Laura Swift
@lauramswift.bsky.social
editor / maker / writer / researcher. Open Access library publishing. Free Palestine 🍉
Pinned
Laura Swift
@lauramswift.bsky.social
· Feb 18
Kemi Badenoch this morning: "A country cannot be successful if its people and intellectual elite don’t believe in it. This means dealing with the poisoning of minds through higher education."
get in loser we're poisoning minds through higher education
Reposted by Laura Swift
We now have a presentation from @lauramswift.bsky.social from @openpress.bsky.social on 'Open educational resources as a chance to do things differently'!
openpress.sussex.ac.uk
#OERs #OpenAccess #DiamondOA #OAWeek
openpress.sussex.ac.uk
#OERs #OpenAccess #DiamondOA #OAWeek
Open Press University of Sussex
openpress.sussex.ac.uk
October 21, 2025 at 2:27 PM
We now have a presentation from @lauramswift.bsky.social from @openpress.bsky.social on 'Open educational resources as a chance to do things differently'!
openpress.sussex.ac.uk
#OERs #OpenAccess #DiamondOA #OAWeek
openpress.sussex.ac.uk
#OERs #OpenAccess #DiamondOA #OAWeek
Reposted by Laura Swift
'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.'
October 15, 2025 at 6:43 AM
'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.'
Reposted by Laura Swift
ONLY migrants though, no one else is to study English because it's a rip off and a waste of time, am I getting this right.
October 14, 2025 at 2:16 PM
ONLY migrants though, no one else is to study English because it's a rip off and a waste of time, am I getting this right.
Reposted by Laura Swift
Did you know that if you buy my book on Amazon, Jeff Bezos makes 5 times as much as I do on each copy sold? Sharing some behind-the-scenes book math on why buying directly from presses is best for EVERYONE (except Bezos) in my newsletter today! aubreyhirsch.substack.com/p/book-math
October 14, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Did you know that if you buy my book on Amazon, Jeff Bezos makes 5 times as much as I do on each copy sold? Sharing some behind-the-scenes book math on why buying directly from presses is best for EVERYONE (except Bezos) in my newsletter today! aubreyhirsch.substack.com/p/book-math
Reposted by Laura Swift
Gaza’s education system has collapsed under the weight of war. Nearly 658,000 school-aged children and 87,000 university students have been left without access to learning as classrooms and campuses lie in ruins.
🔗: aje.io/r00cl2
🔗: aje.io/r00cl2
October 7, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Gaza’s education system has collapsed under the weight of war. Nearly 658,000 school-aged children and 87,000 university students have been left without access to learning as classrooms and campuses lie in ruins.
🔗: aje.io/r00cl2
🔗: aje.io/r00cl2
Reposted by Laura Swift
WHAT YOU FAIL TO SEE MR POPE
really enjoying all the people trying to explain the bible to the pope today
October 2, 2025 at 11:37 AM
WHAT YOU FAIL TO SEE MR POPE
Reposted by Laura Swift
Reposted by Laura Swift
In the past few days, Israel has bombed Doha, struck Tunis over the humanitarian flotilla headed to Gaza and assassinated Yemen’s Prime Minister.
These are clear violations of international law.
Which other state is allowed to commit such crimes without any consequences?
These are clear violations of international law.
Which other state is allowed to commit such crimes without any consequences?
September 9, 2025 at 6:58 PM
In the past few days, Israel has bombed Doha, struck Tunis over the humanitarian flotilla headed to Gaza and assassinated Yemen’s Prime Minister.
These are clear violations of international law.
Which other state is allowed to commit such crimes without any consequences?
These are clear violations of international law.
Which other state is allowed to commit such crimes without any consequences?
after merely 13 years living in Manchester I'm excited to finally set foot inside Beetham Tower tomorrow #alpsp2025
September 9, 2025 at 2:41 PM
after merely 13 years living in Manchester I'm excited to finally set foot inside Beetham Tower tomorrow #alpsp2025
Shame on this whole government, may they never know peace. We'll see you in the Hague.
The UK Government has ruled that Israel is not committing genocide in Gaza – contradicting a mounting body of international experts who say otherwise
UK Government rules Israel is not committing genocide in Palestine
www.thenational.scot
September 9, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Shame on this whole government, may they never know peace. We'll see you in the Hague.
Reposted by Laura Swift
"I'm being as racist as I can" tearful Starmer tells voters
August 31, 2025 at 8:20 PM
"I'm being as racist as I can" tearful Starmer tells voters
Reposted by Laura Swift
Even if you've never set foot in Oklahoma and likely never will, this is a hell of a read
A year ago, I heard that Oklahoma City had approved a plan to build Legends Tower, the tallest skyscraper in the entire Western hemisphere. Why were we building the Tower of Babel in the Heartland? I decided to investigate. This essay is the result. (gift link) thepickup.com/whats-so-wro...
