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Isla H. Macfarlane

@bibliophisla.bsky.social

820 followers 280 following 78 posts

☞ PhD Candidate with Innerpeffray Library and Stirling University. Researching nineteenth-century visitors' books, borrowing records, and library history. Book and cat lover. She/her.

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Isla H. Macfarlane @bibliophisla.bsky.social · Nov 19

I'm Isla, a doctoral candidate at Stirling University, working with @innerpeffray.bsky.social on nineteenth-century book & library history - particularly their beautiful and fascinating visitors' books.

Spread from Innerpeffray Library Visitors' Books, July - August 1880 (Innerpeffray Library Visitors' Books Volume 1, ff.47v-48r)

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Isla H. Macfarlane @bibliophisla.bsky.social · Jul 28

There's now ever so slightly more information in my Return to Work powerpoint - and I can't avoid seeing the document when I return to this laptop in a year! Wish me luck 🤞

Isla H. Macfarlane @bibliophisla.bsky.social · Jul 28

I am officially on maternity leave from today! Next time I visit @innerpeffray.bsky.social, I'll be emulating the Herbinsons and Dunlop families from July 1897 by signing the visitors' book with 'Baby' in tow! 👶

Photographic excerpt from Innerpeffray Library Visitors' Book Volume 1, f.186v (21 & 22/07/1897), highlighting two 'baby' visitors: Baby Willie George Herbinson and Baby Betty Dunlop.

Reposted by Isla H. Macfarlane

Kate Finlay @katefinlay.bsky.social · Jul 27

Hi! If anyone has a spare 15 minutes to fill out a short survey about their opinions on museums it would be very much appreciated.

Just click this link: forms.gle/LgCSvTSYTjRK...

Please repost or share with anyone you feel would also like to take part!

#UKmuseums #culturalheritage

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Reposted by Isla H. Macfarlane

Daniel Bellingradt @dbellingradt.bsky.social · Jul 28

Why not start your week with blowing the perfect soap bubbles while running naked and jumping over a skull?

A detail from an early modern print showing a young boy jumping over a skull while blowing soap bubbles. The scene is framed with a memento mori theme: Alles vergeht Gottes Wort besteht". The publication "Zwölff Geistliche Andachten" was published in 1693 (VD17 23:704497Y).

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Reposted by Isla H. Macfarlane

Library of Innerpeffray @innerpeffray.bsky.social · Jul 27

We're looking forward to our Summer Fayre next Friday and Saturday!
Local craftspeople, refreshments and lots of secondhand #books

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Isla H. Macfarlane @bibliophisla.bsky.social · Jul 28

Very exciting to see @physiciansgallery.bsky.social's The People's Dispensary published online! I loved working on this project a few years ago — sometimes I can still see Dr Andrew Duncan's handwriting when I close my eyes...

www.rcpe.ac.uk/peoplesdispe...

The People's Dispensary

www.rcpe.ac.uk

Reposted by Isla H. Macfarlane

Library of Innerpeffray @innerpeffray.bsky.social · Jul 26

John Everett Millais was a friend of Rupert Potter, father of Beatrix, and they both enjoyed visiting Scotland. The Potters visited Innerpeffray in 1868 and you can read more in @bibliophisla.bsky.social blog innerpeffraylibrary.co.uk/beatrix-pott...

Beatrix Potter at Innerpeffray - Innerpeffray Library

As it is the 155th anniversary of Beatrix Potter’s birth on the 28th July 2021, we are celebrating by exploring some of the links between Beatrix Potter and the Library of Innerpeffray. Helen Beatrix ...

innerpeffraylibrary.co.uk

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Isla H. Macfarlane @bibliophisla.bsky.social · Jul 23

This is what I have so far for my handover notes, hoping to help myself hit the ground running when I return to the PhD after maternity leave. I think it'll be really helpful. 🙃

A powerpoint slide with colourful clouds as a background, entitled 'Returning from Maternity Leave'. Text includes: "Hi future-Isla, it's 2025-Isla here to say, you can do this!" and "Hi baby!!"

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Reposted by Isla H. Macfarlane

Lucie Matthews-Jones @luciejones83.bsky.social · Jul 14

#skyhistorians We are looking forward to our Divergent Minds in the Archive workshops in Cardiff (29 July) & Liverpool (14 Aug). There’s still time to sign up & we are looking for a broad group of archive users! We have travel bursaries & can if needed help with hotel accommodation. More details👇

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Isla H. Macfarlane @bibliophisla.bsky.social · Jul 10

Congratulations!! Not long to go before you'll be Dr Cleo 🤩

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Isla H. Macfarlane @bibliophisla.bsky.social · Jul 2

Great fun the last couple of days at @natlibscot.bsky.social comparing nine editions of Murray's Handbook for Scotland (1867-1913), looking at how the descriptions of @innerpeffray.bsky.social as a visitor attraction/tourist destination have changed throughout time. #librarytourism

Photo showing the spines of 9 editions of Murray's Handbook for Scotland travel guides: 1867, 1868, 1873, 1875, 1883, 1894, 1898, 1903, 1913.

