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Ken Hernden

@kenhernden.bsky.social
61 followers 120 following 70 posts

University Archivist and an Associate University Librarian at Queen’s University Library - archives.queensu.ca. Chair of the CRKN Preservation and Access Committee responsible for www.canadiana.ca

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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 12h
Gandalf did not move. And in that very moment, away behind in some courtyard of the City, a cock crowed. Shrill and clear he crowed, recking nothing of wizardry or war, welcoming only the morning that in the sky far above the shadows of death was coming with the dawn.
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Doc Pinko @docpinko.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
3 academics (me, @dbrodbeck.bsky.social and @kenhernden.bsky.social) talk about the intersection of history and fiction. Dubya Dubya 2. @msvuenglish.bsky.social
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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
"Your headquarters is the servant of the fighting troops." Field Marshal Viscount William Slim. Good advice to all administrators.
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Digital Tolkien Project @digitaltolkien.com · 22/09/2026
On this Hobbit Day, enjoy the over 100 covers that have been used on the UK editions alone. Which is your favourite? books.digitaltolkien.com/work/hobbit/...
books.digitaltolkien.com
The Hobbit
Bibliographic data for The Hobbit.
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James K. Tauber @jtauber.com · 22/09/2026
I was proud of this old video, not just because of its analysis of The Hobbit but because of its coverage of narratological concepts like focalization. Of course, now this is relevant to my PhD :-)
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Digital Tolkien Project @digitaltolkien.com · 17/09/2026
This is such a good example of one of the main things we're trying to do at the Digital Tolkien Project: textual scholarship --> data --> visualization @kenhernden.bsky.social annotations.digitaltolkien.com/viewers/nazg...
annotations.digitaltolkien.com
The Nazgûl, together and apart
Explore the nine riders’ paths in an interactive tube map based on Ken Hernden’s chronology. 22 September–20 October 3018.
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Digital Tolkien Project @digitaltolkien.com · 02/09/2026
A thread about our various public sites...
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Digital Tolkien Project @digitaltolkien.com · 17/09/2026
I have a more compact, graphical visualization coming soon!
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Digital Tolkien Project @digitaltolkien.com · 16/09/2026
And his data in interactive, tabular form: annotations.digitaltolkien.com/viewers/nazg...
annotations.digitaltolkien.com
Movements of the Nazgûl: 22 September–20 October 3018 | Tolkien Annotations
Movements of the nine Nazgûl, 22 September–20 October 3018, with quotations and source notes.
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Digital Tolkien Project @digitaltolkien.com · 16/09/2026
An article by @kenhernden.bsky.social on his work tracking down the locations of the Nazgûl from September 22 to October 20, 3018 as part of our annotation efforts. annotations.digitaltolkien.com/articles/ret...
annotations.digitaltolkien.com
Text, meta-text, and ‘canon’: (Re)tracing the Nazgûl (and their horses) from September 22 to October 20, 3018 | Tolkien Annotations
Annotation datasets, articles, and interactive viewers from the Digital Tolkien Project.
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Bodleian Libraries @bodleian.ox.ac.uk · 09/09/2026
From 11-13 September, the Bodleian will open up spaces and show off collections not usually accessible to the public, for #OxfordOpenDoors 2026! Enjoy tours, storytelling, a Victorian printing press, and MUCH more. visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/event/oxfor… We can't wait to see you!
An open gateway at the Bodleian Library with a silhouette walking through it
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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
"Well, I'm back.”
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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Constantly amazed by some citizens of the sovereign nation of Canada taking the side of a leader from another country trying to tear us down. If some attempts to bully someone, it’s the bully that is at fault.
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Jim Clifford @jimclifford.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
I know this is BlueSky and raising confident concerns about LLMs based on how they failed in 2024 is standard, but I genuinely wonder how we’re going to talk about this technology in 2027. I thought the Hugging Face attack would have changed the discourse and let us focus on the real threat.
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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Off to the @bodleian.ox.ac.uk for my first ever research visit, a bucket list moment!
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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Enyalië @ #Oxonmoot 2026.
Grave of J. R. R. and Edith TolkienGrave of John Francis Reuel Tolkien and Priscilla Tolkien Grave of Humphrey Carpenter Ken, Brian, Andy, and Angie
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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Dr. Michael Drout gives a keynote lecture on “Nine-fingered Sauron and the Ring of Doom: The Evil of Power in J.R.R. Tolkien's Works.”
