Katie Swayze
@katiesmash.bsky.social
Basically a 21st century Miss Rumphius: library assistant, gardener, love of travel. Working toward a more beautiful world through the intersection of design, nonprofits, and community. 🦞 Maine.
Personal account // Views expressed are my own.
Personal account // Views expressed are my own.
Pinned
Katie Swayze
@katiesmash.bsky.social
· Jan 4
"You get to work in a LIBRARY?!?" — my 9yo, when told about my new job.
Going to remember these words every time I walk into work! 📚
Going to remember these words every time I walk into work! 📚
Reposted by Katie Swayze
For @msnownews.bsky.social, I wrote an article about how ICE Watch is grounded in sociological theories of violence prevention.
The reality is that most men will only commit public violence in extremely specific scenarios and ICE Watch disrupts the conditions necessary for escalation.
The reality is that most men will only commit public violence in extremely specific scenarios and ICE Watch disrupts the conditions necessary for escalation.
Opinion | I'm a Minneapolis sociologist who studies violence. Here's how ICE observers are helping.
Research into how violence occurs shows that disapproval from the people around you can help reduce it.
www.ms.now
January 16, 2026 at 6:55 PM
For @msnownews.bsky.social, I wrote an article about how ICE Watch is grounded in sociological theories of violence prevention.
The reality is that most men will only commit public violence in extremely specific scenarios and ICE Watch disrupts the conditions necessary for escalation.
The reality is that most men will only commit public violence in extremely specific scenarios and ICE Watch disrupts the conditions necessary for escalation.
Reposted by Katie Swayze
US history is generally taught as Plymouth Rock, blank space, War of Independence, blank space, Civil War, blank space, World War II, blank space, 9/11, so this checks out
There are lots of reasons to compare what is happening now to Nazi Germany and there are also lots of reasons to compare what is happening now to the post-1850 Fugitive Slave Act U.S. and it's *weird* how people respond with interest to the former but total confusion to the latter
January 13, 2026 at 7:10 PM
US history is generally taught as Plymouth Rock, blank space, War of Independence, blank space, Civil War, blank space, World War II, blank space, 9/11, so this checks out
Reposted by Katie Swayze
Ummm, were you all aware of this bullshit???
The Department of Education has excluded nursing as a "professional degree" program as it sets about implementing various measures regarding student loans laid out in President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill."
www.newsweek.com/nursing-not-...
The Department of Education has excluded nursing as a "professional degree" program as it sets about implementing various measures regarding student loans laid out in President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill."
www.newsweek.com/nursing-not-...
Nursing is no longer counted as a 'professional degree' by Trump admin
The Department of Education has excluded nursing as a "professional degree" program as it implements various changes to student loans.
www.newsweek.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Ummm, were you all aware of this bullshit???
The Department of Education has excluded nursing as a "professional degree" program as it sets about implementing various measures regarding student loans laid out in President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill."
www.newsweek.com/nursing-not-...
The Department of Education has excluded nursing as a "professional degree" program as it sets about implementing various measures regarding student loans laid out in President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill."
www.newsweek.com/nursing-not-...
+1 loved this one
Hmmmm, this had some buzz so hit us up if you've already read it, but we'd recommend How Far the Light Reaches portersquarebooks.com/book/9780316...
November 20, 2025 at 12:54 AM
+1 loved this one
Well deserved - This app is so lovely!
November 19, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Well deserved - This app is so lovely!
Reposted by Katie Swayze
Probably my stance right now:
AI gives the vibes of using a leaf blower vs a rake.
The rake is calm, effective, individual, gets a less than thrilling job done well; the leaf blower makes a fucking hurricane of noise, spreads the misery of the boring job to exponentially more people, takes longer.
AI gives the vibes of using a leaf blower vs a rake.
The rake is calm, effective, individual, gets a less than thrilling job done well; the leaf blower makes a fucking hurricane of noise, spreads the misery of the boring job to exponentially more people, takes longer.
November 16, 2025 at 12:55 AM
Probably my stance right now:
AI gives the vibes of using a leaf blower vs a rake.
The rake is calm, effective, individual, gets a less than thrilling job done well; the leaf blower makes a fucking hurricane of noise, spreads the misery of the boring job to exponentially more people, takes longer.
AI gives the vibes of using a leaf blower vs a rake.
