Sian Collins
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siancollins.bsky.social
Sian Collins
@siancollins.bsky.social
130 followers 140 following 55 posts
Head of Special Collections and Archives, University of Wales Trinity St David
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Reposted by Sian Collins
uwtsdlib.bsky.social
Mae ein gwirfoddolwyr yn gweithio gyda channoedd o geisiadau gan fyfyrwyr unigol o’r 1923au i’r 1960au – maent yn darganfod deunydd arbennig.

#EichArchifau #LlyfrPCYDDS
The image is square with a teal background. In the bottom left corner there is the UWTSD logo and in the right there is the UWTSD library logo. In the centre of the image is a photograph of an open folder with the paper document contents faced up. The image is square with a teal background. In the bottom left corner there is the UWTSD logo and in the right there is the UWTSD library logo. In the centre of the image there is a photograph of a shelf with rows of paper bags containing documents.
December 7, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Reposted by Sian Collins
uwtsdlib.bsky.social
Our volunteers are working with hundreds of individual student applications from the 1920s to the 1960s – they’re discovering some wonderful material.

#YourArchives #UWTSDlib
The image is square with a teal background. In the bottom left corner there is the UWTSD logo and in the right there is the UWTSD library logo. In the centre of the image is a photograph of an open folder with the paper document contents faced up. The image is square with a teal background. In the bottom left corner there is the UWTSD logo and in the right there is the UWTSD library logo. In the centre of the image there is a photograph of a shelf with rows of paper bags containing documents.
December 7, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Reposted by Sian Collins
crowdcymru.bsky.social
Cyfarchion y Nadolig rhwng dau fardd, 114 mlynedd yn ôl #AEADathliadau Daw ein casgliad diweddaraf o Gasgliadau Arbennig ac Archifau Prifysgol Caerdydd ac mae'n cynnwys llythyrau gan #EdwardThomas at ei gyd-fardd a'i ffrind, #GordonBottomley.
Llun yn dangos manylion llythyr oddi wrth Edward Thomas at Gordon Bottomley –y dyddiad ar y llythyr yw Nadolig 1911, o Wick Green. Casgliad sy’n rhan o Gasgliadau Arbennig ac Archifau Prifysgol Caerdydd.
December 6, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Reposted by Sian Collins
crowdcymru.bsky.social
Festive greetings between two poets from 114 years ago on #EYAAnniversaries. Our most recent collection comes from Cardiff University Special Collections & Archives and features letters from #EdwardThomas to fellow poet and friend, #GordonBottomley. @exploreyourarchive.bsky.social #WWI #warpoets
Image shows detail of a letter from Edward Thomas to Gordon Bottomley – the letter is dated Christmas 1911 from Wick Green. Collection held at Cardiff University Special Collections & Archives.
December 6, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Reposted by Sian Collins
camdiglib.bsky.social
If you're after a Friday read? Why not join us on a virtual adventure to explore a different way of thinking about how we interact and engage with digitised cultural heritage:
www.theheritagelab.in/digital-rasa...
Digital Rasa: Can Ancient Indian Aesthetic Theory Guide Our Engagement with Manuscripts and Photographs online?
This essay reflects on the concept of rasa (ancient Indian aesthetic theory) & rethinks our digital engagement with manuscripts & photos in collections.
www.theheritagelab.in
December 5, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Reposted by Sian Collins
librarywales.bsky.social
On the 5th of April 2023, a hundred-year-old Peace Petition signed by almost 400,000 Welsh women was returned to Wales, marking the centenary of a women-led, Welsh anti-war effort.

Learn more about digitising the petition.
www.library.wales/news/article...

#ExploreYourArchive #EYADigital
The entrance to the 'Peacemakers' exhibition
December 4, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Reposted by Sian Collins
amaliasl.bsky.social
"You find yourself in an archive. You are there because you are seeking something... You expect order, you need order. Instead, you find instability, difficulty, and danger. Your plans fall apart and time unravels. You have been lured in; it is a labyrinth."

Edmund de Waal, an Archive
December 2, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Reposted by Sian Collins
uwtsdlib.bsky.social
The stain on our 13th century Monks Blood Manuscript is most likely spilt wine rather than the blood of slaughtered monks!

#EYAMedieval #UWTSDlib
The image is square with a photograph if an old manuscript in the centre. The manuscript is a two page spread. In the bottom left corner there is the UWTSD logo and in the right corner there is the UWTSD library logo. The image is square with a photograph in the centre of an old manuscript. The photograph shows a wine stain covering the page. In the bottom left corner there is the UWTSD logo and in the right corner there is the UWTSD library logo.
December 1, 2025 at 10:00 AM
siancollins.bsky.social
The red sky this morning was an ominous warning of the amber weather alert due later today! 💨💦👀
November 30, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Reposted by Sian Collins
camdiglib.bsky.social
We've got some HUGE news! We've DOUBLED in size overnight! Not only have we added "some" more Cairo Genizah fragments, but "ALL" of them @theul.bsky.social !!!
This now brings the total number of items in Cambridge Digital Library to OVER 160,000!
cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/collections/...
November 28, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Reposted by Sian Collins
willpooley.bsky.social
What makes historic collections difficult? And how do researchers work with “difficult” collections?

