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simonjbains.bsky.social
Simon Bains
@simonjbains.bsky.social
1.1K followers 810 following 210 posts
University Librarian, University of Aberdeen https://www.abdn.ac.uk/people/simon.bains Open research, digital preservation, library spaces, running. REF2029 People Culture & Environment pilot panel member Views my own, and often of nice sunrises/sunsets
www.abdn.ac.uk
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simonjbains.bsky.social
Simon Bains @simonjbains.bsky.social · Jan 27
A few more great library leaders added to this pack just now. Happy to hear of any others to add to the list.
go.bsky.app/7DgUMvf
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simonjbains.bsky.social
Simon Bains @simonjbains.bsky.social · 6d
Splendid to have reached this milestone for @uniofaberdeen.bsky.social; it’s been a long road. Well done to all involved - a great project team 👏🏻
openresearchuoa.bsky.social
Open Research, University of Aberdeen @openresearchuoa.bsky.social · 7d
Part of our mission to make scholarship available has to include making sure those works can technically be accessed into the future. So, we're excited to announce a new partnership with @jisc.bsky.social and Libnova for long term preservation of our digital archives www.abdn.ac.uk/news/24712/
Preserving tomorrow's history today with new digital partnership
Books and manuscripts held in the University of Aberdeen's collections date back centuries.
www.abdn.ac.uk
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simonjbains.bsky.social
Simon Bains @simonjbains.bsky.social · Jul 20
Good grief, like we needed any more!
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Simon Bains @simonjbains.bsky.social · Jul 20
At the #TallShips event in #Aberdeen, where the weather could be better but we are all making the best of it, especially the seagulls.
Seagull flying dangerously close towards the camera man with food stalls in the background. A seagull standing next to a Donuts sign. One of the tall ships. The entrance to the event, with a large ‘Ahoy! Welcome’ sign.
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danielsohege.bsky.social
Dan Sohege @danielsohege.bsky.social · Jul 5
Despite the rhetoric of the right, the allowance provided to people seeking asylum is miniscule. It is not enough for most to survive on. If this government wants to stop unscrupulous employers, they need to provide asylum seekers with the right to work.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Home Office announces ‘nationwide blitz’ on asylum seekers taking jobs
Government under pressure on issue after stories of asylum seekers working illegally as takeaway delivery riders
www.theguardian.com
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Reposted by Simon Bains
louiscoiffait-gunn.bsky.social
Louis Coiffait-Gunn @louiscoiffait-gunn.bsky.social · Jul 5
Reform UK councillor’s boast about removing ‘trans-ideological’ books from children’s library sections falls flat (they were never there) | The Guardian share.google/ZQVeLnLWpdw2...
Reform councillor’s boast about removing ‘trans-ideological’ books from children’s library sections falls flat
Paul Webb said he ensured books and material were pulled from children’s section of Kent libraries, but it emerges they were never there
www.theguardian.com
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simonjbains.bsky.social
Simon Bains @simonjbains.bsky.social · Jun 28
Last week @uniofaberdeen.bsky.social hosted @scurlscottish.bsky.social #SCURL2025 in @aberdeenunilib.bsky.social - I've never seen a happier group of conference delegates!
Group shot of the SCURL 2025 audience in the Craig Suite,The Sir Duncan Rice Library. SCURL 20205 Delegates clearly enjoying themselves! Photo shows two people laughing and some smiling faces in the background.
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Reposted by Simon Bains
louiscoiffait-gunn.bsky.social
Louis Coiffait-Gunn @louiscoiffait-gunn.bsky.social · Jun 24
Great to see @cilipscotland.bsky.social and others fighting for the rights of Glasgow's children and young people
uk-news.bsky.social
uk-news.bsky.social @uk-news.bsky.social · Jun 23
Glasgow school library cuts will ‘severely diminish’ services

