INSIGHT ‘‘ RPG Thomas Briggs: CILIP RPG Mathematician in residence
The focus of CILIP Unconference 2025 was “Connecting, Influencing and Inspiring” but other themes such as mathematics as a creative subject unexpectedly surfaced.
T
HOMAS Briggs joined us to discuss his new book, The Mathematicians’ Library, and his work as a museum educator and maths fan. Thomas shared some background on his interest in maths as a creative discipline.
“In 1545 Gerolamo Cardano published Ars Magna, Latin for ‘The Great Art’. But to which artform did his title refer? The book’s final sign-off, ‘written in five years, may it last thousands more,’ lacks humility, but its bindings contain a creative endeavour that arguably advanced its field further than any other for some time. Cardano’s Great Art was… algebra. “As a maths communicator in the cultural sector, I’ve learnt to brace myself following any revelation that I encourage and empower museums, galleries, libraries and archives to recognise and explore the mathematical stories that run through all of them.
“A response that, though fairly common, still surprises me each time is ‘I’m not mathsy because I’m creative’. Digging deeper, I’ve been told that some see maths as non-creative because, for example, the square on the hypotenuse is always the sum of the squares on the other two sides. That’s fine, as long as we can also agree that art isn’t creative because blue paint added to red paint always makes purple paint; that literature isn’t creative because each time I’ve read 1984 the words have been in the same order; and that music isn’t creative because there are a finite number of ways I can arrange my fingers
Winter 2025 Thomas Briggs. Helen Ainsworth.
on my guitar’s fretboard to make an A-minor chord. “Creativity is not free play in a world with no restrictions: Creativity is seeing what can be achieved even though restrictions exist. These may be imposed externally, but are often set deliberately by creative practitioners. Creativity is, to a large extent, in what we bring to something, rather than embedded in the thing itself. “Fans of mathematics often talk of beauty and elegance, and this is no euphemism; it is a genuine aesthetic appreciation of some mathematical object, argument, or result that inspires feelings similar to those which may be evoked by an inventive blending of colours, a finely crafted sentence, or a well- placed chord sequence.
“Mathematics is one of the oldest arts: The earliest discovered physical evidence of human mathematical activity is a deliberately-notched animal bone dated to around 40,000 BCE, making it some eight times older than the earliest evidence of human writing.
“Mathematics is a creative discipline, deserving of opportunities to be explored
alongside other human endeavours commonly found in cultural organisations such as museums, galleries and libraries, rather than being hidden away, only to be encountered in classrooms dedicated to its formal tuition: Imagine what would happen to art, literature, and music if we hid them in a box too?”
Thomas has been appointed CILIP RPG Mathematician in residence. He can be contacted via
tkbriggs.co.uk and his book, The Mathematicians’ Library, is available in all good bookshops (and libraries) now.
Storytelling with objects Helen Ainsworth explored the art of storytelling with objects at Milton Keynes Central library during CILIP Unconference. This performative technique animates the ordinary things around us. By letting objects retell stories that we know well, participants uncovered fresh ways to connect with readers, inspire programs, and spark deeper engagement with collections. We discovered how everyday objects can serve as unexpected protagonists and practice shaping narratives from the everyday objects around us, revealing new perspectives. Helen Ainsworth has produced a puppet show which she is touring for libraries. The show is called The Librarian and has toured to Newham, Lambeth and Southwark in 2024. It has recently received funding from the Arts Council to be developed into a bilingual show in BSL (British Sign Language) and spoken English. Find out more about Helen Ainsworth at:
www.helenandjohn.co.uk IP
INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 59
Mathematics is a creative discipline, deserving of opportunities to be explored alongside other human endeavours commonly found in cultural organisations such as museums, galleries and libraries. – Thomas Briggs
Ian Orton (
ianorton5@gmail.com) Chair of CILIP RPG (for those outside full time work) and former Senior Public Librarian.
http://tinyurl.com/CILIPRPG
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