New CFP from Paper Trails here:

blogs.ucl.ac.uk/special-coll...

Deadline for proposals 31/1/2026
🗃️
Call for Papers: Difficult Collections | UCL UCL Special Collections
UCL Homepage
blogs.ucl.ac.uk
November 27, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Reposted by Sian Collins
uwtsdlib.bsky.social
🎄✨Countdown to Christmas with us! From Dec 1st, unlock a new festive treasure from UWTSD’s Special Collections every day.

History, heritage & holiday cheer—what’s not to love?

📱Scan the QR posters on campus or follow the link!

tuerchen.app/iVpnFm6YLBkk...

#UWTSDAdvent @uwtsd.bsky.social
The image is a promotional graphic for an advent calendar event by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. The top section features a light blue sky with soft clouds. The middle part has a teal background containing the text promoting the advent calendar, written in both Welsh and English. Below the text, there is a winter-themed illustration depicting snow-covered ground, a wooden cabin with icicles, and clusters of white snowdrops with green leaves. On the right side, a QR code is centered within a bordered square, overlaying the illustration. The University of Wales Trinity Saint David logo is situated in the upper left corner, and a logo with a Santa hat is placed in the upper right corner. Alt-text: Promotional graphic for the UWTSD Special Collections Advent Calendar featuring snowy scenery and a QR code. Transcribed Text: Prifysgol Cymru University of Wales Trinity Saint David Calendr Adfent Casgliadau Arbennig PCYDDS UWTSD Special Collections Advent Calendar LLYFRAU ARHAGOR BOOKS & BEYOND
November 26, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Reposted by Sian Collins
uwtsdlib.bsky.social
🎄✨Cyfri’r Dyddiau Tan y Nadolig gyda ni! O 1 Rhagfyr, dewch i ddarganfod trysorNadoligaidd o Gasgliadau Arbennig PCYDDS bob dydd. Hanes, treftadaeth a hwyl yr ŵyl– mwynhewch gyda ni!

📱Sganiwch y posteri QR ar y campws a dilyn y ddolen!
tuerchen.app/iVpnFm6YLBkk...

#AdfentPCYDDS @uwtsd.bsky.social
The image is a promotional graphic for an advent calendar event by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. The top section features a light blue sky with soft clouds. The middle part has a teal background containing the text promoting the advent calendar, written in both Welsh and English. Below the text, there is a winter-themed illustration depicting snow-covered ground, a wooden cabin with icicles, and clusters of white snowdrops with green leaves. On the right side, a QR code is centered within a bordered square, overlaying the illustration. The University of Wales Trinity Saint David logo is situated in the upper left corner, and a logo with a Santa hat is placed in the upper right corner. Alt-text: Promotional graphic for the UWTSD Special Collections Advent Calendar featuring snowy scenery and a QR code. Transcribed Text: Prifysgol Cymru University of Wales Trinity Saint David Calendr Adfent Casgliadau Arbennig PCYDDS UWTSD Special Collections Advent Calendar LLYFRAU ARHAGOR BOOKS & BEYOND
November 26, 2025 at 1:54 PM
siancollins.bsky.social
Due to popular demand we've added several extra sessions on 17 and 18 December. We want as many people as possible to enjoy our celebration of Jane Austen!
uwtsdlib.bsky.social UWTSDlib @uwtsdlib.bsky.social · 15d
(1/3)

The 16th December is a very special Day for Jane Austen aficionados as it marks the beloved and iconic author's birthday.
The image shows an open book, focusing on the left-hand page. The page has a light, aged appearance, indicative of old paper. Visible at the top right are handwritten inscriptions in faded ink. The most prominent text reads "Jane Austen" followed by "1797," both written in a cursive script. The top of the page features additional numbers or letters, including "XIV" and "13," written in smaller script. The edge of the book is slightly frayed, suggesting wear over time. Part of a circular stamp or seal can be seen on the left-hand side, but it is not fully visible. The book once belonged to Jane Austen
November 25, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Reposted by Sian Collins
mrcwarwick.bsky.social
Call for papers #CFP

Blood is the Price of Coal: Coal Communities, Health and Welfare in Britain and Beyond from the 19th Century to the Present

18 June 2026: 1 day conference + NUM archive exhibition

Submit abstracts / express interest at warwick.ac.uk/services/lib...

