Chris Ruotolo
LightNews LightNews
cjruotolo.bsky.social
Chris Ruotolo
@cjruotolo.bsky.social
240 followers 220 following 28 posts
Director of Arts & Humanities, University of Virginia Libraries. Digital humanities, literary studies, popular culture, crafting/making.
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Chris Ruotolo
dancohen.org
New issue of my newsletter: "The Writing Is on the Wall for Handwriting Recognition" — One of the hardest problems in digital humanities has finally been solved, and it's a good use of AI newsletter.dancohen.org/archive/the-...
The Writing Is on the Wall for Handwriting Recognition
One of the hardest problems in digital humanities has finally been solved
newsletter.dancohen.org
November 25, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Reposted by Chris Ruotolo
miriamposner.com
When I think about how exquisitely careful NEH staff were to be fair, impartial, and rigorous, and how much work people put into grants so small they’re pocket change…I just want to scream.
Fired Scholars and Big Grants to Favored Projects: Inside Trump’s N.E.H.
www.nytimes.com
November 15, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Reposted by Chris Ruotolo
joefore.bsky.social
Former UVA president Jim Ryan, who resigned over the summer due to pressure from the Trump Administration, just shared this 12-page letter with the Faculty Senate, detailing his experience with the Board of Visitors and DOJ.

It's a surreal--and troubling--read.

drive.google.com/file/d/1Is6x...
November 14, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Reposted by Chris Ruotolo
bluevirginia.bsky.social
Gov.-Elect Spanberger Calls On UVA Board of Visitors to Pause Presidential Selection; "As it will be a priority of my administration to stabilize & normalize the leadership of our public colleges & universities, I will make appointments soon after my inauguration." bluevirginia.us/2025/11/gove...
Governor-Elect Abigail Spanberger Calls On UVA Board of Visitors to Pause Presidential Selection
Good to see this from Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger: Governor-Elect Abigail Spanberger Calls On UVA Board of Visitors to Pause Presidential Selection RICHMOND, Va. — Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger ...
bluevirginia.us
November 12, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Reposted by Chris Ruotolo
uvalibrary.bsky.social
“Using your hands and your imagination stretches the brain!”
Zines offer a creative, low-barrier way to express, connect, & advocate. Read about the year-long Zines Now project happening now! #ZinesNow #Zines
library.virginia.edu/news/2025/zi...
@scholarslab.bsky.social @literaturegeek.bsky.social
Text reading 'ZINES NOW!' in bold black letters overlaying a background featuring various faded gray symbols including '@' and '#.'" A person wearing a printer’s apron inspects wooden printing materials in a workshop environment, with various tools and another person visible in the background. Three zines titled Miscellany of Emotions; Zine of Miscellany, and Things I Learned About Surviving C-PTSD; alongside a pencil, displayed on a wooden table near a window.
November 10, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Reposted by Chris Ruotolo
gregpak.net
Hey, can we talk about JOY?

Join your local progressive groups, y'all!

Working with neighbors to help us all can be one of the most joyful things in everyday life. Every time I join anything, I see these kinds of smiles.

Here's a 🧵 of photos to inspire you.

blacksky.community/profile/did:...
gregpak.net Greg Pak @gregpak.net · Sep 1
Your pal @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social at the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn. Genuinely hard to take a bad picture of this dude.

That's the @nywfp.bsky.social float behind him - follow them and let's make this man mayor and get him the progressive caucus he needs to get things done, NYC!
Zohran Mamdani smiling/laughing as he walks towards the camera at the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn.
November 5, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Reposted by Chris Ruotolo
ryancordell.org
Job alert: the University of Illinois Library is hiring a Humanities Librarian to serve as liaison to African-American Studies and English Literatures. I’m sure someone here would be a great fit for this job—& we’ve got a pretty phenomenal community here

