Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Dr Cath Feely

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 4h

'The British Library...has taken years to recover from a major cyberattack that disrupted its services and restricted access to its collections. The walkout is set to take from 27 October to 9 November, coinciding with the two-year anniversary of the cyberattack.'

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 18h

‘Livid’ British Library staff vote to strike over pay.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...

‘Livid’ British Library staff vote to strike over pay - Research Professional News

Two-week walkout planned on second anniversary of major cyberattack

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

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Dr Cath Feely @cathfeely.bsky.social · 14h

So tired, Jo.

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Dr Cath Feely @cathfeely.bsky.social · 14h

For reasons, I have taught Malthus twice in the last week or two. In both rooms, I have forgotten to wipe the whiteboard clean, so I like to think that it looks like someone is going around writing FAMINE DISEASE WAR just to freak people out.

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Dr Cath Feely @cathfeely.bsky.social · 15h

God, isn't it all just really tiring?

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Royal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · 1d

Now open: call for the Royal Historical Society's First Book and Early Career Article Prizes, 2026.

Eligible titles, published in 2025, may be submitted by the author before the closing date of 15 December. Further details and how to apply: bit.ly/3KnR47v

#Skystorians

Royal Historical Society Book and Article Prizes, 2026: submissions now invited - RHS

The Royal Historical Society invites applications for its First Book Prize, 2026 and Early Career Article Prize, 2026. The call for submissions opens on Monday 29 September 2025 and runs to Monday 15 ...

bit.ly

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Reposted by Dr Cath Feely

Will Wiles @willwiles.bsky.social · 23h

Performatively reading in the cafe, but wearing white gloves so I'm still venerating the Book As Object, with a t-shirt saying "I know archivists don't wear gloves" so people know the gloves are performative.

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Dr Cath Feely @cathfeely.bsky.social · 1d

A Foundation student wrote in her weekly blog that she wasn't expecting to enjoy History but she had written a line from a speech from Sojourner Truth on a post note and put it on her wall as a personal reminder to herself of what is important. It sounds twee. It's keeping me going.

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will o’the wisp pooley @willpooley.bsky.social · 1d

one of the astonishing things about working in a UK uni in the last decade is complete DISCONNECT between (on one hand) hostile media stories, ill informed govt policy, end of unis as we know them

and (on the other) the joyful work of actually talking w/students and discovering new things together

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Dr Cath Feely @cathfeely.bsky.social · 1d

Absolute banger.

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Dr Cath Feely @cathfeely.bsky.social · 1d

Take care. xx

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William Carruthers @williamcarruthers.bsky.social · 1d

And, fwiw, how is the labour market universities’ fault? It isn’t, and it would be very useful if people understood this.

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 1d

'A “challenging” graduate labour market in the UK could further erode trust in the higher education sector, with the “bad times” showing little sign of ending.'

All the more reason to have a serious, nationwide discussion of what universities do and what they are for.

Faith in universities ‘at new low’ as graduate jobs dry up

Challenging economic conditions may have led to bump in student recruitment numbers this year but experts fear long-term damage after institutions pegged futures to employability agenda

www.timeshighereducation.com

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Charlotte Lydia Riley @lottelydia.bsky.social · 1d

Also isn’t wading through papers sort of the point when you are doing a systemic review

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bleary @bleary.off-the-records.com · 1d

If anyone needs me I will be in the museum, lying down next to the bog bodies.

Did people really memorize phone numbers before cell phones, or is that just a movie thing?
2? Questions
I was watching some old shows from the 90s and noticed people would just dial numbers from memory - like they'd call their friends or family without looking anything up.
Made me wonder if that was actually normal back then? Did people genuinely have all their important numbers memorized, or did most folks keep a little address book or written list nearby?

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Dr Cath Feely @cathfeely.bsky.social · 1d

My Nana's was 224 6662. She died in 1999. Weird how ingrained it is.

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Erin Kissane @kissane.myatproto.social · 2d

I counted up the number of ways (platforms, accounts, apps) that people in my professional and personal lives plus healthcare systems and kid’s school are contacting me and uhh. This is objectively impossible.

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Melinda Haunton @melindahaunton.bsky.social · 2d

Something that's so hard with reading history second-hand is to remember that no one knew what was going to come next. Which is archives magic.

Nobody at *this exact moment* knows that Nurse Cavell will become a tragedy and a cause celebre. They just know what she has done, and her family.

Norfolk Record Office @norfolkro.bsky.social · 2d

On this day nurse #EdithCavell and #PhilipeBaucq were shot at dawn for helping allied soldiers to escape Belgium during the First World War. This is a letter from one of those soldiers.

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Dr Cath Feely @cathfeely.bsky.social · 2d

"What the fuck is this?
Listen, you weren't here for the Minecraft group dance." #Strictly

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Dr Cath Feely @cathfeely.bsky.social · 2d

I've been stripping paint today, the fumes must have got to me. #Strictly

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Dr Cath Feely @cathfeely.bsky.social · 2d

Is this a fever dream?! #Strictly

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Corinne Fowler @corinnefowler.bsky.social · 7d

1. On political gaslighting. Yesterday Jenrick defended his comments on Handsworth by lashing out at 2 pieces of work I was centrally involved with to imply it's people like me who are divisive, not him...

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James Elder @jameselder.bsky.social · 4d

Thoroughly enjoyed my week at @gladlib.bsky.social.

Strongly recommend to anyone wanting to do some reading, writing or just pondering, in the stillness and companionable quiet of a Grade 1 listed reading room, surrounded by Gladstone’s own books.

Great food too.

An Edwardian library reading room, with shelving, wooden desks, armchairs and a wooden gallery above.

An Edwardian building of red stone with a central section and two wings on the left and right.

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 4d

'It is no secret that student attendance has plummeted in recent years, with near-empty lecture halls a staple of the post-pandemic world.'

Really? I lecture to all our 1st years. Lecture hall is full, not near-empty. Student engagement picked up last year and (early days) seems stronger again. 1/2

Fiction ‘brings lectures to life’ as academics face empty classes

University ‘whodunnit’ inspired by attempts to tackle poor attendance as scholars look for novel ways to engage mainstream audiences

www.timeshighereducation.com

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Dr Cath Feely @cathfeely.bsky.social · 4d

Honestly our first year and foundation year are an absolute balm for the soul. All years really. But they are particularly thoughtful in what they want to get out of their studies this year.

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Martin D.B. Brown @martindbbrown.bsky.social · 4d

There's also a deeper problem here of 'history' as some repository of 'lessons' for current policy makers. Doesn't work like that for a whole range of reasons, many of which were clearly laid out by the late Ernest R. May.
And no, history doesn't 'rhyme either'

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Dr Cath Feely @cathfeely.bsky.social · 4d

I'm all for awareness weeks but this week is the awareness week for three things that have, separately and combined, completely shaped my life and all I can say is I'm very, very aware of them all. Solidarity to all for whom awareness days/weeks/months can bring up some hard stuff.

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