Dan O'Connor

"I invite educators to reimagine scholarship as a space for justice." What does it mean to engage in racially just research and scholarship?

Dr Wilton Lodge reflects on how power, history and epistemic privilege shape knowledge production. #BlackHistoryMonth
blogs.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/2025/10/...

Chaos is coming for scholarly publishing - Research Professional News Buckling of commercial models alongside maturing of community-led efforts promises major shifts, says Caroline Edwards

Universities want new business models, not just discounts.

As @theblochian.bsky.social (OLH Exec. Director) writes: Together we can move our university funding away from obscene commercial extractivists and back into scholar-led non-profit models

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-v...

A friendly IOE librarian speaks to a group of students standing in front of him in the IOE Library.

Book a tour! Find out how to make the most of our services, facilities and collections by booking your place on a free tour led by IOE library staff. They take place between 22 Sept and 9 Oct, and last 30 mins (tour) or one hour (tour and induction). Book now: tinyurl.com/6xyfv8bj

Display shelves with plants, books and posters signposting resources for PGCE students.

Welcome to our new PGCE students! We are excited for you to visit our newly refurbished library. We have created a display specifically for you to help you become great educators. Find resources to prepare for teaching placements, navigate your UCL journey, and support your wellbeing. #NewToUCL

Three images of the refurbished space. Text reads Level 4, new look.

If you’ve visited us before, you’ll see we’ve had a makeover. If you’re new to IOE, here's a taste of our updated space, complete with new furniture, better electrics, and more study areas: 561 in total across 3 floors. Here's Level 4, with 63 new study spaces, and new sofas, desks, and glass pods.

Three images of the refurbished space. Text reads Level 5, new look.

Level 5 has always been a fan favourite for users who prefer peaceful study space. We have reorganised the area to provide 40 additional study spaces and created a beautiful display area to showcase our resources. You will still find luscious greenery both inside and on view from the windows.

Text says 'What do you think of the new library space? Complete this short survey!' There are images of the library redevelopment and a person thinking.

We are still putting finishing touches to things, but we'd love to hear your thoughts about the newly refurbished library. Follow this link to complete the short survey and share your views.
forms.office.com/e/pYk4XB5K1x

I’m convinced that people generally want much more intellectually interesting content than most media producers want to provide

A view of brand new study spaces on Level 5 of the refurbished IOE Library, showing desks, chairs and windows in the sunshine.

We're reopening! On Tue 26 August we open our doors so you can explore the new-look IOE Library. Our new layout has 165 new study spaces, new pods and upgraded furniture. And all our furniture is powered so you can charge your devices easily. But note, we're closed on bank holiday Monday. #WeAreIOE

Coming soon: 170 new study spaces, better electrics, new furniture, new pods, a more comfortable and accessible study environment. Study spaces will be closed during works from 9 June to 5 August. Services continuing during this time include: Click & Collect, book issue/return, print services, laptop loans, Help and Membership desks.

Study spaces will be closed during this period but key services will continue and our Help Desk will stay open. IOE staff and students will get weekly update emails and we will also share advice and news here.
If you've got questions or concerns message us or email ioelibrary@ucl.ac.uk.

UCL graphic with library interior image, with text saying Major £1.2 million refurbishment project to transform the IOE Library and create 170 new study spaces

Big news - we are excited to announce a £1.2m refurbishment project to upgrade the IOE Library taking place from 9 June to 5 August. This will deliver 170 new study spaces, better electrics, and new pods and furniture, with our print collections more visible and accessible than ever.

Book partially covered with brown paper with a handwritten accusation of 'death and sex'

Book partially covered with brown paper with a handwritten accusation of 'pornographic'

Book partially covered with brown paper with a handwritten accusation of 'inappropriate for children'

Book partially covered with brown paper with a handwritten accusation of 'racist'

BANNED. These books have all been banned or challenged, some by parents, some by political groups, who claim the books are racist, anti-Christian, pornographic or promoting homosexuality, preventing access or limiting their availability in school libraries. Visit our new display by the Help Desk.

OPINION: A librarian's summary of, and response to, the Clarivate announcement - UKSG Siobhan Haimé takes a look at detail the Clarivate announcement and its practical (and possibly unintentional transformational) effects.

Great summary of Clarivate's plans for access to books in academic libraries www.uksg.org/newsletter/u...

A statue of a woman near the stairs in the IOE Library. They appear to be looking down at a book titled 'Completing your qualitative dissertation'.

The display shelves with books and posters.

It's that time of year! Many of you will be planning your dissertations. Our new display is designed to help with this process. Alongside step-by-step dissertation guides, find out about:
- Research methods
- Literature reviews
- Systematic reviews
- Critical thinking
- Academic writing

A monochrome bird's eye view of hands on a computer keyboard.

Book your dissertation support session now! We offer training in initial and advanced search strategies in online and face-to-face formats for IOE students. We encourage you to attend the initial search strategy session first. Sessions start 10/02 and run into April. tinyurl.com/4mezxpjd

Photo of a VW campervan

Our new (to us) home from home, ready for adventures starting in a couple of weeks! We originally hired this very van last summer for a tour of cricket matches staying near grounds across England!

The other Brigids: the forgotten mighty women of Medieval Ireland St Brigid may have led the way, but there were other powerful, inspiring and influential women who blazed a trail in Medieval Kildare

Happy St Brigid's Day, the day people traditionally spout more ahistorical nonsense about Irish "goddesses" and "pre-Christian customs" than on any other day of the year. Resist the BS! Here's a really good piece by Tiago Veloso Silva as a little antidote:

www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...

Séamas O'Reilly: Everyone born in 1998 is now at least 25 — the bad news doesn't end there There are hundreds of thousands of young adults in Ireland who will never hire a plumber or electrician, buy a lawnmower, build a shed

70% of Irish twenty-five year olds now live with their parents. I wrote about why that's obviously a very bad thing.

www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle-co...

Policy Commons' Top 20 Most-Viewed reports of 2024!
#16 . . . .
Algorithmic bias detection and mitigation: Best practices and policies to reduce consumer harms
from @Brookings.edu @BrookingsInst
➡️ coilink.org/20.500.1259...

English speakers that accept the pronunciation of names like Anaïs and Thibault because they know that despite using a similar alphabet they're French language names but can't grasp the same logic for Irish language names like Siobhán or Eoghan or Caoilfhionn are the worst type of willful eejits.

Australia and South Africa players leave the field at the end of the third day of the 2nd Test at Port Elizabeth in February 2014. Morne de Klerk's picture was a runner-up in the 2014 MCC Wisden Photograph of the Year

Great to see you (us) here!

Stunning performance!

a man wearing a target shirt is standing in front of an xbox logo ALT: a man wearing a target shirt is standing in front of an xbox logo

Your new world champion, Luke Littler.

So much for taking it easy food wise post-Christmas

Working nights is tough
Most night workers are in health and social care, transport or warehouses, not hospitality. Nearly half report that night shifts negatively impact their sleep, and roughly 30 per cent cite worse physical and mental health. coilink.org/20.500.1259...

The biography Jane Austen A Life by Claire Tomalin. Googly eyes have been added to the cover.

Happy Birthday to Jane Austen, born #otd in 1775.

'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a library in possession of a good Jane Austen biography, must be in want of some googly eyes.' 👀

Prince Andrew

A wrong ‘un.

That’s the post