Really kind of Mary Beard to give me this generous shout-out in her @thetls.bsky.social blog this week … www.the-tls.com/regular-feat...

An incredible evening @bodleian.ox.ac.uk: I was deeply honoured to receive the @rsliterature.bsky.social's Benson Medal from Ruth Scurr, then hosted a screening of 'The Librarians', the powerful doc @thelibrariansfilm.bsky.social featuring courageous librarians @librarianjones.com & Julie Miller!

Thank you Eduardo!

What a fine gesture from the President of @rsliterature.bsky.social to fund an important new Prize from her own prize money. Bravo Bernie! observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

So enjoyed being in conversation with the great Ian McEwan in the Sheldonian last night for the launch of his 19th novel ‘What we can know’ in which @bodleian.ox.ac.uk features prominently! It is a brilliant book (from @jonathancape.bsky.social) and available from @blackwelloxford.bsky.social!

Last few tickets remaining for Blackwells' Ian McEwan event with @richove.bsky.social at the beautiful Sheldonian Theatre this Saturday. All ticket purchases include a copy of McEwan's new book, 'What We Can Know'. visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/event/sep25/...

Come and hear me in discussion with Ian McEwan on his new book 'What we can know' (@jonathancape.bsky.social) in which @bodleian.ox.ac.uk is prominent! The book is a powerful dicussion on truth, evidence, archives and the future of the humanities and humanity. visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/event/sep25/...

This from a few days ago in the @ft.com.web.brid.gy - but surely the headline should read ‘von der Leyen saved by paper maps - and a pilot who could still use them’!

Always a joy to be at the @bodleian.ox.ac.uk Collections Storage Facility - around 14 m collection items preserved there for students and scholars

Excellent piece by Mark Lawson in today’s @theguardian.com reviewing ‘Now Whitehouse’, the new play by @carolinebirduk.bsky.social on Mary Whitehouse. Caroline used the Mary Whitehouse archive @bodleian.ox.ac.uk as part of her research for the play. www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/s...

I had the pleasure of being in discussion in Sydney last week with the legendary David Marr on ABC’s Late Night Live concerning libraries, book banning and the fight for knowledge.

The 2025 Richard Benson Lecture in the Reproduced Image (@bodleian.ox.ac.uk) will be given by Joel Meyerowitz, reflecting on his career through his photobooks. 28 October 2025 Weston Library. Book now to avoid disappointment! visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/event/oct25/...

Fantastic preview of our upcoming show: ‘John le Carré:Tradecraft’ by Stephen Smith in this weekend’s @theobserveruk.bsky.social New Review. The show has been curated by Federico Varese and Jessica Douthwaite, and there is a wonderful book from Bodleian Publications observer.co.uk/style/featur...

This is an important and highly considered intervention in the debate on the place of AI in higher education, from the great @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social - one who knows. Much to think about in what he says here ...

Really enjoyed @stephenkb.bsky.social's review of the trio of new books on James VI/I in @ft.com.web.brid.gy this weekend, especially the quote about the King's ideal prison being @bodleian.ox.ac.uk (we aim to please readers from all social groups) on.ft.com/4p9ldaL

Wonderful piece about (by Wendy Jones) and by the great Martin Parr concerning his autobiography‘Utterly lazy and inattentive’. Ill be in conversation with him at the Oxford Literary Festival next March …. www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...

Great piece on AI by @timharford.ft.com in this weekend’s @ft.com.web.brid.gy Magazine - on the dangers of trusting generative AI as a source of referencing information. The Knowledge infrastructure provided by libraries is more trustworthy….

The new Humanities Library (@bodleianlibraries.bsky.social) at the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities will shortly receive its first transfer of books to fill its lovely new shelves. Huge thanks to the team managing the moves!

Superb analysis of the contemporary impact of the publication of Mein Kampf, a century ago, from Prof Richard J Evans in this week’s @newstatesman.com

Exciting times as the steel frame begins to go in place for @ox.ac.uk's new addition to the Collections Storage Facility, for our incomparably amazing Gardens, Libraries, and Museums ...

We are hosting the UK premiere of the powerful documentary, ‘The Librarians’, directed by Kim A. Snyder. Come and join us @bodleian.ox.ac.uk for the screening, a panel discussion, and drinks! Co-organised with @rsliterature.bsky.social visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/event/sep25/...

