Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Lyn Robinson @lynrobinson.bsky.social · 1d

Great reading for LIS folks - covers development of LIS related disciplines through to contemporary concerns for information professionals and LIS students.

Lorcan Dempsey @lorcand.bsky.social · 2d

I like the 'boots of concrete' phrase :-) > 'Large companies have built vast consolidated infrastructure - we are used to thinking of information as immaterial, however, AI has also emphasized how the cloud has boots of concrete.' buff.ly/MAzHirK

Information: a brief schematic history

In a piece on the informational disciplines and the iSchool, I sketched this very schematic and informal overview of information, broadly construed. My focus is pragmatic, related to library…

www.lorcandempsey.net

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Lorcan Dempsey @lorcand.bsky.social · 2d

I like the 'boots of concrete' phrase :-) > 'Large companies have built vast consolidated infrastructure - we are used to thinking of information as immaterial, however, AI has also emphasized how the cloud has boots of concrete.' buff.ly/MAzHirK

Information: a brief schematic history

In a piece on the informational disciplines and the iSchool, I sketched this very schematic and informal overview of information, broadly construed. My focus is pragmatic, related to library…

www.lorcandempsey.net

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Lyn Robinson @lynrobinson.bsky.social · 4d

For those interested in LIS education.

Matthew Noe @noethematt.bsky.social · 4d

Hey, this sucks. Like... a lot. 📚

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UNC schools of data science and information science to merge, forming unnamed ‘School of AI’

www.dailytarheel.com/article/univ...

UNC schools of data science and information science to merge, forming unnamed ‘School of AI’

SDSS Dean Stanley Ahalt will be made dean of the new school while SILS Dean Jeffrey Bardzell will stand as the University’s Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer and Vice Provost for AI.

www.dailytarheel.com

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Matthew Noe @noethematt.bsky.social · 4d

Hey, this sucks. Like... a lot. 📚

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UNC schools of data science and information science to merge, forming unnamed ‘School of AI’

www.dailytarheel.com/article/univ...

UNC schools of data science and information science to merge, forming unnamed ‘School of AI’

SDSS Dean Stanley Ahalt will be made dean of the new school while SILS Dean Jeffrey Bardzell will stand as the University’s Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer and Vice Provost for AI.

www.dailytarheel.com

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Louis Coiffait-Gunn @louiscoiffait-gunn.bsky.social · 5d

Libraries through life for the future - a new Libraries Alliance

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Lyn Robinson @lynrobinson.bsky.social · 7d

Individual artists and studios should be able to have a blanket opt-out. The onus to prevent/remove deepfakes should be with OpenAI, not artists and original creators.

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 7d

Robin Williams’ daughter Zelda hits out at AI-generated videos of her dead father: ‘Stop doing this to him’

Film-maker tells the public to stop sending her videos, saying: ‘You’re not making art, you’re making disgusting, over-processed hotdogs out of the lives of human beings’ Zelda Williams, the daughter of the late actor and comedian Robin Williams, has spoken out against AI-generated content featuring her father. “Please, just stop sending me AI videos of Dad,” Zelda wrote in an Instagram story on Monday. “Stop believing I wanna see it or that I’ll understand, I don’t and I won’t. If you’re just trying to troll me, I’ve seen way worse, I’ll restrict and move on. But please, if you’ve got any decency, just stop doing this to him and to me, to everyone even, full stop. It’s dumb, it’s a waste of time and energy, and believe me, it’s NOT what he’d want. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 7d

Robin Williams’ daughter Zelda hits out at AI-generated videos of her dead father: ‘Stop doing this to him’

Film-maker tells the public to stop sending her videos, saying: ‘You’re not making art, you’re making disgusting, over-processed hotdogs out of the lives of human beings’ Zelda Williams, the daughter of the late actor and comedian Robin Williams, has spoken out against AI-generated content featuring her father. “Please, just stop sending me AI videos of Dad,” Zelda wrote in an Instagram story on Monday. “Stop believing I wanna see it or that I’ll understand, I don’t and I won’t. If you’re just trying to troll me, I’ve seen way worse, I’ll restrict and move on. But please, if you’ve got any decency, just stop doing this to him and to me, to everyone even, full stop. It’s dumb, it’s a waste of time and energy, and believe me, it’s NOT what he’d want. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Mylee Joseph @mylee.bsky.social · 9d

how #AI is reshaping library services, information literacy, policy, and professional practice across diverse contexts - International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Journal #libraries