https://www.europesays.com/uk/208209/

Sean McNamara, the director of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals Scotland (CILIPS), has now written…#uk #news #uknews
Glasgow school library cuts will 'severely diminish' services - United Kingdom
Sean McNamara, the director of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals Scotland (CILIPS), has now written to all councillors on the
www.europesays.com
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simonjbains.bsky.social
Simon Bains @simonjbains.bsky.social · Jun 19
If our audience looked past the slides and out of the window, they would be able to see the University’s Cruickshank Botanic Garden just across the main road. There must be some library/garden plant humanities project funding potential here 🤔
#SCURL2025
drbeth.bsky.social
Dr Beth @drbeth.bsky.social · Jun 19
Discussion Plant Humanities - none of us had heard of it! Where the Arts, Plants & Humanities collide. International, bridges between academic and non-academic, current issues in biodiversity, climate change etc.
#SCURL2025
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simonjbains.bsky.social
Simon Bains @simonjbains.bsky.social · Jun 19
I was hugely impressed by what GCU are doing and need to do a field trip. They’ve actually doing what I’ve only been aspiring to.
#SCURL2025
drbeth.bsky.social
Dr Beth @drbeth.bsky.social · Jun 19
Now - Jimi Mitchell, Senior Library Administrator, Glasgow Caledonian University.
Talking about how academic libraries can support people seeking sanctuary.
#SCURL2025
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simonjbains.bsky.social
Simon Bains @simonjbains.bsky.social · Jun 19
Totally is a barrier. We can find workarounds (locked down terminals etc.) but the sustainable solution is to stop handing our IP to a profit-driven oligopoly.
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Simon Bains @simonjbains.bsky.social · Jun 19
I’ve started collecting animal-like glass buildings…

bsky.app/profile/simo...
simonjbains.bsky.social
Simon Bains @simonjbains.bsky.social · Mar 20
Reflecting on how the #RLUK25 conference venue is the giraffe taller cousin of the @aberdeenunilib.bsky.social zebra-like Sir Duncan Rice Library (and how both Aberdeen and Liverpool have an endlessly sunny climate…)
Spaces at the Spine, Liverpool, against a blue sky. The Sir Duncan Rice Library, Aberdeen, against a blue sky.
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simonjbains.bsky.social
Simon Bains @simonjbains.bsky.social · Jun 19
I was thrilled to announce this today, at the @scurlscottish.bsky.social annual meeting, here @uniofaberdeen.bsky.social

www.abdn.ac.uk/news/24473?d...
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Simon Bains @simonjbains.bsky.social · Jun 12
Thread.
👏
n8research.bsky.social
N8 Research Partnership @n8research.bsky.social · Jun 12
The N8 Research Partnership has today released a landmark statement urging fundamental reform in the way scholarly research is published
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Simon Bains @simonjbains.bsky.social · Jun 2
Have I sent Martina to sleep? 😂
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simonjbains.bsky.social
Simon Bains @simonjbains.bsky.social · Jun 2
Thanks @louiscoiffait-gunn.bsky.social @cilip.bsky.social for a shout out for @aberdeenunilib.bsky.social partnership with Aberdeen City to host a public library in our library building. That’s a good plug for my panel talk later! #cilips25
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Simon Bains @simonjbains.bsky.social · Jun 2
Heading to Dundee to join a panel with @scurlscottish.bsky.social colleagues at #cilips25. I never tire of the view along the Scottish east coast, though many folk clearly aren’t ready for Monday morning and are napping with their window blinds down.
@cilipscotland.bsky.social @cilip.bsky.social
The view from the east coast train line at Montrose.
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simonjbains.bsky.social
Simon Bains @simonjbains.bsky.social · Jun 2
Very belatedly, yes (but just today).
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Reposted by Simon Bains
paulbernal.bsky.social
Paul Bernal @paulbernal.bsky.social · Jun 2
Anyone sane urges Labour to root out Blue Labour to get back to being decent and intelligent.
theguardian.com
The Guardian @theguardian.com · Jun 2
Blue Labour group urges ministers to ‘root out DEI’ to win over Reform voters
Blue Labour group urges ministers to ‘root out DEI’ to win over Reform voters
Faction influencing No 10 says government should legislate against DEI in hiring, sentencing and ‘wherever else’ The Labour faction influencing Downing Street’s pitch to Reform UK voters has urged ministers to “root out DEI”. An article from the Blue Labour campaign group, titled What is to be Done, calls for the government to legislate against diversity, equity and inclusion, echoing the rightwing backlash from Donald Trump and Nigel Farage. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
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simonjbains.bsky.social
Simon Bains @simonjbains.bsky.social · May 28
The view from @aberdeenunilib.bsky.social this afternoon during a short shower. At least one of the ends appeared to be on campus. Goodness knows we could do with a pot of gold just now.
A double rainbow over the University of Aberdeen, looking to the east towards the coast, as seen from Floor 7 of The Sir Duncan Rice Library.
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afc.co.uk
Aberdeen FC @afc.co.uk · May 24
2024/25 SCOTTISH CUP WINNERS 🏆
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Reposted by Simon Bains
wired.com
WIRED @wired.com · May 22
tired: people AI-generating rando images of themselves as anime

