Kirsten the Librarian
@librarykirsten.bsky.social
Research Intelligence Librarian, formerly NHS librarian. Co-founder of Fair Library Jobs. UCU rep. Scholarly communications, research metrics, equity, pedantry, cats. She/her.
Right, very nearly got into an argument about inheritance tax in someone else’s replies so I am Logging Off. Also today I have done a yoga and yesterday made a massive pot of kale minestrone and I have a GP appointment booked and social things planned so would like a gold medal for self-care.
November 27, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Right, very nearly got into an argument about inheritance tax in someone else’s replies so I am Logging Off. Also today I have done a yoga and yesterday made a massive pot of kale minestrone and I have a GP appointment booked and social things planned so would like a gold medal for self-care.
Proposal for REF29 PCE: counterstatements for institutions from employees and ex-employees explaining how the culture and environment in fact undermined their ability to research.
November 27, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Proposal for REF29 PCE: counterstatements for institutions from employees and ex-employees explaining how the culture and environment in fact undermined their ability to research.
Reposted by Kirsten the Librarian
I did, you know, I did make a book (with a LOT of other people) and it's got my name on the front and everything. eprints.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/id/eprint/81...
November 27, 2025 at 2:49 PM
I did, you know, I did make a book (with a LOT of other people) and it's got my name on the front and everything. eprints.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/id/eprint/81...
Reminder to everyone of the existence of Oxfam Online for Christmas shopping! The Home, Garden & Crafts books especially good for anyone with a niche hobby onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/home-garden-...
I was going to suggest Oxfam Online - sadly can't get delivered to EU but might work if you've got someone in the UK to send them to? onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/faqs-delivery
onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk
November 26, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Reminder to everyone of the existence of Oxfam Online for Christmas shopping! The Home, Garden & Crafts books especially good for anyone with a niche hobby onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/home-garden-...
Listening to Amélie Church from Sorbonne University Library speaking at #LisBib conference - the figures on WoS coverage of humanities similar to what I found for Uni of Nottingham outputs. And really inspiring to hear about the meaningful investment in open data infrastructure.
November 26, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Listening to Amélie Church from Sorbonne University Library speaking at #LisBib conference - the figures on WoS coverage of humanities similar to what I found for Uni of Nottingham outputs. And really inspiring to hear about the meaningful investment in open data infrastructure.
Grateful for livestreaming of conferences but as ever sad to be missing the best bit - the pastries
November 26, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Grateful for livestreaming of conferences but as ever sad to be missing the best bit - the pastries
Reposted by Kirsten the Librarian
For anyone who got a feedback request from Clarivate (Ex Libris) today - zine from Librarians & Archivists with Palestine
librarianswithpalestine.org
October 14, 2025 at 9:38 AM
For anyone who got a feedback request from Clarivate (Ex Libris) today - zine from Librarians & Archivists with Palestine
Feeling this, as I prepare to deliver a conference presentation that’s out of date because of an organisational restructure and I haven’t finished because of being on strike over job losses
Oxford Handbook to the End of Academia
November 24, 2025 at 11:05 AM
Feeling this, as I prepare to deliver a conference presentation that’s out of date because of an organisational restructure and I haven’t finished because of being on strike over job losses
Reposted by Kirsten the Librarian
Along with our rallies happening today (1 PM) and tomorrow (10 AM), students from the music school have organised additional protests as well. All happening on the south side of the trent building.
Let's show this university how united we are! ✊
#StopTheCuts #SaveHE
Let's show this university how united we are! ✊
#StopTheCuts #SaveHE
November 24, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Along with our rallies happening today (1 PM) and tomorrow (10 AM), students from the music school have organised additional protests as well. All happening on the south side of the trent building.
Let's show this university how united we are! ✊
#StopTheCuts #SaveHE
Let's show this university how united we are! ✊
#StopTheCuts #SaveHE
Reposted by Kirsten the Librarian
'It is notable that in the last Research Excellence Framework exercise the Department of American Studies at Nottingham was ranked third in the Area Studies unit of assessment and was one of the top-performing units across the whole of the University of Nottingham.' 1/2
RED ALERT: the University of Nottingham is threatening to close its Department of American Studies, putting all staff at risk of redundancy, and ending any American specialist knowledge in the Faculty of Arts.
Sign the petition here to save jobs:
www.change.org/p/save-ameri...
