Tessera
Folgen

Beth DeBold

@elizaaudacis.bsky.social

History PGR at Newcastle University | apprenticeship, women, and gender in the long 18c English book trade | previous librarian | New Englander in Old England | no terfs | she/her

950 Posts1499 Follower1047 Folgt
Beth DeBold@elizaaudacis.bsky.social · last wk.

It’s actually shocking that @newcastleuni.bsky.social would try to dress up granting academic legitimacy in exchange for what is doubtless an enormous financial kickback as a recognition of this politically corrupt oligarch’s “contributions” to “conservation.” www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Backlash as Indian oil heir made professor of sustainability by Newcastle University

Role for Anant Ambani, son of India’s richest person, who also runs a controversial mega-zoo, met with incredulity

theguardian.com

Beth DeBold@elizaaudacis.bsky.social · last mo.

I’m sad to learn that Wendell Berry has died, but also happy to again think about the poetry he gave to the world. My favorite of his is “Manifesto: the Mad Farmer Liberation Front.” I often think of the line, ‘Be joyful / Though you have considered all the facts.’

BildBildBild
Leonore (Lee) Carpenter @leecarpenter.bsky.social · last mo.

In case you are an academic who is currently being gaslit into believing that you're a caveman who wants their students to be jobless if you resist allowing AI in your classrooms... I present to you Berkeley Law's response, which can be summarized as "Fuck off directly into the sun."

Artificial Intelligence Policy

Effective Summer 2026 Purpose Future lawyers may need to use artificial intelligence (“AI”) fluently. But the current state of the technology requires that AI use be coupled with the cognitive […]

law.berkeley.edu

DeclanKavanagh.bsky.social@drdeclankavanagh.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Happy to share this statement from the British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies, which responds to recent comments about my position as Senior Lecturer in Eighteenth Century Studies and work I supervise. Solidarity with all marginalised academics under attack by the peddlers of a culture war.

Statement from BSECS Published on: 18th Aug 2026 BACK The British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies supports the work of scholars of the period from all backgrounds and career stages, working in all disciplines. The Society has recently reaffirmed its commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in all its activities, and its opposition to bullying and harassment. As such, members of the Society have been deeply concerned about the public hounding of academics by sections of the media and on social media platforms. In the current 'culture wars', universities and their staff - and Black scholars in particular - have been targeted to score political points about EDI, 'woke' culture and progressive causes. This tragically came to a head last week with the death of Prof Jason Arday, who had been subjected to weeks of hostile commentary and personal attacks.A recent article in The Spectator typified this trend. In this article, one of our own colleagues and his doctoral students were attacked for their work on queer readings of fiction. We stand in solidarity with our colleague, and strongly object to any such attempt to bully scholars and students in our field. Furthermore, we insist that the study of sexuality is a legitimate and urgent academic endeavour, not least because many of today's attitudes towards sex and gender have their roots in the eighteenth century. Indeed, current scholarship on the eighteenth century is very much alive to the challenges faced by society today, in fields such as race, gender, class and the environment, among many others. The British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies will continue to support those who carry out this important work, and we wish to assure our members that the Society will stand up to any attempt to harass them. The Executive Committee of BSECS
Beth DeBold@elizaaudacis.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Also a lot of what researchers might view as a small/annoying favour are either routine, easier than you’d think, or are actually interesting! So ask librarians and archivists for small/annoying favours! (Just be prepared to hear “it may take us a couple days” or “no” if it really isn’t possible)

Dr Vanessa@hpsvanessa.bsky.social · 2mo ago

I emailed a library asking for a small but annoying favour, and they did me a big favour and it's provided absolutely crucial data for a new project and publication, and slopAI could never and yay for humans, and librarians and archivists in particular.

Dr Dave Hitchcock@davehitchcock.bsky.social · 2mo ago

I want to highlight one thing the FT article says near the end: GBS model is currently being subsidised, A LOT, by the british taxpayer. This is because of the expected student loan default rate and how the 'you don't pay it back' structure works over time. They are bilking the state AND students.

Boo-tros Boo-tros Ghoulish@dlbowman76.com · 3mo ago

You could write an entire story revolving on an "Undead Capital Gains Tax" as your plot device. "Well, Vlad, I gather you want to sell your shares which you purchased in 1875. Now, because you are over 200 years old, we have to have a conversation about this." "Ah. No! I do not drink...tea."

Beth DeBold@elizaaudacis.bsky.social · 3mo ago

A perfect summation of the joy & despair that so many PGRs are being asked to hold simultaneously right now. I may be biased (Sam is my partner), but UK universities are letting the incredible talent they’ve invested in just go to waste, and it’s criminal. @newcastleucu.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk

Dr Sam Bailey@18thcenturysam.bsky.social · 3mo ago

My graduation on Friday was a wonderful but bittersweet experience. I have long called the English department at Newcastle my home, and my fellow scholars there are so dear to my heart. Seeing the culmination of three degrees over nine years has felt like a homecoming...

Me (non-binary femme) in floral blouse with black, white and red academic gown smiling next to Kate (my supervisor) in scarlet and navy gown.
Tom Cox@dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · 3mo ago

What would be super cool is if people stopped inventing apps and training robots to ruin our lives and instead invented a type of cat food that doesn't squirt ungodly gravy all over my wrist when I open the package it comes in.

Beth DeBold@elizaaudacis.bsky.social · 3mo ago

To the inevitable cries of “just digitize everything, then;” not an answer. Making digital facsimiles accessible requires huge investment: staff, metadata, preservation. Orgs are currently not funded to meet these needs. While digital objects are great, they’ll never replace looking at originals.

Amalia S. Levi, PhD@amaliasl.bsky.social · 3mo ago

📢 Once more for the people in the back: - Most [more than 95%] of archives have not been digitized. - Most of humanity's knowledge and memory is *not* reachable by LLMs. - Believing that AI can provid you with comprehensive, definitive, "intelligent" results is folly.

Alex Brown 🇵🇸 (they/them)@bookjockeyalex.bsky.social · 3mo ago

I have worked in 5 archives, some well-funded, and NONE had their entire collections even inventoried or all donations processed, much less finding aids or catalogued. Most were working on it, to varying degrees of success. I worked in one that had donations still to be processed from the 1960s.

Kathleen E. Kennedy@themedievaldrk.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Actually want to amplify this further--95% haven't been digitized and even beyond that, archival CATALOGUING is its own patchy horrorshow of varying strategies, standards, and funding levels. To DIGITIZE something you have to FIND IT first!

Jamison Foser@jamisonfoser.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Deeply saddened to learn of the loss of my dear friend Satan, the Prince of Lies. Though we often disagreed about matters such as the appropriate role of torture in the afterlife, I will most remember how his quick wit and affable nature made our weekly golf outings a ritual. He will be missed.