On 13 September I shall be in conversation with Ian McEwan about his incredible new novel ‘What we can know’, published the following week. Come and join us at the Sheldonian (a @bodleian.ox.ac.uk event in association with @blackwelloxford.bsky.social) visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/event/sep25/...

Goodnight from Orkney

Goodnight from Orkney

Fabulous from @lauracummingart.bsky.social on the almost-forgotten master photographer William Notman, who left Scotland for fame and fortune in Canada: observer.co.uk/culture/phot...

Hello from the Brough of Birsay

Astounded to have been made HonFBA by @britishacademy.bsky.social today. Cant quite believe it, but hugely grateful! www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/agm-wel...

Stunned and delighted in equal measure to have been awarded the 2025 Benson Medal by the @rsliterature.bsky.social and made an Honorary Fellow. A profound thank you to those who nominated me for this amazing honour!

So grateful to @timadamswrites.bsky.social and the brilliant team @theobserveruk.bsky.social for giving such prominence to my piece on libraries in Trump’s America this weekend. Will never lose the thrill of seeing my work in print - especially with Lisa Sheehan’s amazing front cover art!

Thanks Dennis- scary times we live in - but the library world is strong, resourceful, and collaborative- but we need to stick together….

Thanks for the recommending my piece in today’s @theobserveruk.bsky.social Mary- you are right - strong connection with your brilliant lecture for the Friends of @bodleianlibraries.bsky.social ….

Important and moving - as well as disturbing observer.co.uk/news/interna...

Excellent piece by @joshspero.ft.com - but where was DCMS and the Culture Secratary amidst this tug-of-war for the tapestry?

American libraries are under attack. I have written a long piece for @theobserveruk.bsky.social on the MAGA assault on libraries (and archives), and the strong librarians fighting back. observer.co.uk/news/interna...

‘Always verify your references’ (Martin J. Routh). Generative AI needs to be able to bring a citation/persistent identifier (DOI, Ark, Perl etc) with its generative output so that users can trace the source.

This coming Sunday I write about libraries (and archives) in Trump’s America for @theobserveruk.bsky.social

Thanks so much for recommending #Burningthebooks Mary! Another follow up piece, on libraries in Trump’s America, will appear in @theobserveruk.bsky.social this coming Sunday …

Make sure you come to @bodleianlibs.bsky.social to see our autumn/winter show ‘Tradecraft’, out first show drawn from the John le Carré archive. Weston Library from 1 October www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j...

Fun to be had this afternoon for my course @rarebookschool.bsky.social on ‘The photographic book from 1843’ from our amazing collections @bodleianlibraries.bsky.social

Great to visit the team at the Philosophy and Theology Faculties Library on its final day before closing & moving to the new Humanities Library in the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities. Thank you to the team who made this such a fine library, exciting that they will make history in the new one!

Congratulations to the amazing team at the @engfac.bsky.social Library @bodleianlibraries.bsky.social on their final day before moving to the New Humanities Library in the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities. Sad to be leaving, but excited to be making history in the new library!

Delighted to have had quality time with my old friend Buhle Mbambo-Thata, Director the University Library at Lesotho!

So delighted to announce that Dr Gavin Svenson, Chief Science Officer at the Cleveland Museum of Natural Hisroy will become the new Director @morethanadodo.bsky.social in September! www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-07...

This is brilliant!

An absolute summer unit (@bodleianlibraries.bsky.social)

Wonderful piece on Sylvia Plath's Ariel in @theobserveruk.bsky.social by @ericawgnr.bsky.social observer.co.uk/culture/book...

Fantastic to be putting a spade in the ground for the new Collections Storage Facility for Gardens, Libraries and Museums @ox.ac.uk (with Glencar as main contractor). 60 weeks from now we will have an integrated, preservation storage facility to Passivhaus standards for our amazing collections!

Congratulations to my esteemed colleague @wetpaint63.bsky.social on his inclusive leadership award for Oxford Lifelong Learning. So richly deserved!

As a librarian and as an author whose works are in the LibGen database without my permission (I know this thanks to excellent work by @theatlantic.com) I find this ruling to be deeply enraging: on.ft.com/3IdFyua Meta wins artificial intelligence copyright case in blow to authors

Yesterday we celebrated 100 years of the Friends of the Bodleian (@bodleianlibs.bsky.social) with a cake, a garden party, and a superb lecture from @wmarybeard.bsky.social! Join us and help us into our next century visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/friends-of-t...