Jo Simons (she/her)
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josimons.bsky.social
Jo Simons (she/her)
@josimons.bsky.social
550 followers 780 following 100 posts
Dr. Jo, Pākehā, Academic Librarian in Aotearoa NZ, Plant enthusiast, fibre crafter, hoarder of pens, herder of children and cats

Working with Digital Library team at Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland, opinions mine not my employers
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Jo Simons (she/her)
reactorsff.bsky.social
Not everyone's in the mood for romance this weekend...here's some Black horror books we recommend as an alternative 🩸
Six books on a red background with the words “Black Horror Books” in pale font. The books included are Dead First by Johnny Compton; Beloved by Toni Morrison; House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson; The Reformatory by Tananarive Due; Ring Shout by P Djeli Clark; and On Sundays She Picked Flowers by Yah Yah Scholfield
February 13, 2026 at 5:37 PM
Reposted by Jo Simons (she/her)
manucaddie.bsky.social
Dame Prof Anne Salmond and I have a chapter in this new book published by @springer.springernature.com. If you're interested in the content, maybe ask your local library to get a copy... link.springer.com/book/10.1007... Chapter summary: Tairāwhiti geology, colonial legacies, Māori-led restoration.
February 13, 2026 at 7:02 PM
Reposted by Jo Simons (she/her)
metservice.com
🌧️🟡🟠Heavy Rain Warnings and Watches have been updated.

❗️Another update is due at 10m this morning.

Details here
bit.ly/AllWarnings
February 13, 2026 at 7:17 PM
Reposted by Jo Simons (she/her)
thneed.bsky.social
Been a busy week prepping for O Week next week. I made a “Can I trust Wikipedia?” Game, a poll about Wikipedia and AI, and two displays of Wiki-based games for students queuing for their ID cards. And a stack of “what can a Wikimedian in Residence do for you?” flyers. Phew, roll on Monday!
Can I trust Wikipedia? Decide which features increase your trust in the information and which decrease it What did your teacher tell you about Wikipedia? Poll. With handy links to the library guide and an online course
February 13, 2026 at 5:27 AM
Reposted by Jo Simons (she/her)
racheldeering.bsky.social
🖼️ Teal Newcomb #FrogForFriday
Frog amongst roots and yellow flowers, foliage and tree in background, painting.
February 13, 2026 at 7:05 AM
Reposted by Jo Simons (she/her)
siouxsiew.bsky.social
Not voted in the #BugoftheYear2026 competition? We commissioned Wairoa artist Pete Amato (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa) to show why we think the North Auckland Worm deserves your vote. Check out his amazing painting - Hīnātore! It's only a little smaller than the worm itself :) 1/n
Painting by Pete Amato. In the centre of the top half of the painting, is the head and shoulders of a feminine figure with longish purple silver hair splaying out around her. Her eyes are entirely white and she has a green moko kauae on her lips and chin. Her shoulders are covered with a cloak (korowai), decorated with spirals (koru) and saw-edged triangle (niho taniwha), representing new beginnings and strength. To her left are blue green waves, above them darkness, stars and a moon in shadow. Directly above her sits a full moon. To her right float little islands with a tree above them, their roots dangling. Above them sits another half moon, this one sitting in a purple wispy sky. The bottom half of the painting is dominated by a stepped motif symbolising the gain on knowledge (poutama) in the background and a crescent shaped motif (kape) that represents the glow of the moon in the foreground. Long earthworms twist around a fish hook (hei matau). To the bottom and left, twists a dark purple eel. The painting's dominant colours are purple, grey, blue and green.
February 13, 2026 at 4:34 AM
Reposted by Jo Simons (she/her)
lettersofnote.com
Happy birthday to one of my favourite haters, Charles Darwin
February 12, 2026 at 4:31 PM
Reposted by Jo Simons (she/her)
christchurchlib.bsky.social
How to celebrate #GalentinesDay when it's also #FridayThe13th?
How about with some horror fiction written by women?
christchurch.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/disp... ^MT
Image with nine book covers arranged in a 3x3 grid. Includes "Victorian Psycho" by Virginia Feito, "The eyes are the best part" by Monika Kim, and "The shape of darkness" by Laura Purcell.
February 12, 2026 at 8:07 PM
josimons.bsky.social
Post trees you’ve photographed
Large American Holly tree near the US Capitol Building. Ilex opaca New Zealand Cabbage tree Cordyline australis
February 12, 2026 at 3:58 AM
Reposted by Jo Simons (she/her)
christchurchlib.bsky.social
Hoorah for Poetry
(Plus I forthwith sound the Fab Book Cover klaxon with a hearty PARP!) ^DR
#booksky #pukapuka
toddatticus.com Todd Atticus @toddatticus.com · 1d
Happy publication day to Bill Manhire and your Lyrical Ballads!
The published poetry collection Lyrical Ballads by Bill Manhire. The published poetry collection Lyrical Ballads by Bill Manhire.
February 12, 2026 at 3:40 AM
Reposted by Jo Simons (she/her)
booksforkeeps.bsky.social
They're here: the longlists for the #Carnegies2026. 19 books are on the longlist for the Carnegie Medal for Writing, including 5 past winners. Is your favourite here? Which of these books would you choose for the shortlist? @CarnegieMedals #booksky
booksforkeeps.co.uk/carnegie-med...
booksforkeeps.co.uk
February 10, 2026 at 7:18 AM
josimons.bsky.social
A reminder to authors in AoNZ that the annual registration for public lending rights at the National Library is open until 1 March 2026. Make sure you get paid for folks borrowing your books too! #Aotearoa #Books natlib.govt.nz/publishers-a...
natlib.govt.nz
February 11, 2026 at 10:05 AM
Reposted by Jo Simons (she/her)
iainmoore.bsky.social
This 👇