Dr. Michael Drout gives a keynote lecture on “Nine-fingered Sauron and the Ring of Doom: The Evil of Power in J.R.R. Tolkien's Works.”
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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Debate: This house believes that Fëanor was wrong. #Oxonmoot 2026.
Debate: This house believes that
Fëanor was wrong at Oxonmoot 2026.
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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Very grateful to have been able to attend table talks with Dr. Michael Drout and Dr. Dimitra Fimi today at #Oxonmoot 2026. Amazing to meet such incredible scholars.
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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
The adventure begins at #Oxonmoot 2026!
Ken Hernden Oxonmoot badge
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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Happy to chat about @digitaltolkien.com at Oxonmoot in person. Please come find me!
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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
All checked in for #Oxonmoot at St. Anne’s College, Oxford! Really looking forward to the line up of talks and other activities planned this year. Also, I get to remember what living like a first-year student was like. 😂
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Doc Pinko @docpinko.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
New podcast alert! Nre podcast alert! With me, @dbrodbeck.bsky.social and @kenhernden.bsky.social talking about The Winds of War! @msvuenglish.bsky.social
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Dave Brodbeck🇨🇦🇺🇦 @dbrodbeck.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Today @kenhernden.bsky.social and I just talked about Sharpe's Company, and recorded it www.tangentialconvergence.com/2026/08/rifl...
tangentialconvergence.com
Rifles Make Ready - Episode 3 - Sharpe's Company
You might have noticed that as these episodes progress the thing that Sharpe gets is bigger and bigger... (Now a company, soon a regiment, w...
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Jim Clifford @jimclifford.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
It took me months to figure out how to extract 30,000 careers from the Colonial Office List; it took a little over a day to repeat the full process for the Indian Office List. The visualization now shows the very different global geography of these two bureaucracies in the British Empire.
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Queen's University Archives @quarchives.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Resisting Erasure Recently, students in a new Department of History course "LGBTQ Lives and Archives" worked with the Kingston LGBTQ2S+ Collection at Queen's University Archives. Their efforts were highlighted in an article in the Queen's Journal. The students have each taken on a mini-history…
queensarchives.wordpress.com
Resisting Erasure
Recently, students in a new Department of History course "LGBTQ Lives and Archives" worked with the Kingston LGBTQ2S+ Collection at Queen's University Archives. Their efforts were highlighted in an article in the Queen's Journal. The students have each taken on a mini-history project to explore, and summaries of their findings have been posted on our Instagram page.
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Swen Steinberg @swensteinberg.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
Nice prep at Queen's Archives today, Heather Home @quarchives.bsky.social and I @queenshistory.bsky.social picked objects for a exhibition about refugee-chemist Alfred Bader for the International Historic Chemical Landmark Ceremony at Queen’s on May 8 qacsstudentchapter.wixsite.com/q-acs/bader-...
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Swen Steinberg @swensteinberg.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Congrats to Queen's @acs.org Student Chapter for organizing the Historic Chemical Landmark honoring refugee chemist Alfred Bader. Glad to contribute research insights, speak at the ceremony, and presenting “A Journey in 15 Objects” with Heather Home @quarchives.bsky.social tinyurl.com/mrzubfbr
thewhig.com
From refugee to innovator: Queen’s alumnus Alfred Bader honoured with rare landmark designation
More than eight decades after arriving at Queen’s University, Alfred Bader returned in spirit Friday as the institution unveiled a rare international scientific honour recognizing a life that reshaped...
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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Day 1 #DHSI2026!
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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
Off to my first Digital Humanities Summer Institute in Montréal. Looking forward to learning something for a week instead of doing administrivia! 😂 #tei #text-encoding
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Jim Clifford @jimclifford.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
ESRI killed their original StoryMap platform and one of my earliest digital history interactive maps in the process. I managed to rebuilt it with some help from Claude Code. jimclifford.ca/london_indus...
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Tolkien Society @tolkiensociety.org · 25/03/2026
On 25 March in Middle-earth: in the year T.A. 3019, Frodo and Gollum reach the Cracks of Doom. Gollum steals the Ring and falls. Sauron is defeated! Cuio i Pheriain anann! Aglar'ni Pheriannath! Eglerio! Image: "At the Cracks of Doom" by Ted Nasmith #LOTR #TolkienReadingDay #BookSky
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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
Accurate.
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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Current status: reading Tolkien on the beach. Perfection.