Deadline: 25 Jan 2026
Blood is the Price of Coal: Coal Communities, Health and Welfare in Britain and Beyond from the 19th Century to the Present When and where: University of Warwick, Coventry, on Thursday 18 June 2026. Conference summary: This free one day conference aims to bring together researchers from higher education, community and campaign groups to explore the history of health and welfare in Britain’s coal mining industry. Held jointly by the University of Warwick's Centre for the History of Medicine, Science and Technology, and Modern Records Centre, the event will run alongside an exhibition which will explore some of the themes covered by the speakers through the National Union of Mineworkers' archives. We welcome contributions from new and established researchers, working inside and outside higher education. Confirmed participants include: - Jörg Arnold (University of Augsburg / Institute for Contemporary History Munich - Berlin), author of The British Miner in the Age of DeIndustrialization - Keith Gildart (University of Wolverhampton), Principal Investigator on research project On Behalf of the People: Work, Community and Class in the British Coal Industry 1947-1994 and former miner - Quentin Outram (University of Leeds), Secretary of the Society for the Study of Labour History and co-editor of Coal in Victorian Britain Conference themes: Subjects that could be addressed include but are not limited to: The human cost of coal, including: - Mining disasters, their contemporary impacts and later memorialisation. - Industrial accidents, industrial diseases and workers’ compensation. - Mine safety and the improvement of conditions. - Mining and mental health. Industrial health and welfare, including: - Pre-nationalisation provision in and beyond the colliery. - National Coal Board provision, including the NCB Medical Service, housing and the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation. - Trade union campaigns and benefit schemes. - Sport and social provision as mining welfare. Coal and community, including: - Environmental impact. - Mining families and the intergenerational effects of the mining industry. - Impacts of the industry with particular reference to gender, race and ethnicity. - Coalfield communities after coal: the effects of deindustrialisation. Submission guidelines We wish to make space for dialogue between academic and community-based researchers, and welcome involvement from mining heritage and local history groups / researchers from former coalfield communities. We welcome and encourage alternative presentational styles. Possible formats for contributions could include: - 15-20 minute papers. - 5 minute lightning papers (for example showcasing a particular object or archival source, or highlighting a particular place, event, individual or experience). - Round table discussions. - Posters or displays. Submission deadline: 25 January 2026. Limited funding for travel support will be available, with priority given to early career researchers or participants who cannot draw upon institutional funding. For additional enquiries, please contact the conference organisers at archives@warwick.ac.uk
November 20, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Reposted by Sian Collins
rcahmwales.bsky.social
🎄 Tickets for our Christmas event are going fast! 🎄 Over 100 gone since Monday afternoon. Book now to join us as we celebrate and share the amazing discoveries of 2025… including a buried Roman temple! 🏛️✨ zurl.co/DSJZz
#Discovering #Wales #CItyOfLiterature
November 12, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Reposted by Sian Collins
mattpope.bsky.social
How about "Where is our heritage demonstrably most risk from metal detecting"? It isn't lost, it's part of the archaeological record.
Cc @Tess_Machling🏺
#FindsFriday
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Where in the UK is the greatest amount of hidden treasure?
Objects uncovered have included precious Viking coins and a Roman earwax scoop
www.independent.co.uk
November 14, 2025 at 7:05 AM
Reposted by Sian Collins
jtullock.bsky.social
No no no begs every archivist. You are never going to be able to find anything. Please don’t start using emojis in file names. Who asked for this? What fresh hell is next?
Screen grab from Dropbox saying Emojis in file names are finally here!
November 12, 2025 at 10:38 AM
siancollins.bsky.social
The man on a mission to save Mauritania’s ‘city of libraries’ from encroaching desert sands

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
The man on a mission to save Mauritania’s ‘city of libraries’ from encroaching desert sands
Desert settlement of Chinguetti faces rising sands, dwindling tourism and insecurity due to conflict in neighbouring Mali
www.theguardian.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Reposted by Sian Collins
drtobydriver.bsky.social
It was a delight filming with Derek Brockway & the BBC Cymru/Wales team this summer at the #hillforts of Long Wood, Lampeter, for Children in Need

Looking forward to seeing the show broadcast next week on BBC 1 Wales on 11th Nov at 8pm

@rcahmwales.bsky.social

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
November 9, 2025 at 9:39 AM
Reposted by Sian Collins
tinykittens.bsky.social
Our findings show a rare win-win approach to humanely manage cat overpopulation AND protect wildlife - this is a game changer!

Read the full paper: bit.ly/SaveCatsAndW...

@mdpiopenaccess.bsky.social
@iso-topo.bsky.social

#TNR #cats #conservation
November 5, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Reposted by Sian Collins
becausechaucer.bsky.social
I have been confronted with an ad for Advent calendars and so it is time for the annual PSA:

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS BEGIN

ON

CHRISTMAS

THEY ARE NOT ANY OF THE DAYS LEADING UP TO CHRISTMAS

THAT IS ADVENT

WHICH BEGINS FOUR SUNDAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME
November 3, 2025 at 2:56 PM
siancollins.bsky.social
What an amazing photo!
mclees-fiona.bsky.social Fiona McLees @mclees-fiona.bsky.social · Nov 2
Pentre Ifan c.1910, with the Cardigan Library & Debating Society #StandingStoneSunday
November 2, 2025 at 5:14 PM
siancollins.bsky.social
BBC News: Aberystwyth named Unesco City of Literature
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Aberystwyth named Wales' first Unesco City of Literature
The town and Ceredigion county was chosen due to its
www.bbc.co.uk
October 31, 2025 at 5:31 PM
siancollins.bsky.social
There's an amazing sky near Kidwelly this morning with just a hint of a rainbow 😍
Could be a sign of the stormy weather to come...🌧️💨🌊

Apologies for the blurry image - taken from a moving train!
October 23, 2025 at 7:19 AM