Reposted by Isla H. Macfarlane

Charlotte Lydia Riley @lottelydia.bsky.social · Jun 25

The government response to this petition is infuriating.
“Maternity and other types of Parental Pay are intended to provide a measure of financial security to support parents whilst they are away from the workplace; they are not a replacement of earnings” except they literally are??? Please sign:

Petition: Raise statutory maternity/paternity pay to match the National Living Wage

Statutory maternity and paternity pay is £4.99 per hour for a full-time worker on 37.5 hours per week - approximately 59% less than the 2024 National Living Wage of £12.21 per hour for workers aged 21...

petition.parliament.uk

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Reposted by Isla H. Macfarlane

Dr Alison Ray @liber-ray.bsky.social · Jun 23

Rock on! For #ManiculeMonday here’s a handy example of a reader highlighting text passages that I spotted in @bodleianlibraries.bsky.social MS. Laud Misc. 651 📜🤘

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Isla H. Macfarlane @bibliophisla.bsky.social · Jun 23

Look how incredibly fluffy 128jr is!!

Screenshot of the Brooks Falls livestream, showing 128 Grazer standing in the river and her very fluffy yearling cub 128jr looking at the camera.

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Isla H. Macfarlane @bibliophisla.bsky.social · Jun 23

Very important announcement - the bears are back! It's time to watch these beautiful brown bears get super fat over the summer 🐻 explore.org/livecams/bro...

Bear Cam - live from Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park | Explore.org

Watch LIVE as hundreds of Alaskan Brown Bears descend on a mile-long stretch of the Brooks River to feast on the largest Sockeye Salmon run in the world.

explore.org

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Isla H. Macfarlane @bibliophisla.bsky.social · Jun 17

Stop it!

Isla H. Macfarlane @bibliophisla.bsky.social · Jun 16

Absolutely not! I do not consent, I don't like it, make it stop.

Screenshot of an email from Academia with the subject line "An AI wrote a review of your paper"

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Isla H. Macfarlane @bibliophisla.bsky.social · Jun 11

I must never be allowed to go hungry while breastfeeding! Snacks at all hours!

Section of p.54 from Nelson's 'An Essay on the Government of Children' (1753), covering "Hunger, Fatigue, and Fretting" during breastfeeding.

Isla H. Macfarlane @bibliophisla.bsky.social · Jun 11

I've got some reading to do before baby arrives, courtesy of @innerpeffray.bsky.social!

Title page of Dr James Nelson's 'An Essay on the Government of Children' (1753)

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Isla H. Macfarlane @bibliophisla.bsky.social · Jun 4

I have witnessed two separate people being SO RUDE to @natlibscot.bsky.social staff today and the NLS staff being unfailingly polite in return. It's not that hard to treat people with common decency - especially when they are just trying to help you!

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Isla H. Macfarlane @bibliophisla.bsky.social · Jun 1

That's a very good point that I should have considered! Further investigation required...

Reposted by Isla H. Macfarlane

Dr Alex Bond @thelabandfield.bsky.social · May 26

No email has ever found me well.

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Isla H. Macfarlane @bibliophisla.bsky.social · May 28

I love a little drama on a Wednesday morning! 💒 On 4 May 1872, the Revd and (allegedly) Mrs A. M. Gibson visited @innerpeffray.bsky.social together and signed the visitors' book - but they weren't actually married until the 21st of May, almost three weeks later!

Extract from Innerpeffray Library Visitors' Book Volume 1, f.22v, showing the signatures of The Revd. A. M. Gibson, Minister of Portsoy, and "Mrs" Gibson.

Edited clipping from the Greenock Advertiser, 25 May 1872, showing the Marriage Announcement of Rev. Andrew Miller Gibson to Helen Anderson Gardiner, married on the 21st May 1872.

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Isla H. Macfarlane @bibliophisla.bsky.social · May 27

I just stumbled across an old article in The Central Queensland Herald, Australia, by an international visitor to @innerpeffray.bsky.social - Miss Constance Bardsley visited Innerpeffray with 2 others on 1st July, 1937. On her return home, she wrote about her 6-month world tour in her local paper.

Section of a visitors' book page from Innerpeffray Library, showing the signatures of E. F. Harvey, Constance Bardsley, and Doris Bardsley, all from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. (Library of Innerpeffray Visitors' Book Volume 4, f.106v)

Excerpt from a newspaper article published in The Central Queensland Herald, Queensland, 04/11/1937, titled "Miss C. Bardsley | Impressions of World Tour"

Further extract from newspaper article, "Miss C. Bardsley | Impressions of World Tour", The Central Queensland Herald, 04/11/1937. This section mentions that Bardsley visited Innerpeffray, "the oldest free library in the world."

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Reposted by Isla H. Macfarlane

Kit Baston @kgbaston.bsky.social · May 23

It's been a busy year for the Books and Borrowing Team - even though the project technically ended a year ago! Highlights include winning the @bsecs.bsky.social Digital Prize for 2025, a doctorate for @smithjj.bsky.social, and many new publications on the way...

books-borrowing.bsky.social @books-borrowing.bsky.social · May 23

'A Year of Books and Borrowing'- read Katie Halsey's round-up here: borrowing.stir.ac.uk/a-year-of-bo... 😃📖📚

Books and Borrowing 1750-1830 :: A Year of Books and Borrowing

borrowing.stir.ac.uk

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