What’s So Wrong With Oklahoma City Building A Tower To The Heavens? - The Pickup
Okie ex-pat JP Brammer goes long on Legends Tower, a fishy nonprofit, and whether or not Oklahoma is for dreamers.
thepickup.com
August 28, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Even if you've never set foot in Oklahoma and likely never will, this is a hell of a read
Reposted by Laura Swift
Are you an early-career historian interested in radical, public and digital history?
We are currently looking for two part-time, paid Editorial Fellows to join History Workshop.
Deadline is at midnight on 15th August. See below for more details!
www.historyworkshop....
We are currently looking for two part-time, paid Editorial Fellows to join History Workshop.
Deadline is at midnight on 15th August. See below for more details!
www.historyworkshop....
Call for Applications: Editorial Fellowships at History Workshop, 2025
History Workshop is advertising two part-time, paid Editorial Fellowships in 2025, open to early career historians.
www.historyworkshop.org.uk
August 6, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Are you an early-career historian interested in radical, public and digital history?
We are currently looking for two part-time, paid Editorial Fellows to join History Workshop.
Deadline is at midnight on 15th August. See below for more details!
www.historyworkshop....
We are currently looking for two part-time, paid Editorial Fellows to join History Workshop.
Deadline is at midnight on 15th August. See below for more details!
www.historyworkshop....
August 4, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Reposted by Laura Swift
I wrote something for The Sunday Times's style section about how men have been undressing for over a hundred years. And how they should go further and show a little cleavage.
Link in the next post.
Link in the next post.
August 4, 2025 at 12:16 AM
I wrote something for The Sunday Times's style section about how men have been undressing for over a hundred years. And how they should go further and show a little cleavage.
Link in the next post.
Link in the next post.
Reposted by Laura Swift
NEW on Wonkhe: The lessons of decades of research into assessment and feedback haven’t tracked across into the practice of peer review. Madeleine Pownall wonders why not buff.ly/D7hmHQP
August 1, 2025 at 6:05 AM
NEW on Wonkhe: The lessons of decades of research into assessment and feedback haven’t tracked across into the practice of peer review. Madeleine Pownall wonders why not buff.ly/D7hmHQP
Reposted by Laura Swift
The good news: I'm alive. The bad news: I'm in England.
July 30, 2025 at 8:45 PM
The good news: I'm alive. The bad news: I'm in England.
Reposted by Laura Swift
Helsinki hasn't had a traffic fatality in a year: "Helsinki's current traffic safety strategy, covering 2022–2026, is nearing completion. It has focused on improving safety for children, youth, pedestrians and cyclists with safer crosswalks and smarter intersection design."
Helsinki goes a full year without a traffic death
A city traffic engineer credits the success to lower speed limits and smarter design.
yle.fi
July 29, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Helsinki hasn't had a traffic fatality in a year: "Helsinki's current traffic safety strategy, covering 2022–2026, is nearing completion. It has focused on improving safety for children, youth, pedestrians and cyclists with safer crosswalks and smarter intersection design."
Reposted by Laura Swift
All famines are man-made, all famines are political. Historians of empire and humanitarianism have known this forever. Gaza is not starving, Gaza is being starved, by Israel, and this starvation is enabled by our government and by every other government that does not step in to force food and aid.
July 24, 2025 at 1:48 PM
All famines are man-made, all famines are political. Historians of empire and humanitarianism have known this forever. Gaza is not starving, Gaza is being starved, by Israel, and this starvation is enabled by our government and by every other government that does not step in to force food and aid.
Reposted by Laura Swift
I'm seeing an uptick in journal editors inquiring about @openlibhums.bsky.social and scholar-led, non-profit diamond #OpenAccess as a direct result of the Trump administration's crackdown on EDI and academic freedom. If we want research integrity, we need an independent academic publishing sector.
July 23, 2025 at 1:40 PM
I'm seeing an uptick in journal editors inquiring about @openlibhums.bsky.social and scholar-led, non-profit diamond #OpenAccess as a direct result of the Trump administration's crackdown on EDI and academic freedom. If we want research integrity, we need an independent academic publishing sector.
Reposted by Laura Swift
This is so much more grave of a violation of academic freedom than a few Oberlin students protesting a speaker. And yet the “Free Press” crew will be completely silent about it. www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Revealed: Harvard publisher cancels entire journal issue on Palestine shortly before publication
As Harvard’s feud with Trump escalated, so did tensions over an ‘education and Palestine’ issue of a prestigious journal. Scholars blame the ‘Palestine exception’ to academic freedom
www.theguardian.com
July 22, 2025 at 12:09 PM
This is so much more grave of a violation of academic freedom than a few Oberlin students protesting a speaker. And yet the “Free Press” crew will be completely silent about it. www.theguardian.com/education/20...
there's toxic human sludge and then there's Tony Blair helping out in the Middle East
July 7, 2025 at 4:28 PM
there's toxic human sludge and then there's Tony Blair helping out in the Middle East
Reposted by Laura Swift
I know where I stand. I stand with Palestine Action.
July 2, 2025 at 9:16 PM
I know where I stand. I stand with Palestine Action.