‘Notes from Libya’ is a new regular feature of Libyan Studies, and follows the reports of the Society's Head of Mission. These reports were previously concerned with the organisation of fieldwork and administrative matters connected to obtaining permissions, visas and so on, and were recorded in the minutes of the Council meetings. However, they have recently taken on a new form, outlining the alarming developments in Libya, largely focussing on its heritage but also on the political and economic situation, which impacts on the management of Libya's ancient monuments and artefacts. The importance and historical interest of these reports now, however, merits a wider audience and a more formal record, so these accounts are now published in Libyan Studies.

This third Chair's note on the society's activities outlines the wider context of The Society for Libyan Studies within the British Academy's British International Research Institutes (BIRI), and recent developments within this collaboration. The BIRI comprises seven units that are part-funded by the British Academy and that are spread across Southern Europe, Africa and the Middle East. This note outlines the BIRI briefly, and also describes the recent developments that have seen the BIRI begin to explore how they might coordinate their work and their futures more coherently. The BIRI context is key to SLS's future and this note therefore outlines these recent developments.