Out Now: October 2025 issue of IFLA Journal – Special Issue on Artificial Intelligence (AI): Transforming Global Librarianship

IFLA Journal is an international journal publishing peer reviewed articles on library and information services and the social, political and economic issues that impact access to ...

www.ifla.org

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Martha Hickson @sassylibrarian.bsky.social · 9d

Hey, UK! “The Librarians” will air on BBC Four on Oct. 7. @thelibrariansfilm.bsky.social

BBC Four - Storyville, The Librarians

Documentary about the US librarians who are risking their safety to defend free speech.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Robin Ince @robinince.bsky.social · 10d

For those accused of having too many books Robinince.com #poetry #poem

UNREAD
There in a stack
Of irresistible potential
Mainly unread
But don't ask
"Why do you still buy When so many words
are not touched by your eyes"
Because
before the spine is cracked
Without my fingers touching pages, the ideas leak and spread around the room Seep through the ears
And into the synapses while I sleep
Listen carefully
You'll hear the hum
Of future thoughts becoming present

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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 11d

Sarah Mullally is named as first female archbishop of Canterbury

No 10 announces decision although role will not legally be taken on until January, before an enthronement service Sarah Mullally has been named as the first female leader of the Church of England as Downing Street announced the 106th archbishop of Canterbury nearly a year on from Justin Welby’s resignation over the handling of a safeguarding scandal. This is the first time an archbishop of Canterbury has been chosen since the Church of England allowed women to become bishops in 2014. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Jane Winters @jfwinters.bsky.social · 13d

Join us on 20 November for the Annual Digital Lecture, a partnership between The National Archives, UK and the School of Advanced Study. The wonderful @nannathylstrup.bsky.social will be speaking about ‘When saving becomes loss: archival memory in the digital age’. Free to register!

When saving becomes loss: Archival memory in the digital age

Explore archival memory, data loss, and attempts to preserve the past in the digital age at this year’s Annual Digital Lecture.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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Glen O'Hara @gsoh31.bsky.social · 14d

New from me: a *free* short version of my Political Quarterly piece on universities... The issue is settled now: the massified and accessible Higher Education system we have spent tens of billions building since the 1970s is coming to an end. (1/2)
politicalquarterly.org.uk/blog/where-n...

Where now for Britain’s Universities?

UK higher education now faces a very bleak future, retreating in the face of little public sympathy and limited political interest.

politicalquarterly.org.uk

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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 15d

Rachel Reeves pledges a library in every primary school in England

Exclusive: Chancellor also set to unveil plans to get young people back into work in party conference speech Rachel Reeves will deliver a library in every primary school in England as part of Labour’s plans to give all children the best start in life regardless of their background. The scheme, which will create libraries in the 1,700 primaries currently without them, will be funded from £132.5m of dormant assets that will be unlocked to give young people access to cultural opportunities. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Lorcan Dempsey @lorcand.bsky.social · 16d

Tim Berners-Lee >> Somewhere between my original vision for web 1.0 and the rise of social media as part of web 2.0, we took the wrong path. buff.ly/rAcxesP

Why I gave the world wide web away for free | Tim Berners-Lee

My vision was based on sharing, not exploitation – and here’s why it’s still worth fighting for

www.theguardian.com

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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 18d

New research may rewrite origins of the Book of Kells, says academic

Exclusive: Author challenges assumption monks on Iona created manuscript, instead positing its origins are Pictish The Book of Kells was likely to have been created 1,200 years ago in Pictish eastern Scotland, rather than on the island of Iona, according to research that challenges long-held assumptions about one of the world’s most famous medieval manuscripts. The Book of Kells is an intricate, illuminated account of the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John that was long thought to have been started in the late eighth century at the monastery on Iona before being taken in the 9th century to the monastery of Kells in County Meath, Ireland, after a Viking raid. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Gemma Clark 🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸 @gemmaclark.bsky.social · 19d

This documentary looks like powerful stuff. I’m glad the issue of targeting librarians and book bans is finally getting the attention it deserves. Only fascists fear books youtu.be/Ykll4MWltsQ?...

THE LIBRARIANS | Official Trailer

YouTube video by The Librarians Film

youtu.be

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Lyn Robinson @lynrobinson.bsky.social · 20d

Well I’m going to watch it anyway.