Sign the petition here to save jobs:
www.change.org/p/save-ameri...
Sign the Petition
SAVE AMERICAN STUDIES TEACHING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM
www.change.org
November 23, 2025 at 1:38 PM
'It is notable that in the last Research Excellence Framework exercise the Department of American Studies at Nottingham was ranked third in the Area Studies unit of assessment and was one of the top-performing units across the whole of the University of Nottingham.' 1/2
Reposted by Kirsten the Librarian
Colleagues and UCU members from UoN's Department of Modern Languages have put together this wonderful guide on supporting their programmes. A lot of what they suggest is also helpful in challenging the 48 courses at risk across the university
www.savemlcatnotts.org.uk
www.savemlcatnotts.org.uk
savenottinghamlanguages
The University of Nottingham has suspended applications to all languages degree programmes, with a view to permanent closure of all of its undergraduate languages degrees. Under the proposals, it…
www.savemlcatnotts.org.uk
November 21, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Colleagues and UCU members from UoN's Department of Modern Languages have put together this wonderful guide on supporting their programmes. A lot of what they suggest is also helpful in challenging the 48 courses at risk across the university
www.savemlcatnotts.org.uk
www.savemlcatnotts.org.uk
Reposted by Kirsten the Librarian
I'm glad to have signed this statement in support of queer and trans staff at the National Library of Scotland, who by the sounds of it are going through an awful time at the moment: docs.google.com/document/d/e...
November 19, 2025 at 10:15 AM
I'm glad to have signed this statement in support of queer and trans staff at the National Library of Scotland, who by the sounds of it are going through an awful time at the moment: docs.google.com/document/d/e...
Reposted by Kirsten the Librarian
I'm conducting research for my prof doc at the Uni of Salford. I'm interested to hear from UK-based healthcare staff who've authored #systematicreviews with or without collaborating with librarians and info professionals. app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/salford/re...
#medsky #research #Health
#medsky #research #Health
Researcher version: Librarian Contribution to Systematic Reviews
Online surveys is a powerful, easy to use tool for creating online surveys. Run by Jisc, online surveys is used by over 300 different organisations in the UK...
app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk
November 19, 2025 at 11:15 AM
I'm conducting research for my prof doc at the Uni of Salford. I'm interested to hear from UK-based healthcare staff who've authored #systematicreviews with or without collaborating with librarians and info professionals. app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/salford/re...
#medsky #research #Health
#medsky #research #Health
Reposted by Kirsten the Librarian
People need to reckon with the hypocrisies of governments prepared to suport products that algorithmically fabricate history while stripping funding from the archives and repositories that hold actual historical artifacts. This is far more expansive than the cyberattack on the British Library.
November 18, 2025 at 2:36 PM
People need to reckon with the hypocrisies of governments prepared to suport products that algorithmically fabricate history while stripping funding from the archives and repositories that hold actual historical artifacts. This is far more expansive than the cyberattack on the British Library.
Solidarity to all at @ucuedinburgh.bsky.social! I studied there in 2010-11 and staff were on strike then - I remember one of my tutors explaining that she felt it was part of her responsibility to us as her students to protect the future of academic pay and conditions.
Pickets all over Edinburgh this morning! From Old College to King's Building, Edinburgh UCU staff are saying NO to job cuts!
November 18, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Solidarity to all at @ucuedinburgh.bsky.social! I studied there in 2010-11 and staff were on strike then - I remember one of my tutors explaining that she felt it was part of her responsibility to us as her students to protect the future of academic pay and conditions.
One for the research culture and metadata folks, and #MedLibs thinking about ways of getting their contributions recognised.
Our new preprint! The Acknowledgments problem, and what to do about it.
With @martonkovacs.bsky.social, @pietropollo.bsky.social, @philobolobstime.bsky.social, Losia Lagisz, & Mohammad Hosseini.
With @martonkovacs.bsky.social, @pietropollo.bsky.social, @philobolobstime.bsky.social, Losia Lagisz, & Mohammad Hosseini.
November 18, 2025 at 10:53 AM
One for the research culture and metadata folks, and #MedLibs thinking about ways of getting their contributions recognised.
Reposted by Kirsten the Librarian
48 courses have already been suspended. University council is expected to sign their death certificate. No music, no languages, no mental health nursing.
Stand with UCU and all workers and students at UoN against academic vandalism.
