & professional staff are part of the pedagogical scholarship. Often underrated and void in academia. #BLA25

143 business schools in the UK - possibly too many? #BLA25

Our fantastic conference host Neil Skinner introduces our 4th keynote speaker, Professor Kevin Grant, Dean of Stirling Management School #BLA25

Three happy winners of the sponsor gala bingo! #BLA25

Congratulations to Mary Lister, winner of the Leslie Baldwin Award for Best Members Paper 2025 #BLA25

A piper greeted us to our Gala Dinner last night. Thank you to @ebscouk.bsky.social for sponsoring our welcome drinks #BLA25

What's not to love about attending a conference where you get to sample the local Gin? #bla25 #stirlinggin #gindistillery

Enjoyed the whisky tasting at Stirling Distillery and very informative talk #bla25

Will be comparing the gin tasting with our whisky tasting later. #BLA25

Tasting the gins at Stirling Distillery #BLA25

Thank you to Karl from @unistirarchives.bsky.social for a fabulous walking tour #BLA25