Liz White

A collage of images including a person with headphones on working at a desk, a person weaving straw together and someone in a lab holding a bottle. A open padlock graphic is laid over each image and text reads Open and Engaged 2025. Who owns our knowledge? Monday 20th, Wednesday 22nd, Thursday 23rd October, online conference..

Don't miss our free, online Open and Engaged Conference 2025, as part of #InternationaOpenAccessWeek.

This year we're exploring the power, ethics, and responsibility embedded in how cultural heritage is created, shared, and preserved.

Register for free: bit.ly/BLEngagedCon...

Blogs and updates from curators, staff and guests - British Library Get the latest stories and updates from our curators, cataloguers, reference staff and guest contributors. Find out more about amazing items in our collection.

British Library @britishlibrary.bsky.social‬:
Our blogs have a new look: https://bit.ly/BL-Blogs

All previously published blog posts will be available in our archive, launching in coming weeks. Watch this space for an update on when that goes live.

Doctoral Open Days | British Library oin one of our Doctoral Open Days for an introduction into the areas of our collection which may be relevant to you, alongside practical tips for using the

New & aspiring MA/PhD students! Join us to learn how we can help you with your research at the first of our Doctoral Open Days 2025:

16 Oct - 'Getting Started at The British Library' (online)
31 Oct - 'Music, Sound and Vision' (in person)

More info, events & tickets: events.bl.uk/whats-on/doc...

It's all happening for us train enthusiasts (or is it just me?) as today marks 200 years since the Stockton and Darlington Railway opened in 1825 - the birth of the modern railway.
So here are some of the many railway linocuts I have done over the years - too many, I hear you say? Surely not… 😂

Print featuring bare trees with crows flying above against a pinky blue morning sky

Suzie MacKenzie, contemporary printmaker who lives and works in the northern highlands of Scotland #WomensArt

Congratulations Richard

A hardback copy of The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman, which has an orange border. On the left is a flat white with a heart in the foam.

New book. Happy Saturday.
📚☕️

The Radical Act behind your local library: Celebrating 175 years of public libraries This post was written by Jenny Pearce, Senior Marketing Manager for LibraryOn at the British Library. 2025 sees the 175th anniversary of the Public Libraries Act 1850. The Act was an initial step in…

A great piece from the British Library LibraryOn team as we celebrate 175 years since the first Public Libraries Act and ask if the second version from 1964 is still fit for purpose blogs.bl.uk/thenewsroom/...

A pink neon sign saying “Watford Palace Theatre”

View from the stage, looking towards 3 tiers of seats and a wavy yellow neon installation

View from the stage, looking up at the technical areas

A yellow box saying “feathers and boas” and assorted head dresses.

Great heritage open day tour of Watford Palace Theatre today, lovely way to spend a Sunday morning. #OpenHouse.

Agatha Christie poses at home on December 1956 in Wallingford, United Kingdom. Photo by Hubert de Segonzac/Paris Match via Getty Images.

Agatha Christie’s Remington typewriter from 1937. © The Christie Archive Trust

Agatha Christie boarding the EET Salon at lunchtime on the train from Bulawayo to the Cape. In 1922 Agatha Christie set sail on a 10-month voyage around the world. Her husband Archie had been invited to join a trade mission to promote the British Empire Exhibition and Agatha was determined to go with him © The Christie Archive Trust

It's Agatha Christie's birthday today, and we're delighted to announce a major exhibition on the Queen of Crime, coming autumn 2026 🕵️‍♀️

Find out more: bit.ly/BL-AgathaChr...

#AgathaChristie #CrimeFiction

Warsaw opens metro station ‘express’ library to get commuters off their phones Metroteka aims to encourage people to read more in country that lost majority of libraries in second world war

Oh, this is cool 📚 🚇
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

Two green locomotives as part of the heritage centre

Exterior view of the library and museum with a blue sky and clouds reflected in the glass

On the left a sign with a quote from “Ivanhoe”, on the right a display of railway lamps. The quote says: “Welcome to DANUM Gallery • Library • Museum "In that pleasant district of Merry England which is watered by the river Don, there extended in ancient times a large forest... and the pleasant town of DONCASTER Ivanhoe”

A sign with the sillouette of a young person saying welcome to your library

Fantastic to visit @dglam.bsky.social @doncasterlibraries.bsky.social a beautiful and buzzing space. And it has trains!