#StopTheCuts #SaveHE
Stand with UCU and all workers and students at UoN against academic vandalism.
#StopTheCuts #SaveHE
November 18, 2025 at 10:01 AM
48 courses have already been suspended. University council is expected to sign their death certificate. No music, no languages, no mental health nursing.
Stand with UCU and all workers and students at UoN against academic vandalism.
#StopTheCuts #SaveHE
Stand with UCU and all workers and students at UoN against academic vandalism.
#StopTheCuts #SaveHE
Reposted by Kirsten the Librarian
Our new preprint! The Acknowledgments problem, and what to do about it.
With @martonkovacs.bsky.social, @pietropollo.bsky.social, @philobolobstime.bsky.social, Losia Lagisz, & Mohammad Hosseini.
With @martonkovacs.bsky.social, @pietropollo.bsky.social, @philobolobstime.bsky.social, Losia Lagisz, & Mohammad Hosseini.
November 17, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Our new preprint! The Acknowledgments problem, and what to do about it.
With @martonkovacs.bsky.social, @pietropollo.bsky.social, @philobolobstime.bsky.social, Losia Lagisz, & Mohammad Hosseini.
With @martonkovacs.bsky.social, @pietropollo.bsky.social, @philobolobstime.bsky.social, Losia Lagisz, & Mohammad Hosseini.
Procrastinating by testing how well different databases are doing with author curation using E P Thompson as an example and none are doing great. Scopus as far as I can tell has 2 records of 3 works each, WoS has mistakenly lumped in lots of science stuff, OpenAlex does this:
November 17, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Procrastinating by testing how well different databases are doing with author curation using E P Thompson as an example and none are doing great. Scopus as far as I can tell has 2 records of 3 works each, WoS has mistakenly lumped in lots of science stuff, OpenAlex does this:
Worth reading Laura’s whole thread, and try to give blood if you can! Lots of altruistic reasons to do so but also free biscuits and a shiny badge if you do it enough.
So a plea to my followers: if you can (and I know there are many who can't, for many reasons, no need to apologise/explain), would you consider donating blood? Especially if you've never done it before. I will feel less upset about being removed from the donor pool if I can recruit some new donors!
November 15, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Worth reading Laura’s whole thread, and try to give blood if you can! Lots of altruistic reasons to do so but also free biscuits and a shiny badge if you do it enough.
Reposted by Kirsten the Librarian
If you don’t know @sfdirewolf.bsky.social ‘s writing and activism, honour her memory and reward yourself by seeking it out. A huge loss, a unique voice.
Our beloved Alice Wong has joined the ancestors. It was one of the great honors of my life to call Alice my friend, co-author & co-conspirator. She was a true genius, a force of nature the likes of which the world has never seen before. I love you, Alice, and am equal parts grateful and devastated
November 15, 2025 at 8:30 AM
If you don’t know @sfdirewolf.bsky.social ‘s writing and activism, honour her memory and reward yourself by seeking it out. A huge loss, a unique voice.
I really think if the title an academic work includes quote marks then databases should still find it if you search without quotes, or the wrong kind ('/")
(Not naming which one, I'll test it properly and put in a proper support request on Monday)
(Not naming which one, I'll test it properly and put in a proper support request on Monday)
November 14, 2025 at 5:09 PM
I really think if the title an academic work includes quote marks then databases should still find it if you search without quotes, or the wrong kind ('/")
(Not naming which one, I'll test it properly and put in a proper support request on Monday)
(Not naming which one, I'll test it properly and put in a proper support request on Monday)
Reposted by Kirsten the Librarian
INDUSTRIAL ACTION UPDATE: We’ve had some movement in response to our strike action. A 🧵.
November 14, 2025 at 3:34 PM
INDUSTRIAL ACTION UPDATE: We’ve had some movement in response to our strike action. A 🧵.
Fine, I only need one hand to type anyway.
November 14, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Fine, I only need one hand to type anyway.
Why is the search I ran with the exact same code returning 40 fewer results than last week
I do not have the time or mental energy to work it out, maybe my conference presentation ends with a big question mark
I do not have the time or mental energy to work it out, maybe my conference presentation ends with a big question mark
November 14, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Why is the search I ran with the exact same code returning 40 fewer results than last week
I do not have the time or mental energy to work it out, maybe my conference presentation ends with a big question mark
I do not have the time or mental energy to work it out, maybe my conference presentation ends with a big question mark