Authors get paid each time you borrow their books - so you’re still supporting your favourite authors directly by using the library.

For some this can be similar or even more than they get from sales.

So obviously do buy books but do borrow too and know that makes a difference for authors.
luxmea.bsky.social (Mar)Chella Ward @luxmea.bsky.social · 2d
It’s UK Public Lending Right time again which means it’s time for my semi-regular reminder that spending your money on books is NOT the only way to support your favourite authors. We DO get paid when you take books out of the library. It’s free for you and good for authors and readers everywhere! 📚
February 11, 2026 at 8:14 AM
Reposted by Jo Simons (she/her)
digs.bsky.social
The flightless #kakapo usually nest underground. Yesterday we found the coolest nest I’ve ever seen: Whetu was 3m above ground in a hollow rata tree. #kakapo2026 #conservation #birds
February 11, 2026 at 8:23 AM
Reposted by Jo Simons (she/her)
wikimediaaotearoa.bsky.social
Today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and here at Wikimedia Aotearoa New Zealand, we're very lucky to have many incredible wāhine working on improving and expanding Wikipedia coverage and engagement within the science sector 👩‍💻💕
February 10, 2026 at 11:12 PM
Reposted by Jo Simons (she/her)
thneed.bsky.social
That’s my photo on the front page of Wikipedia right now! I couldn’t find a decent (c) free colour pic of the pudding after I wrote a page for it, so I bought canned chestnuts ($15!) and made the damn thing. It does taste glorious though…
anniereynolds.bsky.social Annie Reynolds @anniereynolds.bsky.social · 3d
Delighted to see the Nesselrode pudding in the Did You Know section of the front page of #Wikipedia today. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page @wikimediaaotearoa.bsky.social @thneed.bsky.social
screenshot of front page of English Wikipedia, showing Did you know... for Nesselrode pudding
February 11, 2026 at 2:15 AM
Reposted by Jo Simons (she/her)
anatolitis.bsky.social
Welcome Michael and Amelia! Let’s look at how the National Library of NZ preserved Bananamelia! In brief: it’s complicated. While analog multi-track retains multiple artefacts, digital sound production overwrites its edits, and proprietary plug-ins etc. don’t necessary allow exports/saves #FACT2026
February 11, 2026 at 12:29 AM
Reposted by Jo Simons (she/her)
archive.org
📚 How do our searches shape who we are, and who profits?

Join Vauhini Vara for a LIVE podcast recording and #booktalk on SEARCHES, co-hosted by Luca Messarra.