I can

I can

If you have ideas for public engagement projects involving the British Library for this scheme, please complete our Research Collaboration: www.bl.uk/services/res...

An image of books on a shelf, in shadow

A bottle of Birra Moretti on a table in a courtyard garden. Green shrubs and trees are in the background.

A futurist painting of a breakfast table

Peaceful end of summer evening at the Estorick Collection, N1.

A menu page inviting users to click and sort events by category

A sample page of facilities for Manchester Central Library, St Peter’s Square Business Support Cafe BFI Replay Computers Digital Skills Sessions Family History Hobby and interest groups Children’s activities

Looking for summer holiday activities? Find events and activities in your local public library, searchable by theme and location via #LibraryOn, funded by @artscouncilengland.bsky.social and delivered by @britishlibrary.bsky.social

libraryon.org/libraries?pa...

#LoveLibraries #LibrarySky 📚

Three days immersed in a community of people who dare to long for a world that embodies love, compassion, light and hope. Thank you @greenbeltfestival.bsky.social

Shortlisted libraries for the Public Library of the Year Award have sustainability and flexibility at their core and have been developed with significant input from their communities and peer institutions. #WLIC2025

Six major trends within new library buildings Co-location: Shared facilities and flexibility Architectural quality Outdoor spaces and "active" connections with city life Sustainability Digital innovation and maker culture Programming library spaces to encourage co-creation

The jury noted how nominees are responding to changing global trends and are responding to the evolving needs of their users: creation, co-creation and partnership working.

A slide saying “IFLA Public Library of the Year Awards 2025” with photos of the 3 shortlisted libraries in China, USA and Canada

A privilege to be representing the @ifla.org Public Library Section at the Baker and Tilly Public Library of the Year Awards at #WLIC25.

@biblioluke.bsky.social @louiscoiffait-gunn.bsky.social @iainmoore.bsky.social

A menu page inviting users to click and sort events by category

A sample page of facilities for Manchester Central Library, St Peter’s Square Business Support Cafe BFI Replay Computers Digital Skills Sessions Family History Hobby and interest groups Children’s activities

Looking for summer holiday activities? Find events and activities in your local public library, searchable by theme and location via #LibraryOn, funded by @artscouncilengland.bsky.social and delivered by @britishlibrary.bsky.social

libraryon.org/libraries?pa...

#LoveLibraries #LibrarySky 📚

Love Libraries – Celebrating and empowering women’s writing and learning Celebrating women’s lives, history and achievements is the overarching goal of the trailblazing and multi-award-winning Glasgow Women’s Library (GWL).

Read more about how GWL is celebrating women's writing and learning in our #LoveLibraries case study > www.cilips.org.uk/love-librari...

Inspiring keynote at #DCDC25 from Professor Katy Shaw on co-creation and innovation and the need for more inclusive models. Innovation and ideas can come from anywhere but we need the collaborative leadership and funding models to support radically inclusive change.

Excellent start to the last day of #DCDC25 A powerful keynote from Prof Katy Shaw, Director of AHRC Creative Communities. Amazing work around co creation, cultural policy and meaningful community participation

#DCDC25 incredibly moving keynote this morning from National HIV Story Trust

Photo of an old library with wooden shelving and a balcony.

We are looking forward to welcoming over 300 delegates in person and online, as we host the international ‘Discovering Collections Discovering Communities’ Conference from tomorrow/this week.

A view of the gothic towers of Durham Cathedral through a gap in some houses

A woman with spiky brown hair, wearing a white t shirt and a grey jacket, with a stunning river backdrop and concrete bridge behind her.

Great to be back in Durham for a few days for #DCDC25

Nothing like the iconic @britishlibrary.bsky.social door!

British Library CEO: ‘You Always Need to Have a Recovery Plan’ Rebecca Lawrence is more focused on securing new funding and dealing with the aftermath of a cyberattack than stressing about literacy and AI.

Six months into her tenure as CEO of the British Library, Rebecca Lawrence is still dealing with the aftermath of a devastating 2023 cyberattack.