Alison
@alisonburnis.bsky.social
Occasional writer, intermittent artist. Red lipstick enthusiast. Likes cake. Current academic librarian, former hospital librarian. Atlantic Canada. She/her/elle.
Pinned
Alison
@alisonburnis.bsky.social
· Sep 10
Hello! It’s time to update my introduction post (at least, in my mind).
I’m Alison. I’m a writer, artist, reader, and now a knitter. I’m also the cataloguing and metadata librarian at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
This is my cat, Mallow. She’s the best cat.
I’m Alison. I’m a writer, artist, reader, and now a knitter. I’m also the cataloguing and metadata librarian at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
This is my cat, Mallow. She’s the best cat.
Reposted by Alison
Be my Hal-entine
February 14, 2026 at 2:06 PM
Be my Hal-entine
The period of my childhood that I remember most vividly was the one where we didn’t have a car at all. In Moncton. In the late 90s.
We were fine, we used transit, drove a neighbour to church in exchange for borrowing their car, and used rentals for vacation.
We were fine, we used transit, drove a neighbour to church in exchange for borrowing their car, and used rentals for vacation.
February 13, 2026 at 11:31 PM
The period of my childhood that I remember most vividly was the one where we didn’t have a car at all. In Moncton. In the late 90s.
We were fine, we used transit, drove a neighbour to church in exchange for borrowing their car, and used rentals for vacation.
We were fine, we used transit, drove a neighbour to church in exchange for borrowing their car, and used rentals for vacation.
Reposted by Alison
You know Banting for his co-discovery of insulin and Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Did you know he was also a painter and hung out with members of the Group of Seven, including AY Jackson and Lawren Harris?
February 13, 2026 at 4:24 PM
You know Banting for his co-discovery of insulin and Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Did you know he was also a painter and hung out with members of the Group of Seven, including AY Jackson and Lawren Harris?
Reposted by Alison
If you don't like the traffic in #halifax the premier is making it worse.
All NS public servants back in office full time 20 April.
Thank Tim for the extra time it takes to get around.
All NS public servants back in office full time 20 April.
Thank Tim for the extra time it takes to get around.
February 13, 2026 at 3:34 PM
If you don't like the traffic in #halifax the premier is making it worse.
All NS public servants back in office full time 20 April.
Thank Tim for the extra time it takes to get around.
All NS public servants back in office full time 20 April.
Thank Tim for the extra time it takes to get around.
Reposted by Alison
Halifax *also* has a punk rock flea market
How about a bookstore in a haunted seaside town that is surrounded by a quiet mossy forest
What's your vibe?
1. quiet mossy forest
2. bustling city bookstore
3. punk rock flea market
4. haunted seaside town
1. quiet mossy forest
2. bustling city bookstore
3. punk rock flea market
4. haunted seaside town
February 13, 2026 at 11:38 AM
Halifax *also* has a punk rock flea market
Reposted by Alison
One Black Cat
Maud Lewis
1964
Maud Lewis
1964
February 13, 2026 at 10:01 AM
One Black Cat
Maud Lewis
1964
Maud Lewis
1964
Reposted by Alison
HISTORIC BRONZE MEDAL
Courtney Sarault becomes the first Canadian outside of Quebec to win an individual medal in short track speed skating. Bronze in the 500m
Sarault is from Moncton, New Brunswick. And she just told me she’s so proud to put her home on the map.
Courtney Sarault becomes the first Canadian outside of Quebec to win an individual medal in short track speed skating. Bronze in the 500m
Sarault is from Moncton, New Brunswick. And she just told me she’s so proud to put her home on the map.
February 12, 2026 at 9:34 PM
HISTORIC BRONZE MEDAL
Courtney Sarault becomes the first Canadian outside of Quebec to win an individual medal in short track speed skating. Bronze in the 500m
Sarault is from Moncton, New Brunswick. And she just told me she’s so proud to put her home on the map.
Courtney Sarault becomes the first Canadian outside of Quebec to win an individual medal in short track speed skating. Bronze in the 500m
Sarault is from Moncton, New Brunswick. And she just told me she’s so proud to put her home on the map.
Love to see that @smufu.bsky.social members ratified our tentative agreement with REAL gains and protections for librarians.
February 12, 2026 at 9:55 PM
Love to see that @smufu.bsky.social members ratified our tentative agreement with REAL gains and protections for librarians.
Reposted by Alison
It’s such a disadvantage being on the outside lanes in the shorter distance
But Canada’s Courtney Sarault didn’t quit
She kept pushing and at the line found her way onto the podium. It’s a 500m bronze medal for Sarault.