Please share!
Humanities Librarian - (African American Studies and English Literature)
Duties & Responsibilities
illinois.csod.com
November 3, 2025 at 11:01 PM
cjruotolo.bsky.social
This is gonna be good
mkirschenbaum.bsky.social Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · Oct 20
I am teaching my first graduate course in the Department of English at the University of Virginia in the spring! Here is the description. It’s called Reading AI.
ENGL 8559 - 001: Reading Al Matthew Kirschenbaum This course starts from the premise that whatever it may mean technologically "artificial intelligence" is also a discursive formulation, which is to say an active signifier in the cultural imagination. To begin working towards some understandings of that signifier we will undertake readings of "Al" in multiple registers: current critical writing that allows us to consider not only how today's generative Al technology works but what work-political, social, aesthetic-we are calling upon it to do; representations of Al in literary fiction, from the 18th century to the present; and writing actually written by Al in the form of creative and experimental texts whose provenance and agency is indeterminate. While the focus of the course will be critical and theoretical (with no technical background required or assumed) we will also engage in some hands-on experimentation of our own. And while pedagogy will not be our focus, the course will offer a conceptual grounding for those who plan to teach in a world where Al is prevalent. Requirements will include leading discussion, a short reflective paper, and a longer semester project which could be either critical or creative.
October 20, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Reposted by Chris Ruotolo
johnholbein1.bsky.social
BREAKING: UVA rejects the Trump Administration's Compact.
October 17, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Reposted by Chris Ruotolo
uvalibrary.bsky.social
From "Artist's Books" and "Borges" to "Yearbooks" and "Zines" — the ABCs of the UVA Library is on display now! A host of entries are in Special Collections, with outposts at other libraries.
library.virginia.edu/news/2025/le...
@rareuva.bsky.social
Two individuals are viewing a case titled "Clemons's Correspondence" and holding numerous letters and photos, in an exhibition gallery. One is pointing at a display panel while the other looks on attentively. Other display cases and individuals can be seen in the background.
October 7, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Reposted by Chris Ruotolo
jamellebouie.net
for any UVA folks that follow me you should circulate this among your networks balkin.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-...
Balkinization: The Art of Replacing the Law with the Deal
A group blog on constitutional law, theory, and politics
balkin.blogspot.com
October 5, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Reposted by Chris Ruotolo
dpmoriarity.bsky.social
Dartmouth response to the Trump Administration Compact

president.dartmouth.edu/news/2025/10...
Response to the ‘Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education’ | Office of the President
president.dartmouth.edu
October 4, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Reposted by Chris Ruotolo
samuelmoore.org
It's often overlooked, but PhilPapers is a hugely important project in the history of open humanities research. Its a really comprehensive archive with loads of open access materials, working papers, preprints, etc.
October 1, 2025 at 8:52 AM
Reposted by Chris Ruotolo
libraryjuicepress.bsky.social
#CFP: Critical Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence in Librarianship

sites.google.com/view/critlib...

#libraries #librarians #ai
Crit Lib AI Book - Call for Proposals
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
sites.google.com
August 7, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Reposted by Chris Ruotolo
gregpak.net
Just gave. Please consider helping if you can. Right now is an incredibly important time. Right now.
July 26, 2025 at 2:32 AM
Reposted by Chris Ruotolo
halperta.bsky.social
UPDATE: Thanks to @clancyny.bsky.social I am now able to read the ruling, which you too can read here. It's worth it because of how it details the consequences of NEH chair Michael McDonald's cruel and probably illegal actions.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com
July 26, 2025 at 2:48 AM
cjruotolo.bsky.social
!!!
kyledcheney.bsky.social Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · Jul 26
JUST IN: A federal judge has blocked the cancelation of $175 million in National Endowment for the Humanities grants, mass terminated by DOGE in April. She says the effort was transparent viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment.
July 26, 2025 at 3:59 AM
Reposted by Chris Ruotolo
halperta.bsky.social
I've seen some talk about how we are witnessing the end of the professoriate as we know it and this may be true, but I think it's bigger: it's the decimation of the mission-oriented profession.

