libfocus

from top left: Two people standing in front of book shelves, graphic with spotlights with the text all access, two people standing in front of plates of food, black and white picture of rows of seated men, a man sitting on the ground, a hand holding a red disc, people standing in a group, a statue outside a building and a brain between library shelves.

This month's link-out has all the library and information news you need! A University library closure prompts outrage, the importance of librarians sharing what they do, AI, academic journals, the @warmwelcomeuk.bsky.social, mental health for library workers and more over at www.libfocus.com

Don't miss the chance to go to the always brilliant #ASL2026 for free, network with library sector colleagues and have your conference review published online. Apply by 24th February!

Viva la Library! Rebel against The Algorithm. Get a library card.

If you’re looking to ground yourself in a topic with fact-based research, librarians are still your best friends.

“There’s information,” the librarian said to me, “and then there’s the right information.”

nautil.us/viva-la-libr...
#libraries #skybrarians #publibs

Researchers dismayed as NASA's largest research library closes in Maryland The large research library NASA has at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, was an incredibly important resource for space mission data and research. That resource is now closed.

Researchers dismayed as NASA's largest research library closes in Maryland 📜📚
www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/r...

BBC Four - Storyville, The Librarians Documentary about the US librarians who are risking their safety to defend free speech.

Hi library friends & colleagues in the UK! Check out @thelibrariansfilm.bsky.social on BBC 4 Storyville: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
📚 📜

From the archives: When poison was medicine By Cassidy Polack As I have been working on an inventory of our medical instruments in the Kornhauser Health Sciences Library’s historical collection, I have come across a wide variety of items. Su…

"As I have been working on an inventory of our medical instruments..." Archivists really do have the coolest jobs in libraries. From University of Louisville Libraries 📚 uofllibraries.wordpress.com/2026/01/07/f...

A 50 euro note in a jeans pocket and the text: #ASL2026 student/unemployed tickets

Calling all LIS students and unemployed library sector workers! Don't miss out on our discounted €50 tickets for #ASL2026 on 24th March in @ria.ie, Dublin. Join us for networking opportunities, insights into library innovations and best practices and more. Register at aslibraries.ie/asl-conferen...

Conul: consortium of national university libraries. Conference 2026: 27-28 May 2026, Galmont Hotel, Galway. Transforming futures: Libraries leading through change and innovation. Call for papers now open. conference.conul.ie. #CONUL26. Image of a hand touching a whirlpool of white light against a background of multi coloured circles.

Find out how to submit an abstract for the CONUL Conference with this guest post by the @conulconference.bsky.social committee. Submit your abstract by 20th January and you could be presenting at #CONUL2026 in Galway on 27th and 28th May. www.libfocus.com/2026/01/call...

Volume 1, Issue 2, Winter 2025. Health Sciences Libraries Group. Health Sciences Library Journal. Official journal of the Health Sciences Libraries Group of the Library association of Ireland. Picture of trees in snowy weather.

Our first guest post of 2026 is from the editorial team of the Health Sciences Libraries Journal. They highlight the articles featured in the latest issue of the journal and share details about the deadlines for the Summer 2026 issues. www.libfocus.com

Green post it that reads: New Year's Resolution. Submit abstract for #ASL2026 by 19th January.

Submit your abstract for #ASL2026 by 19th January and tick off the first of your New Year's Resolutions! Don't miss the chance to present on the theme 'Reimagining librarianship: Purpose, practice, possibility' on 24th March 2026 in @ria.ie in Dublin. More info: aslibraries.ie/asl-conferen...

Happy Christmas and New Year to all our lovely followers and to everyone who has engaged with us here and visited us at libfocus.com. The blog has published more than 40 articles this year, huge thanks to all our contributors. Find out what our most read article of 2025 was at tinyurl.com/4e6jsp6p

Three people standing beside a table with printed materials on it. The tablecloth on the table has the HSE logo and HSE Library, Leabharlann FSS printed on it.

In our final guest post of 2025, Bennery Rickard @hselive.bsky.social looks at #HSELibraryDay which took place on 24 September 2025. Careful planning and promotion resulted in 50 events across the country highlighting libraries and librarians in the health service. www.libfocus.com

Two pink tickets and the A&SL logo on a notice that reads: Acadmeic & Special Libraries Conference. Tickets on sale now! 24 March 2026 Royal Irish Academy Dublin. Reimagining librarianship: Purpose, practice and possibility. #ASL2026.

