AlanFricker
@alanfricker.bsky.social
Still growing stuff, running and generally interested. Probably library chat will happen.
What fresh hell is this?
January 30, 2026 at 12:50 PM
What fresh hell is this?
Reposted by AlanFricker
january 30th: a partially formed mr. blobby stands by the perimeter fence and screams for thirty seconds before disappearing
January 30, 2026 at 9:42 AM
january 30th: a partially formed mr. blobby stands by the perimeter fence and screams for thirty seconds before disappearing
Every now and then I see an image like this and I get the nicest possible whiplash.
January 30, 2026 at 9:09 AM
Trip to the Cartoon Museum for the Future was then exhibition. Great standing collection of early to modern cartoons and comics
January 30, 2026 at 8:21 AM
Trip to the Cartoon Museum for the Future was then exhibition. Great standing collection of early to modern cartoons and comics
Reposted by AlanFricker
We built a thing impactkit.com/blog/announc...
Announcing ImpactKit: Collect, understand and share your impact
impactkit.com
January 27, 2026 at 11:58 AM
We built a thing impactkit.com/blog/announc...
New petition: "Ban people from using noise cancelling headphones when they take Teams calls in the open plan"
January 27, 2026 at 10:07 AM
New petition: "Ban people from using noise cancelling headphones when they take Teams calls in the open plan"
Reposted by AlanFricker
The UK has lost its measles elimination status, the World Health Organization has announced.
Vaccine disinformation is a worldwide pandemic that is killing us.
Vaccine disinformation is a worldwide pandemic that is killing us.
UK loses measles elimination status
Decision made after outbreaks in 2024, when there were nearly 3,000 cases in England and Wales.
www.bbc.com
January 27, 2026 at 5:23 AM
The UK has lost its measles elimination status, the World Health Organization has announced.
Vaccine disinformation is a worldwide pandemic that is killing us.
Vaccine disinformation is a worldwide pandemic that is killing us.
Reposted by AlanFricker
The modern world in old Ladybird books
London skyline, 1968
Artist: Robert Ayton
The story of Radio
London skyline, 1968
Artist: Robert Ayton
The story of Radio
January 27, 2026 at 7:50 AM
The modern world in old Ladybird books
London skyline, 1968
Artist: Robert Ayton
The story of Radio
London skyline, 1968
Artist: Robert Ayton
The story of Radio
Reposted by AlanFricker
"unexplained pauses" are making dozens of critical CDC databases go dark under RFK www.404media.co/dozens-of-cd...
Dozens of CDC Health Databases Have Gone Dark Under Trump: ‘The Consequences Will Be Dire’
Nearly half of routinely-updated CDC databases have experienced delays or shutdowns in 2025, with vaccination-related systems disproportionately affected, according to a new study.
www.404media.co
January 26, 2026 at 10:16 PM
"unexplained pauses" are making dozens of critical CDC databases go dark under RFK www.404media.co/dozens-of-cd...
Reposted by AlanFricker
Still thinking about the raspberry jam donut I ate at the Bridge Theatre on Friday
January 26, 2026 at 10:31 AM
Still thinking about the raspberry jam donut I ate at the Bridge Theatre on Friday
Good end the week read from @tripdatabase.bsky.social - what the questions health care workers ask tell us about the gaps in the evidence base #medlibs blog.tripdatabase.com/2026/01/23/t...
Turning Research Into Practice – Except When the Research Isn’t There
This is a follow-up post to What 10,000 Clinical Questions Tell Us About Evidence, Practice, and Uncertainty. Evidence-based medicine promises that clinical decisions should be grounded in high-qua…
blog.tripdatabase.com
January 23, 2026 at 5:18 PM
Good end the week read from @tripdatabase.bsky.social - what the questions health care workers ask tell us about the gaps in the evidence base #medlibs blog.tripdatabase.com/2026/01/23/t...
Great bit of social media work over on the NHS Instagram www.instagram.com/p/DTm5jQYkp7x/
NHS on Instagram: "Cervical screening is for women between the ages of 25 and 64. Everyone with a cervix should be offered screening.
You'll be invited every 5 years from when you're 25 to 64 years ...
355K likes, 1,650 comments - nhs on January 17, 2026: "Cervical screening is for women between the ages of 25 and 64. Everyone with a cervix should be offered screening.
You'll be invited every 5 ye...
www.instagram.com
January 23, 2026 at 9:29 AM
Great bit of social media work over on the NHS Instagram www.instagram.com/p/DTm5jQYkp7x/
Reposted by AlanFricker
Just when you thought it was safe to dive into MeSH terms...
I'm popping up a bit late to give a peek at what I've found for new #2026MeSH descriptors. Behold, a #medlibs and adjacent #expertsearching thread!
I'm popping up a bit late to give a peek at what I've found for new #2026MeSH descriptors. Behold, a #medlibs and adjacent #expertsearching thread!
January 21, 2026 at 7:02 PM
Just when you thought it was safe to dive into MeSH terms...