But Canada’s Courtney Sarault didn’t quit
She kept pushing and at the line found her way onto the podium. It’s a 500m bronze medal for Sarault.
February 12, 2026 at 8:52 PM
It’s such a disadvantage being on the outside lanes in the shorter distance
But Canada’s Courtney Sarault didn’t quit
She kept pushing and at the line found her way onto the podium. It’s a 500m bronze medal for Sarault.
But Canada’s Courtney Sarault didn’t quit
She kept pushing and at the line found her way onto the podium. It’s a 500m bronze medal for Sarault.
Reposted by Alison
every single librarian on this site whether they work primarily with academics or the public or practitioners has had to patiently explain — while their expertise is questioned — that hardly anything is digitized, actually.
A lot of people really don’t realize that there is a vast amount of information out there that is not online and plausibly never will be, or can’t be.
I think that's a point that will surprise a lot of people. There's a lot of calling the internet capable of accessing "the sum of all human knowledge" and such that I think gives people the impression that any and all records exist online somewhere.
February 12, 2026 at 9:02 PM
every single librarian on this site whether they work primarily with academics or the public or practitioners has had to patiently explain — while their expertise is questioned — that hardly anything is digitized, actually.
Reposted by Alison
I think this is a key point we need to keep repeating - our council is spending extraordinary amounts of time to constantly relitigate an expense that's less than 0.05% of the capital budget. That is not time well spent by any measure.
I hate the fact that stories about this ignore that bike lane spending is $65 million out of a $3bn capital budget of which we can only actually pay for $1.8bn of $3bn before we run out of money and debt. Cutting 0.021% of the capital budget is not fiscal responsibility, it's affordability suicide.
What’s HRM council without bike lanes?
Councillors voted in favour of a motion to look into alternatives to the AAA bike lane network.
globalnews.ca/news/1166362...
Councillors voted in favour of a motion to look into alternatives to the AAA bike lane network.
globalnews.ca/news/1166362...
February 12, 2026 at 2:10 PM
I think this is a key point we need to keep repeating - our council is spending extraordinary amounts of time to constantly relitigate an expense that's less than 0.05% of the capital budget. That is not time well spent by any measure.
I'd like to personally apologize to everyone in Halifax. Just over two years, I returned to the city, excited about being back and finally not having to shovel snow in a Miramichi winter.
However, we moved to our house in December and now we have to shovel. This is my fault.
However, we moved to our house in December and now we have to shovel. This is my fault.
February 12, 2026 at 6:54 PM
I'd like to personally apologize to everyone in Halifax. Just over two years, I returned to the city, excited about being back and finally not having to shovel snow in a Miramichi winter.
However, we moved to our house in December and now we have to shovel. This is my fault.
However, we moved to our house in December and now we have to shovel. This is my fault.
Delayed opening? Boooooooooo
(And I’m not just saying that because my reference desk shift starts at 10, regardless)
(And I’m not just saying that because my reference desk shift starts at 10, regardless)
February 12, 2026 at 10:43 AM
Delayed opening? Boooooooooo
(And I’m not just saying that because my reference desk shift starts at 10, regardless)
(And I’m not just saying that because my reference desk shift starts at 10, regardless)
This was so beautiful that if you didn’t tear up, I want to know what’s wrong with you. Exquisite skate.
PIPER AND PAUL
MESMERIZING
TEARS. GOOSEBUMPS. CANADIAN MAGIC.
MESMERIZING
TEARS. GOOSEBUMPS. CANADIAN MAGIC.
February 11, 2026 at 9:38 PM
This was so beautiful that if you didn’t tear up, I want to know what’s wrong with you. Exquisite skate.
Reposted by Alison
what makes something "vulnerable to AI" is not the capacity of machines but the credulity of management.
Of course, it is also true that historians jobs may in practice be vulnerable to AI, because a lot of people who control the money for historian jobs probably haven’t thought much about where history comes from, either.
February 11, 2026 at 8:39 PM
what makes something "vulnerable to AI" is not the capacity of machines but the credulity of management.
Reposted by Alison
The Venn diagram of people who say there’s no parking downtown and those who think bike lanes cause congestion is a circle.
February 11, 2026 at 2:07 PM
The Venn diagram of people who say there’s no parking downtown and those who think bike lanes cause congestion is a circle.
Reposted by Alison
Winter Morning on the Green
Molly Lamb Bobak
n.d.
Molly Lamb Bobak
n.d.
February 11, 2026 at 1:30 PM
Winter Morning on the Green
Molly Lamb Bobak
n.d.