Tickets are now on sale for #ASL2026! We can't wait to see you in @ria.ie in Dublin on 24 March 2026. With @niamhtumelty.bsky.social and @lizjolly.bsky.social as our keynote speakers, this is an event you don't want to miss. Registration and conference information at tinyurl.com/8s2kfz62

Picture of a woman standing in front of a bookcase filled with books and a window

In her guest post Heather Wallace reflects on how her internship in @itmadublin.bsky.social helped her to connect with Irish culture and transformed her understanding of Irish traditional music, song and dance. Learn more at www.libfocus.com

Three people standing beside a banner that reads: Knowledge Summit Dublin

In our latest guest post Bord Bia's Mairéad McKeown shares key insights from the Knowledge Summit Dublin. Her post contains key learnings from the conference, with practical examples and thought starters to empower insight into action - all over at www.libfocus.com

Images clockwise from top left: Engraving of an angel writing in a book beside a winged cherub, cartoon image of a man taking pages out of a computer screen, stacks of papers on labelled shelves, people sitting in a wood panelled library, hands holding a mobile phone

In our last link-out post of 2025 you’ll get the latest in open access, digital collections, declining social media use (yikes) and more. Read a call to action for #library staff, meet an anti-AI Librarian who teaches AI and learn about the perils of ignoring academic #libraries at www.libfocus.com

Read the latest issue of the @healthlibraries.bsky.social journal, which highlights the diverse voices, innovations, and lived experiences shaping today’s health and library information landscape. journals.ucc.ie/index.php/hs...

Stop what you're doing right now and read this brilliant article by Martin O'Connor from our libfocus team! He shows how important academic writing is for library staff - we hope it inspires you to send us an article for the @libfocus.bsky.social blog. Read our latest posts at www.libfocus.com

A person with black hair arranging books on grey shelves in a library

In our latest guest post Ashley Burke looks at the creative ways @mulibrary.bsky.social has worked around the limitations of the Dewey Decimal system, helping students both locate information and understand the systems behind it. Read all about it at www.libfocus.com

It's Library Ireland Week! Let us know how libraries light the way for you and the best entry will win an iPad! We want to hear from you! And remember to use the hashtag so we can find your submission! Visit https://libraryirelandweek.ie/ for further details! #LIW25

Tablet, PC and laptop screens showing screenshots from a website

Our latest guest post is from Irene O’Dowd, Ann Byrne @the-librariann.bsky.social and Emberly Davey from the Digital Learning Department in Hibernia College. Learn about the team's Digital Literacy OER which has been re-launched with additional content. www.libfocus.com

4 images clockwise from top left: Man holding his hand up to the front of the picture, large room with several floors and white pillars, gloved hands filling test tubes in a laboratory setting, collage of a hand holding a book with colours exploding from it

Looking for the latest library and information news? Never fear, the libfocus link-out is here! Read about the incredible Internet Archive milestone, the latest AI and Open Access updates, librarians as keepers of truth and libraries of the future. This and much more at www.libfocus.com

Librarians learning together to enhance their evidence synthesis expertise Guest post by Siobhan Bowman, Paul Breen, Stephanie Chen, Breeda Herlihy, Ronan Madden, Ben Williamson of UCC Library.  Introduction  Eviden...

Our Latest guest post by Siobhan Bowman, Paul Breen, Stephanie Chen, Breeda Herlihy, Ronan Madden & Ben Williamson of UCC Library is now available.

They write about learning together to strengthen evidence synthesis skills and support research across campus.

www.libfocus.com/2025/11/libr...

Ten people standing in front of a sign with the text Chester Beatty

A woman gesturing to a colourful ceremonial robe

A person looking at a collection of colourful bound books

Two people standing at behind a class case with ornately decorated books in it

Huge thanks to Chester Beatty Library and our tour guide Mary who introduced us to the history and fascinating collections of @chesterbeatty.bsky.social last night. It was great to catch up with our A&SL members too - thanks for joining us!

With @kfitz.info as keynote!

Congratulations to Emily Daly from DCU Library! Emily's blog post, 'From Dublin to Seoul and Back Again: A Transformative Vision for University Libraries,’ was highly commended in the 2025 CONUL Training and Development Library Assistant Blog Awards. Read it now over at www.libfocus.com

Finding Peace Among the Periodicals: Reflections on working in an Academic Library Congratulations to Holly Meade Kennedy from Maynooth University Library, whose blog post was highly commended in the CONUL Training and Deve...

Congratulations to @hollymeadekennedy.bsky.social of @mulibrary.bsky.social whose blog post 'Finding Peace Among the Periodicals: Reflections on working in an Academic Library’ was highly commended in the 2025
@conultraindev.bsky.social Library Assistant Blog awards www.libfocus.com/2025/10/find...

Three images: A cartoon image of two policeman carrying a monkey over the text curious george, a man holding a pile of books, pictures of singers performing

Get your roundup of library and information news from this month's link-out! Discover the online rival for Amazon, the Live Aid archives, the good and bad of AI, forgotten children's classics, librarians fighting censorship and much more over at www.libfocus.com

Congratulations to Lorcan Cahill
@dculibrary.bsky.social
whose blog post 'Mentorship: Creating a fertile ground for character growth and academic advancement at DCU Library’ was highly commended in the 2025
@conultraindev.bsky.social
Library Assistant Blog awards www.libfocus.com/2025/10/ment...

A woman standing in front of two mounted screen facing a seated audience

Read our latest post from @jennylibrarian.bsky.social about the @lirheanet.bsky.social annual seminar. Learn about the insights shared by keynote speaker Dr. Daniela Bultoc around communities of practice in higher education at www.libfocus.com/2025/10/lir-...