Digital Curator, and Living with Machines Co-Investigator Dr Mia Ridge writes…

The Living with Machines research project is a collaboration between the British Library, The Alan Turing Institute and various partner universities. Our free exhibition at Leeds City Museum, Living with Machines: Human stories from the industrial age, opened at the end of July. Read on for information about adult events around the exhibition…

Museum Late: Living with Machines, Thursday 24 November, 2022

6 - 10pm • Leeds City Museum • £5, booking essential https://my.leedstickethub.co.uk/19101

The first ever Museum Late at Leeds City Museum! Come along to experience the museum after hours with music, pub quiz, weaving, informal workshops, chats with curators, and a quiz. Local food and drinks in the main hall.

Full programme: https://museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk/events/leeds-city-museum/museum-late-living-with-machines/

Tickets: https://my.leedstickethub.co.uk/19101

Study Day: Living with Machines, Friday December 2, 2022

10:00 am - 4:00 pm • Online • Free but booking essential: https://my.leedstickethub.co.uk/18775

A unique opportunity to hear experts in the field illuminate key themes from the exhibition and learn how exhibition co-curators found stories and objects to represent research work in AI and digital history. This study day is online via Zoom so that you can attend from anywhere.

Full programme: https://museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk/events/leeds-city-museum/living-with-machines-study-day/

Tickets: https://my.leedstickethub.co.uk/18775

Living with Machines Wikithon, Saturday January 7, 2023

1 – 4:30pm • Leeds City Museum • Free but booking essential: https://my.leedstickethub.co.uk/19104

Ever wanted to try editing Wikipedia, but haven't known where to start? Join us for a session with our brilliant Wikipedian-in-residence to help improve Wikipedia’s coverage of local lives and topics at an editathon themed around our exhibition. 

Everyone is welcome. You won’t require any previous Wiki experience but please bring your own laptop for this event. Find out more, including how you can prepare, in my blog post on the Living with Machines site, Help fill gaps in Wikipedia: our Leeds editathon.

The exhibition closes the next day, so it really is your last chance to see it!

Full programme: https://museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk/events/leeds-city-museum/living-with-machines-wikithon-exploring-the-margins/

Tickets: https://my.leedstickethub.co.uk/19104

If you just want to try out something more hands on with textiles inspired by the exhibition, there's also a Peg Loom Weaving Workshop, and not one but two Christmas Wreath Workshops.

You can find out more about our exhibition on the Living with Machines website.

As part of International Open Access Week, the British Library is delighted to host its annual Open and Engaged event online on 24 October, Monday from 13:00 to 16:30 BST.

Since 2018 the British Library has organised the Open and Engaged Conference to coincide with International Open Access Week.

In line with this year’s #OAWeek theme: Open for Climate Justice; Open and Engaged will address intersections between cultural heritage and climate research through use of collections, digital infrastructures and skills.

A range of speakers from cultural heritage and higher education institutions will answer these questions to shed a light on the theme:

• What is the role of library collections, historical datasets to understand the impact of climate change?
• How to use digital infrastructure for more equitable knowledge sharing?
• What roles and skills are needed to make research from heritage organisations openly available?

We invite everyone interested in the topic to join us on the day by registering via this online form. Please see the programme below and note that it is subject to minor updates up until the event date.  

Programme – 24 October, Monday - British Summer Time (UTC+1)

DOIs now available for each talk

13:00 – 13:10  Opening notes

13:10 – 13:15  Welcome remarks by Rachael Kotarski, the British Library

13:15 – 14:05  Climate research in cultural heritage - moderated by Maja Maricevic, the British Library

13:15 – 13:40 Climate change approach at the British Library. Maja Maricevic, the British Library

13:40 – 14:05 Climate justice at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Lorna Mitchel, Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh

14:05 – 14:30 Break

14:30 – 15:45  Opening up heritage research: Infrastructure and skills – moderated by Susan Miles, the British Library

14.30 – 14:55  “Forever or 5 years”: Sustainability planning for Digital Research Infrastructure for Arts and Humanities. Anna Maria Sichani, Digital Humanities Research Hub, School of Advanced Study, University of London

14:55 -15:20  Shared Research Repository Service and competency framework for cultural heritage professionals. Jenny Basford and Ilkay Holt, the British Library

15:20 – 15:45 Valuing the breadth and depth of skills in the research library. Claire Knowles, University of Leeds

15:45 – 16:00 Closing remarks from Rachael Kotarski, The British Library

We encourage you to participate in discussion with other attendees and speakers by using the Twitter hashtag #OpenEngaged. If you have any questions, please contact us at openaccess@bl.uk.