Weeknote 27-28: Woods and trees

A first week spent with friends* in the sunny Cairngorms. Lots of forests, cycling, woods, river swimming, trees, good food, football and games. It felt good to be in a different space and slow down. A week wasn't quite long enough, but it was helpful to step back and get some much needed perspective.

What happened at work?

An inevitable Monday trawl through emails. I managed to keep on top of the inbox through my break (probably bad) but things felt more manageable on return (good). Plus, the feeling of doom on Sunday evening is worse than actually getting stuck back in.

Some great news on a UKRI funding bid which will enable us to refactor an essential part of our digitisation workflows. It does means absorbing another project with pressure to deliver on a very tight timeline. The team is now full up for the next six months and part of my role will be gatekeeping time and resource.

A catch up with a Bloomberg contact in New York exploring ways to extend our relationship (aka unlock more funding). I need to build in a US trip for some "networking".

Our AI Survey closed with 141 responses, representing almost 50% of Library staff. Lots of valauble top-level insights and the comments need a careful sift to surface ways we could improve overall guidance and comms. A check-in with the wise and brilliant Mia Ridge at the British Library (and now the Museum Data Service) helped here. Some useful stuff on sector-wide AI initiatives and operationalising AI ethical principles across different teams.

An early morning catch-up and coffee with Philip Lockwood-Holmes (of White Space fame). He has an idea for a thing, which could be amazing. We share a mutual friend who is not well and there was some pondering about seizing the moment.

A meeting with the research team at the Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre (EPCC). We're designing a rapid-fire project exploring AI-powered transcription of Scottish-language audio content. Could be cool, but also another thing on the list.

A very busy Thursday with back-to-back meetings. There are a few strands of work without a clear owner and I'm trying to not automaticaly take on this role on. More guidance and delegation needed so that things come to me in a decision-ready state.

Between an MOT and a fridge delivery, Friday was all about catching up and put some structure around new projects.

AI things

• I listened in on an ODI event with Sir Nigel Shadbolt on the role of sovereign data in the age of AI. Interesting stuff on the speciesisation (speciation?) of models and a robust defence of the commons against extractive practices. Extra care is needed when agreeing terms of agreements developed for AI use, rather than retrofitting after the event: "Sovereignty brings the ability to choose differently later"
• Mozilla's State of Open Source AI Report concludes that open models have reached parity with closed and cost a fraction to run.
• I spotted this post on LinkedIn about AI Governance and the need to think apply frameworks to data and models alongside broader ethical considerations.
• The 2026 version of the AI Playbook for Charities looks like an excellent resource.
• Ross McCullogh of Third Sector Lab posted on WWF's use of AI and the value of starting with a real problem.
• How to limit unauthorised AI use in the classroom: a mathematical approach to the probability of student "cheating". TL;DR: Reduce teaching load and class sizes, redesign assessments, and increase one-to-one contact.

Other things

• The new strategy for Manchester Library, Imagine 2030, has set out a bold vision around seizing the initiative and using AI as a multiplier:

We will operate as both traditional academic library and technology multiplier, embracing AI as infrastructure rather than threat, pioneering new service models rather than protecting old ones, making strategic choices about what we stop doing to create capacity for transformation. We will lead sector conversations rather than waiting for consensus.

• Three solid recommendations from the ODI's CoCoDa team on social media accountability beyond banning teens.
• A new beta website for Historic Environment Scotland (by StormID)
• Anthropeum - a nice game guessing the time and place for museum artefacts.
• See also this impossible map guessing game (my best was 4).
• The end of an era - Roger Highfield retires the treadmill desk!

Watching, listening, reading, doing

📖 Close to Home by Michael McGee was a solid holiday read.

📺 I'm enjoying the BBC documentary, The American Revolution (a much better effort than the Netflix equivalent, The American Experiment). 📺 Packham is no Sir David, but we're enjoying the BBC's Evolution series.

🎧 A week re-listening to English Teacher, including the remix version of This Could be Texas and their Live at Maida Vale set.

⚽ Ah, the oh-so-familiar feeling of crushing disappointment. That said, it was fun watching the knock-out phases with friends and seeing the kids pick up on different World Cup memes.

*hello, if you are reading