Image of a beach at TRS Yucatan Hotel, Mexico.
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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
In the spirit of Gresham's Law, I would like to propose Hernden's Law of University Leadership whereby bad leaders are attracted to leadership and then drive out or convince potentially good leaders not to seek out leadership opportunities.
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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
Time for an adventure!
Fellowship of the Ring in concert in Toronto.Fellowship of the Ring in concert in Toronto.
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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
Le blep.
Basil the cat sticking his tongue out.
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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 18/01/2026
Sir Basil. A triptych.
Sir Basil.  A cat.Sir Basil.  A cat.Sir Basil.  A cat.
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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 28/12/2025
Current mood.
Loki, a black cat.
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Digital Tolkien Project @digitaltolkien.com · 15/12/2025
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEki...
youtube.com
Digital Tolkien Project 2025 Year in Review
YouTube video by Digital Tolkien Project
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Digital Tolkien Project @digitaltolkien.com · 15/12/2025
new video dropping later today
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Dan Sinykin @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
A hard problem with literary data is navigating btwn editions of books and what the "work," or the theoretical text that unites all editions. I've been lucky to work with @thisismattmiller.com and @mellymeldubs.bsky.social, who built a tool to address this + do much more arxiv.org/abs/2512.10165
arxiv.org
BookReconciler: An Open-Source Tool for Metadata Enrichment and Work-Level Clustering
We present BookReconciler, an open-source tool for enhancing and clustering book data. BookReconciler allows users to take spreadsheets with minimal metadata, such as book title and author, and automa...
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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
I'm fairly certain that 50% of work emails appear in my inbox between 5:00 and 6:00 in the evening.
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Dave Brodbeck🇨🇦🇺🇦 @dbrodbeck.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
In this #CNDOP extravaganza, @kenhernden.bsky.social and I discuss Sharpe's Eagle www.tangentialconvergence.com/2025/11/rifl...
tangentialconvergence.com
Rifles Make Ready Episode 2 - Sharpe's Eagle
Now that we've established who Sharpe is we can get him into all kinds of fun. Fun like dealing with Sir Henry Simmerson. Simmerson is playe...
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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
Queen's Remembers queensarchives.wordpress.com/2025/11/11/q...
queensarchives.wordpress.com
Queen’s Remembers
Every year on November 11, Canadians pause in a silent moment of remembrance for the men and women who have served and continue to serve our country during times of war, conflict and peace. Remembr…
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Queen's University Archives @quarchives.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
In 2016, Ontario passed legislation for the first week of November to be known as Treaties Recognition Week. In partnership with the Archives of Ontario, the Daniel George MacMartin Diary was on display for dignitaries and visitors alongside the original Treaty 9 document.
queensarchives.wordpress.com
George MacMartin’s Diary and Treaties Week 2025
In 2016, Ontario passed legislation for the first week of November to be known as Treaties Recognition Week. This week was developed to highlight the importance of treaties and provide further education on treaty rights and relationships. This year, Queen’s University Archives was invited to participate in Treaties week events at Queen’s Park in the Lieutenant-Governor’s suite. In partnership with the Archives of Ontario, the Daniel George MacMartin Diary was on display for dignitaries and visitors alongside the original Treaty 9 document.
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Tolkien Society @tolkiensociety.org · 26/10/2025
Join the Tolkien Society at www.tolkiensociety.org The Society is a worldwide community where you can meet others, share your love of #Tolkien and learn more about the Professor. And you get 6 copies of our magazine Amon Hen a year! We have postal and digital memberships, and we ship worldwide.
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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 27/10/2025
The comfiest cat in all of Canada.
Basil the cat nestled in fleece blankets.
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Ken Hernden @kenhernden.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
On the 10 hour drive from Sault Ste. Marie to Kingston, Ontario, I would say that High Falls Road is the most Tolkienesque sounding of the various highways and roads travelled. If only it were “High Falls Pass.”
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Clare Moore @clarelmoore.bsky.social · 12/10/2025
If you’re not signed up yet, don’t forget to register for the @tolkiensociety.org seminar on October 18! It’s free and online! www.tolkiensociety.org/events/semin...
tolkiensociety.org
Tolkien Society Seminar 2025 – Arda’s Entangled Bodies and Environments
The Tolkien Society Seminar is a short conference of both researcher-led and non-academic presentations on a specific theme pertaining to Tolkien scholarship. After the seminar, all paper recordings f...
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