Author: Tom Briggs
The Mathematicians’ Library shortlisted for Book of the Year
“… if you get the chance to flick through a copy in a library or bookshop you will find your attention constantly being captured by a piece of mathematical history or a page from a book that you have heard of but never seen before”
– Chalkdust Editors
Tags: book, history, mathematics, MathsComm, writing
5 things museums, galleries and libraries don’t tell you about maths (but probably should)
5 things museums, galleries and libraries don’t tell you about maths (but probably should)
Next time you’re in a museum, gallery, library, or archive, keep an eye open for these mathematical themes!
Tags: blogpost, galleries, libraries, mathematics, MathsComm, museums, National Numeracy, online, writing
How to Start Exploring Maths in your Gallery, Library, Archive or Museum – a Resource for Maths Week England
“The resource uses a story-first approach to promote richer experiences and telltale signs that maths is nearby, and highlights things that have been found to be necessary prerequisites for creating any type of maths-focused resource.”
Tags: archives, education, galleries, libraries, mathematics, MathsInMuseums, museums, online, ResourceDevelopment, resources
Me & The Mathematicians’ Library – Talk for CILIP Unconference 2025
I presented my book, The Mathematicians’ Library, at the CILIP Unconference on October 3, 2025, to a receptive audience of library professionals. I shared my writing motivations and favorite stories, leading to about half the attendees purchasing a copy. The event had a packed schedule of engaging activities.
Tags: libraries, mathematics, MathsComm, talk
The Mathematicians’ Library: The Books That Unlocked the Power of Numbers
The Mathematicians’ Library: The Books That Unlocked the Power of Numbers
Far from an academic “maths book”, it is a book about maths; about the role that this most ancient of human endeavours has played in the development of humanity, and where its achievements have prompted – and been prompted by – growth in disciplines that many people in the modern world see as entirely separate.
Tags: books, history, mathematics, MathsComm, publications, research, writing
Article: How Can We Learn Maths in Museums? for Art Quarterly
I was briefed to write a page on the subject of maths in museums, and how the objects and artworks they hold relate to our understanding of maths. That’s right up my street!
Tags: Art Quarterly, MathsComm, MathsInMuseums, museums, writing
Talking Maths-in-Museums in Public (in Coventry)
A couple of weeks before the conference, I was contacted by the organising committee to see if I’d be up for running a Maths in Museums activity as one option amongst a handful, all aiming at facilitating networking between maths communicators who were winding down and gearing up for their journeys home.
Tags: Coventry, mathematics, MathsComm, MathsInMuseums, museums
Finn Finity Meets… (for Maths Week Scotland)
Maths Week Scotland comissioned me to write some learning resources. The original brief was very open: they wanted five maths-themed activities, related to the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence, to be offered to teachers (and anyone else looking to explore mathematical themes) for free on their website.
Tags: D'Arcy Wentworth Thomspon, Eleanor Pairman, John Napier, Mary Somerville, mathematics, Maths Week Scotland, online, resource creation, ResourceDevelopment, Scotland, Sheila Scott Macintyre