📅 Thurs Feb 26, 2026
🕙 10am PT / 1pm ET
📍 ONLINE
🎟️ blog.archive.org/event/book-t...

@authorsalliance.bsky.social @vauhinivara.bsky.social
Promotional graphic for an online book talk titled Searches. The layout features muted gray and cream tones with collage-style images. Text reads: “Book Talk. February 26th, 10am PT / 1pm ET. Online.” It invites viewers to join a conversation with author Vauhini Vara about her book Searches, in conversation with Luca Messarra, exploring how technology fulfills and exploits human desires for understanding and connection. The left side includes two portrait photos of the speakers and an illustration of a stack of books.
February 10, 2026 at 8:02 PM
Reposted by Jo Simons (she/her)
pepperraccoon.com
First tee of 2026 and it's a BANGER: Trees Please, feat. seven Aotearoa native tree species in a three-colour screenprint of verdant greens, plus painstakingly hand-lettered text (nearly killed me ngl).

Pre-order open: please do pre-order to help gauge demand and secure your size: pepperraccoon.com
A digital flat lay of a femme and unisex white shirt with a three-colour green illustration of a tiny hiker disappearing into a giant forest of Aoteraoa native trees. It says trees please in a psychedelic font. A digital artwork of a three-colour green illustration of a tiny hiker disappearing into a giant forest of Aoteraoa native trees. It says trees please in a psychedelic font. A digital detail of a three-colour green illustration of a tiny hiker disappearing into a giant forest of Aoteraoa native trees. It says trees please in a psychedelic font.
February 11, 2026 at 1:57 AM
Reposted by Jo Simons (she/her)
bwbnz.bsky.social
Another reprint of 'Two Hundred and Fifty Ways to Start an Essay about Captain Cook'! Pick up a copy of Alice Te Punga Somerville's bestselling Text in bookshops now.

www.bwb.co.nz/books/two-hund... #BWBTexts
February 11, 2026 at 4:04 AM
Reposted by Jo Simons (she/her)
rsimmon.bsky.social
Looks like my full series on using color in #dataviz finally made the migration to the new NASA science website: science.nasa.gov/blogs/earth-...

If you’re new to visualization, or just want a refresher, it covers the basics of color theory, how to build a palette, plus some tips & tricks.
Introduction (Subtleties of Color, Part 1 of 6) - NASA Science
The purpose of data visualization—any data visualization—is to illuminate data. To show patterns and relationships that are otherwise hidden in an impenetrable mass of numbers.
science.nasa.gov
February 9, 2026 at 5:42 PM
Reposted by Jo Simons (she/her)
chantzy.bsky.social
February 2026 - the BMJ publishes a piece called "Why covid-19 is “a vascular disease masquerading as a respiratory one”

Some of us have been screaming this for years

www.bmj.com/content/392/...
Why covid-19 is “a vascular disease masquerading as a respiratory one”
Covid-19 is not just a respiratory infection. Cardiovascular symptoms are seen in both acute and long covid. Katharine Lang reports on what we’ve learnt since the onset of the pandemic Cardiovascular...
www.bmj.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:54 AM
Reposted by Jo Simons (she/her)
postnatodepression.bsky.social
'The Start of the Sprinters' Dash'
Poster for the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games
Ref E.341-2006, V & A Museum.
A group of men sprinting past the start line, colour photo
February 10, 2026 at 5:42 AM
Reposted by Jo Simons (she/her)
loraxcate.bsky.social
I know we've all got submission fatigue but the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill are incredibly dangerous for conservation. Submissions close this Friday at 4.30 pm. #NZPol
www3.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/mak...
Radware Page
Loader page.
www3.parliament.nz
February 10, 2026 at 4:45 AM
Reposted by Jo Simons (she/her)
juliefairey.bsky.social
Renting in Aotearoa NZ? Please fill in the survey; if nothing else the results will help me with council decision-making!

Own your home? Please share it widely to get max responses.
Aotearoa Renter's Survey 2026
This is about gathering stories and information about what it's like being a renter in Aotearoa in 2026 - to support you, your flatmates and your neighbours to advocate, organise and campaign for dece...
actionstation.typeform.com
February 9, 2026 at 11:37 PM