The rake is calm, effective, individual, gets a less than thrilling job done well; the leaf blower makes a fucking hurricane of noise, spreads the misery of the boring job to exponentially more people, takes longer.
Reposted by Katie Swayze
The People Want to Read: on the massive budget cuts proposed for Chicago Public Library. What's at stake and what you can do, whether or not you live in Chicago.
buttondown.com/wellsourced/...
buttondown.com/wellsourced/...
The People Want To Read: On Massive Budget Cuts Proposed in Chicago
If passed, Chicago Public Library will lose half their budget for acquiring new books and materials.
buttondown.com
November 8, 2025 at 1:03 PM
The People Want to Read: on the massive budget cuts proposed for Chicago Public Library. What's at stake and what you can do, whether or not you live in Chicago.
buttondown.com/wellsourced/...
buttondown.com/wellsourced/...
My book is almost due back on Libby & I know I won’t be able to renew it. Maybe a hard copy is available!
…oh.
…oh.
November 5, 2025 at 9:26 PM
My book is almost due back on Libby & I know I won’t be able to renew it. Maybe a hard copy is available!
…oh.
…oh.
Reposted by Katie Swayze
truly nothing makes me feel genuine, bottom out despair, like we may never be able to correct course, like we are well and truly cooked, like the proliferation of AI
November 4, 2025 at 1:31 AM
truly nothing makes me feel genuine, bottom out despair, like we may never be able to correct course, like we are well and truly cooked, like the proliferation of AI
Reposted by Katie Swayze
Baker & Taylor, one of the largest distributors for print library books in America, is closing down.
Libraries are reeling after a major distributor shutdown.
This Thursday brings bad news for book lovers. Baker & Taylor, one of the largest distributors for print library books in America, is closing down—and throwing the distribution pipeline into (a…
buff.ly
November 2, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Baker & Taylor, one of the largest distributors for print library books in America, is closing down.
“If you died, I would cry my little black (goth) heart out.” — my 7yo.
October 27, 2025 at 11:05 PM
“If you died, I would cry my little black (goth) heart out.” — my 7yo.
Reposted by Katie Swayze
I believe in prison abolition but my limit is people who give loud noise making gifts to three year olds. Those people have to be locked up, I'm sorry.
October 26, 2025 at 12:41 AM
I believe in prison abolition but my limit is people who give loud noise making gifts to three year olds. Those people have to be locked up, I'm sorry.
Reposted by Katie Swayze
Lucky me! @noethematt.bsky.social is sharing my work on a cart with all these wonderful graphic medicine books!
Today's cart of random #GraphicMedicine for a class session at Countway!
(I pull from what's available on the shelves, day of, so I'm very often missing key titles for these show and tells, like, idk, the Manifesto 😅)
(I pull from what's available on the shelves, day of, so I'm very often missing key titles for these show and tells, like, idk, the Manifesto 😅)
October 15, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Lucky me! @noethematt.bsky.social is sharing my work on a cart with all these wonderful graphic medicine books!
Reposted by Katie Swayze
very excited for it to be that time of year when i contract a mysterious illness from my children.
September 27, 2025 at 1:33 AM
very excited for it to be that time of year when i contract a mysterious illness from my children.
Reposted by Katie Swayze
$14 million dollars allocated to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) was pushed through to the America 250 team to fund "Freedom Trucks"–propaganda telling a whitewashed version of history.
What's happening at IMLS is beyond budgetary concerns.
bookriot.com/imls-freedom...
What's happening at IMLS is beyond budgetary concerns.
bookriot.com/imls-freedom...
The IMLS's Freedom Trucks Project Is Propaganda in Support of Historical Erasure: Book Censorship News, September 12, 2025
This week, the IMLS announced their Freedom Trucks initiative. It is blatant propaganda.
bookriot.com
September 27, 2025 at 12:07 PM
$14 million dollars allocated to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) was pushed through to the America 250 team to fund "Freedom Trucks"–propaganda telling a whitewashed version of history.
What's happening at IMLS is beyond budgetary concerns.
bookriot.com/imls-freedom...
What's happening at IMLS is beyond budgetary concerns.
bookriot.com/imls-freedom...
Today is a really embarrassing day to be a person who pronounces it “acinnaminnophen” on the reg.