WIRED: AI’s energy use already represents as much as 20 percent of global data-center power demand, new analysis has found
AI Is Eating Data Center Power Demand—and It’s Only Getting Worse
A new analysis of AI hardware being produced and how it is being used attempts to estimate the vast amount of electricity being consumed by AI.
www.wired.com
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simonjbains.bsky.social
Simon Bains @simonjbains.bsky.social · May 22
A snakebite and black toast to the @aberdeenunilib.bsky.social Open Research team for finding an open access publishing angle to World Goth Day 🦇 Kudos!
openresearchuoa.bsky.social
Open Research, University of Aberdeen @openresearchuoa.bsky.social · May 22
Happy World Goth Day! Remember there's nothing more counter-cultural than fighting for a more equitable and open scholarly publishing landscape. So here's a black cat in front of Slains Castle telling you to do your part for Open Research on our webpages! www.abdn.ac.uk/library/open...
In the background you see the ruins of Slains Castle, as classic gothic castle that inspired the writing of Dracula, it sits on the outcropping of a rocky cliffs edge, the sky is grey, the sea is moody and loaming. In front is a little black cat saying 'Fight da power of information hegemonies centred in the Global North! Share your research freely and openly! visit https:ww.abdn.ac.uk/library/open-research/ to learn more!' in the corner is a QR code. Background image is by Martyn Gorman via Geograph, and is licensed with a CC BY-SA license https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2278250
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Simon Bains @simonjbains.bsky.social · May 20
I have so far managed to escape that experience!
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Simon Bains @simonjbains.bsky.social · May 20
I am in sunny Stirling for this event tomorrow, where I shall be ranting about the state of academic publishing to geoscientists.
I notice there are two #sages2025 hashtag events on Bluesky, and am guessing that this isn’t the one that’s discussing colorectal emergencies 🤔
scotsages.bsky.social
SAGES @scotsages.bsky.social · Mar 13
Save the Date: SAGES Annual Science Meeting 2025!

📅 21st - 22nd May 2025
📍 University of Stirling, Pathfoot Lecture Theatre

🔗 Register here: sages.ac.uk/events/asm-2...

#SAGES2025 #AnnualScienceMeeting #EnvironmentalResearch #Geosciences #Networking #ClimateAction
ASM 2025 – SAGES
sages.ac.uk
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Reposted by Simon Bains
scotunipress.bsky.social
Scottish Universities Press @scotunipress.bsky.social · May 20
"Reading #ethnographies is a very important part of learning about #anthropology ... but there’s very uneven access to those books."

Find out why @robotforaday.bsky.social chose to publish his book #OpenAccess and remove barriers to teaching and learning in this new blog post:

👉 bit.ly/3ZlKK52
New St Andrews book from Scottish Universities Press – St Andrews Open Research
openresearch.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk
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