I'm popping up a bit late to give a peek at what I've found for new #2026MeSH descriptors. Behold, a #medlibs and adjacent #expertsearching thread!
I'm popping up a bit late to give a peek at what I've found for new #2026MeSH descriptors. Behold, a #medlibs and adjacent #expertsearching thread!
Reposted by AlanFricker
Letter from Charles Schulz to a fan. 1970. Much missed, unlike Scott Adams.
January 14, 2026 at 8:47 AM
Letter from Charles Schulz to a fan. 1970. Much missed, unlike Scott Adams.
Reposted by AlanFricker
Tip #62: EBSCOhost Idea Exchange: A Synthesis of Reported Issues #MLAUXCaucus #medlibs #ExpertSearching #SystematicReviews "Bite-size tips for expert searchers." uxcaucustips.blogspot.com/2026/01/tip-...
Tip #62: EBSCOhost Idea Exchange: A Synthesis of Reported Issues
uxcaucustips.blogspot.com
January 22, 2026 at 11:39 AM
Tip #62: EBSCOhost Idea Exchange: A Synthesis of Reported Issues #MLAUXCaucus #medlibs #ExpertSearching #SystematicReviews "Bite-size tips for expert searchers." uxcaucustips.blogspot.com/2026/01/tip-...
£27m for public libraries. Given there are over 150 authorities we are looking at less than 200k each. That they have to bid for. Libraries reach all parts of the UK but > Museums must reach all parts of UK, says Nandy as £1.5bn of arts funding announced www.theguardian.com/culture/2026...
Museums must reach all parts of UK, says Nandy as £1.5bn of arts funding announced
Culture secretary says national institutions will receive £600m but they must extend influence outside London
www.theguardian.com
January 22, 2026 at 7:13 AM
£27m for public libraries. Given there are over 150 authorities we are looking at less than 200k each. That they have to bid for. Libraries reach all parts of the UK but > Museums must reach all parts of UK, says Nandy as £1.5bn of arts funding announced www.theguardian.com/culture/2026...
Authenticate
Authenticate
Authenticate
January 21, 2026 at 3:25 PM
Authenticate
Authenticate
Authenticate
Reposted by AlanFricker
Beautifully written. Well worth your time.
Haven't written one of these in a while! sillylittlewalk.substack.com/p/i-go-on-a-...
January 20, 2026 at 10:56 PM
Beautifully written. Well worth your time.
Reposted by AlanFricker
It's PLR statement day! Massive thanks to the 1010 people who borrowed Out Of The Woods and Men At War from their local libraries this past year. Often feels like people don't realise that we get paid when people borrow books from libraries, but we do, and it is hugely appreciated x
January 19, 2026 at 11:10 AM
It's PLR statement day! Massive thanks to the 1010 people who borrowed Out Of The Woods and Men At War from their local libraries this past year. Often feels like people don't realise that we get paid when people borrow books from libraries, but we do, and it is hugely appreciated x
Presented without comment
I moved to a new town six yrs ago & I must have a doppelgänger there named Alan. When I'm in a shop or out with the dog someone often shouts "alright Al". I've given up correcting them & just say hi back. I secretly like it as the real me could never be as popular as Al.
January 19, 2026 at 9:21 AM
Presented without comment
Reposted by AlanFricker
You will not regret scrolling up for the rest of this thread about the sheer audacity of cats to walk into houses they don't live in and swan around like they own the place
Honestly, excellent cat behaviour 💯
Honestly, excellent cat behaviour 💯
Just imagine - you’re a cat, with presumably a house, but you ignore that house and come instead to *my* house, and you walk in like you own the place, and come and go as you please and do whatever you like whenever you like. Just imagine how smug you’d be. Pretty smug? Not as smug as this bastard.
January 16, 2026 at 10:43 AM
You will not regret scrolling up for the rest of this thread about the sheer audacity of cats to walk into houses they don't live in and swan around like they own the place
Honestly, excellent cat behaviour 💯
Honestly, excellent cat behaviour 💯
Reposted by AlanFricker
This is an incredibly dark read from @garbageday.email…the on the ground reporting is appreciated and there is so much to be concerned about with ICE’s actions in Minneapolis & what they prefigure nationally.
We're all just content for ICE
Four days on the ground in Minneapolis
www.garbageday.email
January 12, 2026 at 9:44 PM
This is an incredibly dark read from @garbageday.email…the on the ground reporting is appreciated and there is so much to be concerned about with ICE’s actions in Minneapolis & what they prefigure nationally.
I really am. After a year off it would be good to see #HILJClub powering through a few editions to clear the backlog! Get in touch
@alanfricker.bsky.social is seeking volunteers to expand the hilj.club blog. All that’s needed is for you to pick & read a @hiljnl.bsky.social paper, make a few comments & perhaps offering some questions akin to a journal club. Info on how to get involved is available at hilj.club/2026/01/13/e...
January 15, 2026 at 12:09 PM
I really am. After a year off it would be good to see #HILJClub powering through a few editions to clear the backlog! Get in touch