Throughout 2021, I've been hard at work researching, writing and proofing the third edition of the Handbook for Facet Publishing. The Handbook's new look. I have reviewed every single word, example, diagram, link and reference for this new edition: you can be sure that nothing has stayed in from the previous one unless it earned … Continue reading Third edition: the green one!
Why and how to archive your university’s website: an overview for absolute beginners
This post is a revised version of a briefing I wrote for colleagues a few months ago. My research included asking members of the archives-nra mailing list whether and how their organisation was archiving its corporate website. It emerged that few organisations are actively doing this, but many archivists would like to know more. So … Continue reading Why and how to archive your university’s website: an overview for absolute beginners
What does ‘Archiving in the public interest’ mean? GDPR musings
GDPR is just a few days away! And the deluge of emails from long-forgotten mailing lists shows no signs of stopping ... There's no need to panic though. Very few organisations are likely to be fully compliant by the 25 May. The Information Commissioner's Office after all emphasises that the 25 May is the start … Continue reading What does ‘Archiving in the public interest’ mean? GDPR musings
Go viral on Twitter, with the absolute unit
On 9 April the Museum of English Rural Life tweeted a picture of a big woolly ram. It was a Twitter sensation, with over 100K likes and 30K retweets to date. look at this absolute unit. pic.twitter.com/LzcQ4x0q38 — The Museum of English Rural Life (@TheMERL) April 9, 2018 It's easy in retrospect to see why … Continue reading Go viral on Twitter, with the absolute unit
How to get a job in Special Collections
So how do you get a job in Special Collections? I recently wrote a blog post for Facet Publishing which reflected on the skills and experience required to get started in this often competitive profession: How do I make a career in Special Collections? The post was inspired by talks and discussions at CILIP Rare … Continue reading How to get a job in Special Collections
What difference will Twitter’s 280 character limit make?
Twitter's unique selling point in the crowded world of social media was its 140 character limit. This encouraged tweeters to be creative and concise. However in November 2017 Twitter doubled that limit to 280 characters. Why? Twitter researchers observed that users struggled to fit thoughts into the 140 limit, spending time editing tweets or abandoning … Continue reading What difference will Twitter’s 280 character limit make?
Revealed! How to catalogue your hidden archives
"An archive without a catalogue is like a room without a door": inaccessible, unusable, and the cause of much frustration. Still we and our users struggle with uncatalogued archives, our hidden collections. Why don't archive services catalogue these collections? Cataloguing archives takes time, expertise, and space. The scale of hidden collections in the UK is … Continue reading Revealed! How to catalogue your hidden archives
Why I’m applying for HEA Fellowship
This year I am embarking on a journey towards Higher Education Academy Fellowship. This award is given to academics and other higher education workers who can demonstrate professional commitment to learning and teaching. Why should librarians apply for HEA fellowship? To become better teachers (and learners)! It's so easy, given the constraints of time-slots and … Continue reading Why I’m applying for HEA Fellowship
Boxes among the bones: embedding an archivist in Arch Sci
The embedded archivist I am delighted to report that we at the University of Bradford now have our own embedded archivist. Not familiar with this term? An embedded archivist works within the structure that is creating the records and is therefore ideally placed to encourage and foster an archiving culture. As archive services move into … Continue reading Boxes among the bones: embedding an archivist in Arch Sci
Need help with demonstrating impact of collections? Discover DCDC …
In today’s uncertain political and economic climate the ability to demonstrate why heritage and culture matter – and to whom – has never been more important or relevant. I'd agree with that! These words are from the website of Discovering Collections, Discovering Communities, a conference which will help us to tackle this challenge. Taking place … Continue reading Need help with demonstrating impact of collections? Discover DCDC …
The Special Collections Handbook 