September 23, 2025 at 1:18 AM
Today is a really embarrassing day to be a person who pronounces it “acinnaminnophen” on the reg.
Reposted by Katie Swayze
"The more library books per capita, the fewer residents require nursing care: Japan study"
#TLSky #EduSky #SchoolLibrarians #PublicLibraries
mainichi.jp/english/arti...
#TLSky #EduSky #SchoolLibrarians #PublicLibraries
mainichi.jp/english/arti...
The more library books per capita, the fewer residents require nursing care: Japan study - The Mainichi
TOKYO -- Researchers in Japan have found that the more public library books a municipality has, the fewer residents require long-term nursing care. Wh
mainichi.jp
July 1, 2025 at 11:50 PM
"The more library books per capita, the fewer residents require nursing care: Japan study"
#TLSky #EduSky #SchoolLibrarians #PublicLibraries
mainichi.jp/english/arti...
#TLSky #EduSky #SchoolLibrarians #PublicLibraries
mainichi.jp/english/arti...
Reposted by Katie Swayze
NEW: There have been 4 bomb threats targeting public libraries in the last week.
buttondown.com/wellsourced/...
buttondown.com/wellsourced/...
One Week, Four Library Bomb Threats
Bomb threats at libraries have become a far too common occurrence. In the summer of 2023–two years into an unrelenting attack on public librarians, as well...
buttondown.com
June 21, 2025 at 12:08 PM
NEW: There have been 4 bomb threats targeting public libraries in the last week.
buttondown.com/wellsourced/...
buttondown.com/wellsourced/...
Reposted by Katie Swayze
This is the guy, Maine.
Democrat David Costello joins 2026 race to challenge Senator Susan Collins www.bangordailynews.com/2025/06/11/p...
Brunswick Democrat joins race to challenge Sen. Susan Collins
This is David Costello's second bid for a Senate seat. He finished third behind independent Sen. Angus King and Republican Demi Kouzounas last year.
www.bangordailynews.com
June 17, 2025 at 10:19 PM
This is the guy, Maine.
Reposted by Katie Swayze
Hard to believe they’re talking about the same event.
May 25, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Hard to believe they’re talking about the same event.
Reposted by Katie Swayze
PEN America: AI-Generated Fake Book List Seems Funny, but Reflects the Technology’s Danger to Journalism pen.org/ai-generated...
AI-Generated Fake Book List Seems Funny, but Reflects the Technology’s Danger to Journalism - PEN America
A “Summer Reading List for 2025” published May 18 by the Chicago Sun-Times and a few days earlier by The Philadelphia Inquirer made up books from respected authors.
pen.org
May 22, 2025 at 1:58 AM
PEN America: AI-Generated Fake Book List Seems Funny, but Reflects the Technology’s Danger to Journalism pen.org/ai-generated...
I don’t understand how I’m supposed to work today with freshly hatched chicks in my library.
May 19, 2025 at 1:27 PM
I don’t understand how I’m supposed to work today with freshly hatched chicks in my library.
Reposted by Katie Swayze
If you would like to add your name to the over 250 librarians and library workers, who have already signed this joint statement condemning the dismissal of Dr. Carla Hayden, visit docs.google.com/document/d/e...
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Statement against Carla Hayden's Firing May 14 2025.docx
docs.google.com
May 15, 2025 at 1:36 PM
If you would like to add your name to the over 250 librarians and library workers, who have already signed this joint statement condemning the dismissal of Dr. Carla Hayden, visit docs.google.com/document/d/e...
1/3
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Reposted by Katie Swayze
So they want to ban middle grade dystopian fiction--along with the histories of systemic violence and discrimination--so we won't know where they get their utterly psychotic ideas, is that right?
Kristi Noem has been working with the producer of “Duck Dynasty” to pitch a reality TV show—titled “The American”—where immigrants will compete in a string of challenges across the country “for the honor of fast-tracking their way to U.S. citizenship,” according to a new report.
Noem Plots Reality Show Where Migrants Fight for Citizenship
A Homeland Security official told the Daily Beast that the show is in the early stages of vetting, though approval has not been given—or denied.
www.thedailybeast.com
May 16, 2025 at 2:10 AM
So they want to ban middle grade dystopian fiction--along with the histories of systemic violence and discrimination--so we won't know where they get their utterly psychotic ideas, is that right?