ÜBER DIESE EPISODE
“The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month.”
– Henry van Dyke (1852-1933)
We are planning changes to how we host our audio versions – for now, if you wish to, you can subscribe, and listen, to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Search for ‘Illingworth Library Podcast’ to find it. We’ll let you know here if we do make changes to this – if this happens and you have subscribed to the podcast on a podcast platform, you may need to resubscribe to the new feed.
Things in the library Library works updateFollowing last month’s notification of library works, you may have noticed that this did not go ahead – there have been some delays to the planned work, but it is now scheduled to go ahead during nights in the week beginning 17 March. This should mean minimal disruptions to library users. We recommend that Sheffield Children’s staff keep an eye on the library bulletin, sent on Monday mornings, for any further updates.
Library services bookletWe have created a new library services booklet, containing information on all the services that we offer to support our library users. It features handy QR codes linking to various resources; you can use it as a PDF resource, or print it off to have to hand if you or a colleague need support finding information. Click on the link below to download the PDF.
The book to be discussed during March’s reading group is Out of Love by Hazel Hayes. The story is about a relationship, but in reverse; it begins with a break-up and goes backwards, through key moments in the relationship, to the first meeting. The reading group meeting will be held in the library and on Teams on Wednesday 26 March at 5:30pm; contact the library if you would like to join in.
This month’s reading for pleasure highlight is Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. When Mia Warren and her daughter Pearl move to Shaker Heights in suburban Ohio, they rent a house from the Richardson family, with whom they become entangled. Set in the author’s hometown in the 1990s, the novel incorporates themes including race, adoption, motherhood, and class. I also recommend Ng’s first novel, Everything I Never Told You.
Below are a selection of this month’s awareness events; see more here.
- Brain Tumour Awareness Month – Launched in 2004, this is organised by Brain Tumour Research. Their website includes details of a programme of activities running across the month to raise awareness of research into brain tumours and the experiences of those living with them.
- International Women’s Day – Happening on 8 March, this is a global day celebrating the achievements of women worldwide and highlighting the need for women’s equality.
- Healthcare Science Week – Taking place 10-16 March, this week aims to celebrate and raise awareness of different roles in healthcare science, and inspire people to consider a role in this area.
- World Sleep Day – Happening on 14 March, this year’s theme is ‘Make Sleep Health a Priority’. You can access resources and sign up for updates through the linked pages.
- Young Carers Action Day – Falling on 12 March this year, the theme of the day is ‘Give Me a Break’. The aim is to highlight the need for young carers to have opportunities to rest and recharge.
- World Down Syndrome Day – Taking place on 21 March, the theme this year aims to raise awareness and highlight the need for governments worldwide to ‘Improve Our Support Systems’.
- International Transgender Day of Visibility – At the very end of the month, on 31 March, this is a day to celebrate trans and non-binary people and raise awareness of the discrimination they face.
And Ramadan Mubarak to all those observing this month!
Reports: Child poverty in the UKThis report from the Resolution Foundation, titled ‘Turning the tide’, examines the government’s metric of relative child poverty, ahead of plans to publish a Child Poverty Strategy later this year. Key findings include that 3 in 10 children in the UK were living in relative poverty in 2022-23, and the estimation that child poverty will rise to 33% by 2029-30.
This report by IPPR examines how housing policies should support families, stressing the importance of a dependable home for children to build their lives. Recommendations include the removal of the household benefit cap and further efforts from the government to address insecurity in the private rented sector.
This report from the Child Poverty Action Group, titled ‘Building blocks’, includes interviews with 40 practitioners with experience of delivering a national child poverty strategy, with a view to informing the government’s work as they develop their own strategy.
How can AI be used responsibly in healthcare?This lecture from the Health Foundation, delivered by Chief Executive of the British Academy Hetan Shah, explores how AI could be incorporated into healthcare in the UK. Shah encourages a cautious approach, warning of the pitfalls of rushing in to this new technology without considering the risks.
In an associated blog post, Shah writes about the measures that should be taken when introducing AI in healthcare, and how it may be used as a cost-effective intervention for digital transformation in UK healthcare.
The importance of supporting community health staff wellbeingThis blog post from The King’s Fund looks at the findings of recent research into the health and wellbeing of NHS staff, with the increased pressure on community providers during and after the pandemic. Using wellbeing data from the NHS staff survey, results indicate a reduction in levels of compassion satisfaction, which is a key component in mitigating stress and burnout.
Research into youth vaping to take placeUK Research and Innovation have funded a £62 million research project looking into the long-term effects of vaping on children. Tracking 100,000 young people aged 8 to 18 over a decade, data on behaviour, biology and health records will be collected to understand how different factors, including vaping, have an impact on young people’s health and wellbeing.
Policy paper: digital inclusion action planThis policy paper, presented by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, sets out action points for the government to reduce levels of digital exclusion. It includes five actions for the next year, which aim to kickstart the project. This includes the launch of a Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund in spring, which will be delivered in partnership with local leaders.
Launch of pilot scheme distributing childhood cancer medicinesWHO and St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the US have launched a pilot scheme distributing childhood cancer medicines, through the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines programme. Delivery to hospitals in Mongolia and Uzbekistan has begun, with shipments planned for Ecuador, Jordan, Nepal, and Zambia. The scheme aims to tackle high mortality rates in low- and middle-income countries.
Things around Sheffield Sheffield is a ‘Tree City of the World’Sheffield has been given ‘Tree Cities of the World’ status, joining 27 other cities around the UK. To be given this status, cities must meet five standards, including having official tree management rules and holding an annual tree celebration event. Having this status means a city is dedicated to protecting its urban tree canopy; other tree cities include Valencia, Canberra, and New York.
John Hoyland’s contemporary sculptures exhibitionA new exhibition showcasing the sculptures of Sheffield-born John Hoyland has opened at the Millenium Gallery. The works shown include a selection of ceramic sculptures; Hoyland affectionately referred to his sculptures shown as his “mad little hybrids”. Millenium Gallery is also showing an exhibition of Hoyland’s abstract paintings.
New indoor market and community space set for city centreArundel Emporium, a new independent market and community space, is due to open this April on Matilda Street. The venue is currently taking applications from independent vendors and retailers, as well as volunteer muralists and artists to help decorate the space.
Anatomy at Sheffield exhibitionA new exhibition, showcasing the evolution of anatomy teaching, has opened at Western Bank Library at the University of Sheffield. It features new technologies currently being used in teaching at the university, alongside a retrospective look at the beginnings of anatomy teaching at the university back in 1904. Visitors also have the opportunity to view centuries-old anatomy textbooks from the Rare Books Collection.
Recipe of the monthThis recipe for marry me chicken is a weekly staple in my home. I’ve taken to making it with low-fat crème fraîche rather than double cream, and it tastes just as good. I’m not a huge fan of cooked tomato skins, so I use copious amounts of sundried tomato paste instead. You can serve it as suggested, with potatoes and veg on the side; we’ve been eating it recently as a pasta dish, with the chicken chopped up and a couple of handfuls of wholewheat pasta thrown in. If you have leftovers (rarely the case for us!) it also makes a great packed lunch the next day.
Next monthApril’s post will be published on Friday 28th March 2025 – look out for it then!