Want to make a middle-class living serving the public good? Capitalism doesn't want that for you.
July 17, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Reposted by Chris Ruotolo
roxanegay.bsky.social
Stop asking billionaires questions, recording their answers and sharing their uninformed and/or racist and/or otherwise bigoted and nonsense ideas as journalism. It’s ridiculous. They are the most boring people. Oh wah I am a white man who has more money than I can spend and I’m so mad about it!
July 12, 2025 at 2:56 PM
cjruotolo.bsky.social
www.wahoos4uva.com/letter
Sign the Letter: Stand with UVA and Support President Ryan’s Leadership
Join thousands of alumni, students, parents, and friends in supporting UVA’s progress and leadership. Sign the letter to defend the University against misinformation and celebrate its achievements und...
www.wahoos4uva.com
June 27, 2025 at 4:16 AM
Reposted by Chris Ruotolo
jenserventi.bsky.social
*sigh* It's too soon, but on the day of his retirement from public service, I think that it's important to recognize the contributions of Brett Bobley to the work of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the field. #ThanksBrett for your leadership, your good cheer & your home-baked goods.
June 13, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Reposted by Chris Ruotolo
miriamposner.com
This is really the perfect use of generative AI: to create a report whose purpose is solely to exist as A Report, which no one is supposed to read because no one involved in its creation even pretends to have the slightest genuine interest in the actual facts at issue.
May 29, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Reposted by Chris Ruotolo
amlibraryassoc.bsky.social
NEW: ALA salutes Dr Carla Hayden for her exceptional service to the nation as the Librarian of Congress. We are deeply disappointed in Dr Hayden's abrupt & unjust dismissal last night, an insult to the scope & breadth of her work.

Read ALA Pres. Cindy Hohl's statement: www.ala.org/news/2025/05...
The American Library Association praises servic of Dr. Carla Hayden, decries 'unjust dismissal' of Librarian of Congress. [Image of Dr. Carla Hayden standing in the stacks in a library]
May 9, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Reposted by Chris Ruotolo
paulakrebs.bsky.social
Sorry to be this way, but just one hundred more $10 donations would get us to our goal for the lawsuit defending the NEH. Please chip in if you can, and ask a friend to. Thanks for considering this.

www.mla.org/About-Us/Sup...
Paving the Way: For the Future of the Humanities
Students and faculty members in the humanities face mounting challenges—from skepticism about the value of humanities education to deteriorating pay and working conditions. The MLA is committed to res...
www.mla.org
May 8, 2025 at 2:04 AM
cjruotolo.bsky.social
🙌
chrisgeidner.bsky.social Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · May 2
BREAKING: Judge Richard Leon, a George W. Bush appointee, issues a TRO blocking the Trump administration from "dissolv[ing]" the Institute of Museum and Library Services, placing any more employees on administrative leave, or terminating any grants in the coming days.
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, et al., Plaintiffs, ^ KEITH SONDERLING, Acting Director, Institute of Museum and Library Services, et al., Defendants. Civil Case No. 25-1050 (RJL) MEMORANDUM ORDER May 1, 2025 [Dkt. #13] This matter initially came before the Court on plaintiff American Library Association's ("ALA") and plaintiff American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO's ("AFSCME") motion for a preliminary injunction ("PT"). See Pls.' PI Mot. [Dkt, #13]; Pls.' Mem. in Supp. of PI Mot. ("Pls.' PI Mem.") [Dkt. #13-11. Plaintiffs sought a decision on the PI by May 4, 2025, as defendants intend to execute a "mass termination of [Institute of Museum and Library Services] staff' on that day. Pls PI Mot. at 1. I. CONCLUSION For the reasons set forth above, the Court will GRANT IN PART plaintiffs' motion for a TRO. The Court will not, at this time, issue a TRO providing all of the relief sought by plaintiffs. Instead, the Court will issue a narrow TRO preserving the status quo as of this Order. Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED that defendants Keith Sonderling, Institute of Museum and Library Services ("IMLS"), Amy Gleason, U.S. DOGE Service, U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization, Russel Vought, and U.S. Office of Management and Budget (together, the 5 Case 1:25-cv-01050-RJL Document 36 Filed 05/01/25 Page 6 of 6 "agency defendants") shall not take any further actions to dissolve IMLS or its operations; it is further ORDERED that the agency defendants shall not place any additional IMLS staff on administrative leave; it is further ORDERED that the agency defendants shall not terminate the employment of any IMLS staff; it is further ORDERED that the agency defendants shall not further pause, cancel, or otherwise terminate IMLS grants or contracts or fail to fund such grants or contracts for reasons other than grantees' or contractors' non-compliance with applicable grant or contract terms; and it is further ORDERED that by May 6, 2025, the parties shall submit a joint status report (1) informing the Court whether the parties require any supplemental briefing on the preliminary injunction and, if so, proposing a briefing schedule; and (2) stating whether the parties consent to the Court extending this temporary restraining order until the Court issues a ruling on the preliminary injunction or the case is otherwise resolved. SO ORDERED. RICHARD J. LEON United States District Judge
May 2, 2025 at 2:45 AM