Anya

Still holds

House of Commons Library Open Day We are pleased to invite librarians, library staff and information officers to the House of Commons Library Open Day 2026.

The House of Commons Library Open Day returns in 2026!

Come and learn about what we do to inform democracy and take advantage of a rare chance to tour the Commons Library space.

Full details are on our website and applications close 24th November commonslibrary.parliament.uk/training-and...

My other half, an illustrator, recommends rotring pencils, “Lovely weight, and a retractable nib so you don’t inadvertently stab your leg when you carrying one in your pocket.”

With apologies for the pedantry. Earlier today someone, in the course of facilitating a meeting, repeatedly addressed our Robert as “Rob. I’m still getting over it.

Discretion / connoisseurship / expertise / preference

Michael Rush and the Database - The History of Parliament We were sad to hear recently of the death of Professor Michael Rush of the University of Exeter. Michael was a pioneering and indefatigable scholar of

Michael Rush and the Database historyofparliament.com/2025/10/15/m...

A mostly sunk glass of Murphy’s at a pub in Shepperton

A fine early autumn afternoon. Why not take a break from watching the boats go by at a riverside pub and read these weeknotes from @anyaso.bsky.social and I?

ukparliament.github.io/ontologies/m...

Storyville - The Librarians A Storyville documentary that explores how librarians across the US are risking their safety to defend free speech as book bans and censorship threaten democracy from within.

Just been made aware that the new documentary The Librarians is available for free on BBC iPlayer for the next 12 mths. It investigates what librarians in the US are going through right now as they unite to combat book banning & defend free speech. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

here's an important thing about deterministic tools: when they fail, they fail predictably

you can learn how to use them *for your own purposes* because they behave in consistent ways even if they aren't 100% optimal

AI tools add a layer of ambiguity so you're 100% never sure what the output means

In the foreground, a conker on the edge of a table. Behind the conker, a Welsh terrier called Conker has popped up to better examine the conker.

Conker, with a conker, last weekend in Brockenhurst.

In which we bid farewell to Professor Michael Rush. A kind, generous and gentle man. More notes from @anyaso.bsky.social and I:

ukparliament.github.io/ontologies/m...

Had two very good days.

A wee bank holiday treat for you guys. More week - well, fortnight - notes from @anyaso.bsky.social and I. In which we approached ramming speed, only to collide head-on with documentation buffers. Rescued in part by the kindness of strangers
ukparliament.github.io/ontologies/m...

Our psephological efforts now come complete with by-elections from Parliament 56. Or the one following the 2015 general election, as normal people might say
electionresults.parliament.uk/parliament-p...

New bot alert: if you’re the kind of person that likes @commonslibrary.bsky.social, you may also wish to spend a follow on @post-parliament.bsky.social. All the latest research from the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology

every team should have a little bit of internet to call their own, where they can publish texts, images, ideas, experiments, etc

it doesn't sound like a lot to ask.

but in most organisations, it's very hard to make happen.

Another week where we once again failed to 'ship excellent product'. Though we came damned close. More weeknotes from @anyaso.bsky.social and I ...
ukparliament.github.io/ontologies/m...

In marked change from our usual wall of text in the form of rambling paragraphs, this week’s weeknotes see @anyaso.bsky.social and I opt for a wall of text in the form of a list. Do enjoy. Or try to enjoy

ukparliament.github.io/ontologies/m...

Who is responsible for public services in my constituency? https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/public-services-in-my-constituency/

Ah. I’m currently off duty - in the south of France, attending to mosquito bites, considering bathing in pastis. Have referred your question to Mr Woodhams

365 questions in search of an answer
question-checker-27df5d070358.herokuapp.com
Nifty

Gráinne Maguire On Losing in Front of Your Home Crowd “I don’t know whether headlining a Sinn Féin gala would be good for my brand.”

"Sinn Féin is a tricky party to explain to people outside of Ireland. They are now just a centre left party with a bit of cultural baggage. Unattended suspicious baggage. With an unsettling ticking noise."

glorious guest post by @grainnemaguire.bsky.social today

I can guarantee a segment airing of complaints about “the Normans”

House of Commons Library guide to designing effective charts https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn05073/

It's far too hot to leave your sofa. Why not empty a sack of ice into your nan's Radol Footspa and treat yourself to ten minutes with more weeknotes from @anyaso.bsky.social and I
ukparliament.github.io/ontologies/m...

The Copilot Delusion Disclaimer: This post was written May 2025, and the arguments apply to AI code capabilities at this time. The arguments around lack of competence are certainly likely to become less prevalent-while th...

"When you outsource the thinking, you outsource the learning." deplet.ing/the-copilot-...

Welcome to Bluesky! Before we begin, you may want to familiarize yourself with the concept of jokes. Don't fall for them! Jokesters abound on Bluesky and they all want to murder you in your sleep

If I could open the windows any wider I would and also the house might become unmoored. Which I would not resist.

That poor dot. It used to mean something. Now it doesn’t. It doesn’t even understand its new identity. “Our dot is the bridge […] by the side of users”

The Dot Our dot is the bridge between government and the UK, by the side of users to help make information and services easier and more useful. Used within our wordmark and as a graphic device across all GOV.UK channels, the dot is a guiding hand, for life. GOV·UK

GOV​.UK is now GOV·UK

Brand Guidelines www.gov.uk/government/p...

(152 MB PDF. Start as you mean to go on, GDS.)

#govtech #govcomms #designwank