Molly Lamb Bobak
n.d.
My therapist asked me if I've watched Heated Rivalry yet, and when I said I was reading the books first, she laughed and said, "of course you are."
Just because we have a long-running therapeutic relationship doesn't mean you need to clock me so hard in session!!!!
Just because we have a long-running therapeutic relationship doesn't mean you need to clock me so hard in session!!!!
February 11, 2026 at 12:24 AM
My therapist asked me if I've watched Heated Rivalry yet, and when I said I was reading the books first, she laughed and said, "of course you are."
Just because we have a long-running therapeutic relationship doesn't mean you need to clock me so hard in session!!!!
Just because we have a long-running therapeutic relationship doesn't mean you need to clock me so hard in session!!!!
Reposted by Alison
I need faculty to get on board with helping residents, post docs, phd students, masters students etc understand that you can only do a systematic review in less than 6 months if (a) there's only a tiny amount of evidence and (b) you're not doing anything else for those 6 months.
February 10, 2026 at 11:56 PM
I need faculty to get on board with helping residents, post docs, phd students, masters students etc understand that you can only do a systematic review in less than 6 months if (a) there's only a tiny amount of evidence and (b) you're not doing anything else for those 6 months.
Reposted by Alison
Sometimes I want reliable transit and safe bike lanes but I know that someday my kid is going to have to buy a car just to participate in society and they're going to be glad that I saved $72 in municipal taxes in 2026.
February 10, 2026 at 8:32 PM
Sometimes I want reliable transit and safe bike lanes but I know that someday my kid is going to have to buy a car just to participate in society and they're going to be glad that I saved $72 in municipal taxes in 2026.
Reposted by Alison
it's been a long time coming but we can finally sell ebooks through the shop, please help us spread the word!
choose us as your favorite bookstore and then purchases you make support us! books are DRM free epub files
www.booksellers.ca/catalogue?bo...
choose us as your favorite bookstore and then purchases you make support us! books are DRM free epub files
www.booksellers.ca/catalogue?bo...
February 10, 2026 at 6:30 PM
it's been a long time coming but we can finally sell ebooks through the shop, please help us spread the word!
choose us as your favorite bookstore and then purchases you make support us! books are DRM free epub files
www.booksellers.ca/catalogue?bo...
choose us as your favorite bookstore and then purchases you make support us! books are DRM free epub files
www.booksellers.ca/catalogue?bo...
Reposted by Alison
I grew up in the woods. I've lived in the suburbs, small towns and big cities. I get that people that live in different types of communities want/expect different services.
But I'm getting tired of rural/suburban folks deciding how the urban core should work.
But I'm getting tired of rural/suburban folks deciding how the urban core should work.
February 10, 2026 at 4:44 PM
I grew up in the woods. I've lived in the suburbs, small towns and big cities. I get that people that live in different types of communities want/expect different services.
But I'm getting tired of rural/suburban folks deciding how the urban core should work.
But I'm getting tired of rural/suburban folks deciding how the urban core should work.
Reposted by Alison
It is once again time for my annual reminder:
HEART SHAPED PIZZA IS LESS PIZZA AND THEREFORE NOT A SYMBOL OF LOVE
HEART SHAPED PIZZA IS LESS PIZZA AND THEREFORE NOT A SYMBOL OF LOVE
February 10, 2026 at 4:42 PM
It is once again time for my annual reminder:
HEART SHAPED PIZZA IS LESS PIZZA AND THEREFORE NOT A SYMBOL OF LOVE
HEART SHAPED PIZZA IS LESS PIZZA AND THEREFORE NOT A SYMBOL OF LOVE
Reposted by Alison
BREAKING
Canadian pairs team Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps are coming to the Olympics. They leave Canada tomorrow.
Their Olympic dream was in doubt after Deanna hit her head in a training accident. But she has been medically cleared to compete at the Winter Games.
Canadian pairs team Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps are coming to the Olympics. They leave Canada tomorrow.
Their Olympic dream was in doubt after Deanna hit her head in a training accident. But she has been medically cleared to compete at the Winter Games.
February 10, 2026 at 4:44 PM
BREAKING
Canadian pairs team Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps are coming to the Olympics. They leave Canada tomorrow.
Their Olympic dream was in doubt after Deanna hit her head in a training accident. But she has been medically cleared to compete at the Winter Games.
Canadian pairs team Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps are coming to the Olympics. They leave Canada tomorrow.
Their Olympic dream was in doubt after Deanna hit her head in a training accident. But she has been medically cleared to compete at the Winter Games.