Sad last days of Harold Wilson revealed by Cabinet Office archives. But this article doesn’t make it clear that fortunately his papers are now accessible for study in ⁦Bodleian Libraries⁩ archives.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/repositories/2… theguardian.com/politics/artic…

Superb ⁦FT Weekend⁩ essay by ⁦Philippe Sands⁩ - really nailing it on the new approach needed on global foreign policy. on.ft.com/46wcvKz

Our last full day on Harris … is a good day to stay indoors and pack …

Strength, courage and support to colleagues in Liverpool. Libraries are the infrastructure of democracy- no surprise they are a target of an extremist mob. The Spellow Hub Library library will be rebuilt and will continue to support its community.

‘Our children should be able to find joy in reading and have a nice place to do it. Let’s make that happen again.’ Yes! Fundraiser by Alex McCormick for Spellow Lane Library, attacked by rioters. gofundme.com/f/books-for-sp…

I just donated to 'Books for Spellow Lane' to help repair our library and replenish books for the kids. Every bit helps! Please donate, like, comment, and share to spread the word. 📚❤ #SupportSpellow gofund.me/425d350c

I reviewed The Medieval Scriptorium by ⁦Sara Charles⁩ for ⁦FT Weekend⁩ - it’s a terrific and highly readable study of book making in the Middle Ages from ⁦Reaktion Books⁩ on.ft.com/3yxY5No

I don’t follow. The Public Records Act doesn’t cover museum collections but might conceivably cover cataloguing records (or lack of). But ultimately the responsibility for the ‘care and preservation’ of said records lies with the Secretary of State? thetimes.com/article/a0b9d9…

Port Meadow summer

Angles ⁦Balliol College⁩

Some new books from ⁦Bodleian Libraries⁩ ⁦Bodleian Publishing⁩ will be making their way to ⁦Liverpool Libraries and Information Services⁩ ⁦Denise Jones BEM⁩ for Spellow Hub Library, plus my own #Burningthebooks which I wish wasn’t still highly relevant to our world #ReadingNotRioting

Fantastic closing keynote ⁦Digital Humanities at Oxford Summer School⁩ by ⁦nanna thylstrup (nannathylstrup.bsky.social)⁩ on the politics of data loss. So much to think about!

Helen Muspratt produced some of the most astonishing images of the C20th. Critical to all her work was her preoccupation with the face – its ‘shape and angle’ – and she took portraits of some of the leading figures of the time. go.glam.ox.ac.uk/HelenMusprattV… #WorldPhotographyDay

Looking forward to being back in Glasgow for this event!

I am continually inspired by the late and much missed ⁦Tom Phillips⁩

To celebrate Ukrainian Independence Day I share these images from Ukraine taken in the 1930s by Helen Muspratt (Bodleian Libraries MS.16176)

Wonderful to hear the great ⁦Serhii Plokhy⁩, the great historian of Ukraine talk about his new book on the Russian aggression in Ukraine and the dangers to our nuclear safety. Slava Ukraini!

Our libraries are on borrowed time: re-upping this that I wrote before Spellow Lane & the announcement of the public library cuts in Birmingham. What are you going to do ⁦Lisa Nandy MP⁩ and ⁦Chris Bryant⁩? app.prospectmagazine.co.uk/story/67177/co…

Never tire of coming to work here … ⁦Bodleian Libraries⁩

I spoke on ⁦BBC Radio 4 Today⁩ this morning on public libraries as infrastructure for democracy & making the case that government takes its superintendence responsibilities seriously under the 1964 Act. From 2:23 onwards bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0…