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 20d

Slow Horses season five review – not even Gary Oldman can salvage this TV mess

It’s the worst outing yet for the Slough House gang, with main characters having unnerving personality transplants and ‘action’ sequences taking place in penguin enclosures. Yikes!

www.theguardian.com

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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 20d

Slow Horses season five review – not even Gary Oldman can salvage this TV mess

It’s the worst outing yet for the Slough House gang, with main characters having unnerving personality transplants and ‘action’ sequences taking place in penguin enclosures. Yikes!

www.theguardian.com

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Lyn Robinson @lynrobinson.bsky.social · 23d

Sent by Slovenian friend to make me smile amidst the horror ..

Image of Melania Trump in the hat she wore for 2025 visit to UK - depicted as a floor lamp.

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Internet Archive @archive.org · 26d

From stunning old webpages to personal archives like ancient DeviantArt drawings, the Wayback Machine preserves art, experiences, and data that might otherwise vanish. Its existence keeps our digital creativity alive—and our memories safe. 💾🎨

#Wayback1T

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Kate Astbury @100days1815.bsky.social · 27d

If you’d like to find out more about Marie Antoinette’s life either before or after visiting the exhibition, you can listen to me on @gregjenner.bsky.social You’re desd to me www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... or on In our Time with @catrionaseth.bsky.social in 2018 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

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The Policy Institute @policyatkings.bsky.social · 29d

💡 "There’s substantial evidence of independent benefits on skills development, self-esteem, sense of wellbeing, civic engagement and openness to diversity."

💬 @bobbyduffy.bsky.social spoke to the Guardian about whether it still pays to go to university

➡️ www.theguardian.com/education/20...

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Lyn Robinson @lynrobinson.bsky.social · 29d

Fanfic can be profitable!

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 29d

Tinseltown takeover: how Harry Potter fanfic has become Hollywood’s hottest property

What once seemed a pretty fringe subculture of hobbyists riffing on stories that got them privately hot is now bringing mainstream cinema to a rolling boil

www.theguardian.com

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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 29d

Tinseltown takeover: how Harry Potter fanfic has become Hollywood’s hottest property

What once seemed a pretty fringe subculture of hobbyists riffing on stories that got them privately hot is now bringing mainstream cinema to a rolling boil

www.theguardian.com

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The Associated Press @apnews.com · Sep 13

David Bowie's archive opens to the public this week, revealing a treasure trove of unrealized projects and personal items.

David Bowie's archive opens to the public. Fans can see and touch 1000s of his items

David Bowie's archive opens to the public this week, revealing a treasure trove of unrealized projects and personal items.

bit.ly

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Dr Francis Young @drfrancisyoung.bsky.social · Sep 13

Absolute legends: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Defiant nuns flee Austrian care home for their abandoned convent in the Alps

Sisters Bernadette, Regina and Rita needed a locksmith to get back into their convent, defying Church leaders.

www.bbc.co.uk

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The Guardian @theguardian.com · Sep 13

The Guardian University Guide 2026 – the rankings

Find a course at one of the top universities in the country. Our league tables rank them all subject by subject, as well as by student satisfaction, staff numbers, spending and career prospects Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Lyn Robinson @lynrobinson.bsky.social · Sep 12

The term ‘hobbyist’ applied to unfunded research is derogatory. This would seem to be about allowing only academics with grants time to undertake research, and increasing those on teaching only contracts, in order to reduce overall staffing. The result is a much diminished uni sector.

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · Sep 12

Ministers ‘want to shift funds away from low-quality research’ .

Universities UK president says institutions cannot afford “unfunded hobbyist research”.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Ministers ‘want to shift funds away from low-quality research’ - Research Professional News

Universities UK president says institutions cannot afford “unfunded hobbyist research”

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

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NHM Library and Archives @nhmlibraryarchives.bsky.social · Sep 12

Library & Archives Open Day (free)
19 September 2025

When: 10.00 - 16.00
Where: Lasting Impressions Gallery (red zone)

Our team have developed four themed displays:
🐋 Whales, science and conservation
🌱 Ordering and naming nature
✏️ Writing from the field
❄️ Polar expeditions

#NaturalHistoryMuseum

Image of people standing round a table displaying library and archives material

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