Hannah Alpert-Abrams
@halperta.bsky.social
Here for the humanities.
Grant maker, union organizer, former federal worker, digital humanist. Writing about labor, careers, higher education, and technology. Founder @sidracollaborative.
east tennessee based | tsalagi and tsoyaha lands
halperta.com
Grant maker, union organizer, former federal worker, digital humanist. Writing about labor, careers, higher education, and technology. Founder @sidracollaborative.
east tennessee based | tsalagi and tsoyaha lands
halperta.com
Pinned
Taking Action in Higher Ed
Taking Action for Higher Education is a workbook to assist university workers in assessing personal risk and making decisions about how and when to take action to resist fascism.
halperta.com
I just posted a free workbook that aims to help university workers better understand when and how to take risks in the fight against fascism in higher ed.
halperta.com/shalperta%20...
halperta.com/shalperta%20...
If I were to do my doctorate over, I would either study the things I care about politically, or the things that bring me joy. Sometimes I wonder why I chose a special third thing, "things the person I wish I was would want to study."
November 14, 2025 at 8:24 PM
If I were to do my doctorate over, I would either study the things I care about politically, or the things that bring me joy. Sometimes I wonder why I chose a special third thing, "things the person I wish I was would want to study."
Congratulations to my amazing friend Amelia Acker for her new book. This book is going to be such an important contribution. Cannot wait to read it!
mitpress.mit.edu/978026255324...
mitpress.mit.edu/978026255324...
Archiving Machines
Archiving Machines advances our understanding of memory, information, and data by charting the struggle between the computing technologies that archive data ...
mitpress.mit.edu
November 11, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Congratulations to my amazing friend Amelia Acker for her new book. This book is going to be such an important contribution. Cannot wait to read it!
mitpress.mit.edu/978026255324...
mitpress.mit.edu/978026255324...
Reposted by Hannah Alpert-Abrams
Literary hivemind! Has anyone read any fiction recently that engages or evokes digital archives - or, even better, the concept of the 'digital dark age'?
November 11, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Literary hivemind! Has anyone read any fiction recently that engages or evokes digital archives - or, even better, the concept of the 'digital dark age'?
Looks like a great day to find a way to free up $300/month in my budget
November 10, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Looks like a great day to find a way to free up $300/month in my budget
Apropos of .... nothing at all.....
The postdoctoral laborers bill of rights is a project I collaborated on way back in 2019. It aims to clarify some of the purposes of postdoctoral positions and offers guidelines for designing successful positions.
works.hcommons.org/records/9twr...
The postdoctoral laborers bill of rights is a project I collaborated on way back in 2019. It aims to clarify some of the purposes of postdoctoral positions and offers guidelines for designing successful positions.
works.hcommons.org/records/9twr...
Postdoctoral Laborers Bill of Rights
The Postdoctoral Laborers Bill of Rights offers guidelines for those developing or applying for postdoctoral positions in the humanities. This document is designed for those who are creating postdocto...
works.hcommons.org
November 7, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Apropos of .... nothing at all.....
The postdoctoral laborers bill of rights is a project I collaborated on way back in 2019. It aims to clarify some of the purposes of postdoctoral positions and offers guidelines for designing successful positions.
works.hcommons.org/records/9twr...
The postdoctoral laborers bill of rights is a project I collaborated on way back in 2019. It aims to clarify some of the purposes of postdoctoral positions and offers guidelines for designing successful positions.
works.hcommons.org/records/9twr...
Reposted by Hannah Alpert-Abrams
One thing about being on a search committee is it reminds me that there are so many random ways to be stopped as a candidate. We have this "evaluate" function in our HR system (it's terrible) and there are evaluative criteria we're mandated to rate that aren't listed in the job descriptions.
November 6, 2025 at 8:19 PM
One thing about being on a search committee is it reminds me that there are so many random ways to be stopped as a candidate. We have this "evaluate" function in our HR system (it's terrible) and there are evaluative criteria we're mandated to rate that aren't listed in the job descriptions.
Reposted by Hannah Alpert-Abrams
Happy pub day to my beautiful daughter!!!!!! she is so smart and funny and weird and thoughtful and I am so excited for you to meet her!!!!
November 6, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Happy pub day to my beautiful daughter!!!!!! she is so smart and funny and weird and thoughtful and I am so excited for you to meet her!!!!
Reposted by Hannah Alpert-Abrams
Got an email sent to all faculty and staff telling us our campus food pantry was nearly empty. The number of students using it has doubled this year. Take that in. They asked us to donate, and I did. Easily the saddest email I've received at work. How is your campus food pantry doing? #AcademicSky
November 1, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Got an email sent to all faculty and staff telling us our campus food pantry was nearly empty. The number of students using it has doubled this year. Take that in. They asked us to donate, and I did. Easily the saddest email I've received at work. How is your campus food pantry doing? #AcademicSky
Another day, another reminder that it's absurd that we have no standard adjective for specifying that a person is from the United States.
November 1, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Another day, another reminder that it's absurd that we have no standard adjective for specifying that a person is from the United States.
Reposted by Hannah Alpert-Abrams
JD Vance claims that diversity weakens unions, as people end up distrusting each other and not organizing.
Let me tell you two menswear stories related to this claim. 🧵
Let me tell you two menswear stories related to this claim. 🧵
October 30, 2025 at 8:07 AM
JD Vance claims that diversity weakens unions, as people end up distrusting each other and not organizing.
Let me tell you two menswear stories related to this claim. 🧵
Let me tell you two menswear stories related to this claim. 🧵
Reposted by Hannah Alpert-Abrams
Genuinely laughing to keep from crying at this instant classic from @mcsweeneys.net
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/hi-...
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/hi-...
Hi, It’s Me, Wikipedia, and I Am Ready for Your Apology
“Wikipedia, the constantly changing knowledge base created by a global free-for-all of anonymous users, now stands as the leading force for the dum...
www.mcsweeneys.net
October 28, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Genuinely laughing to keep from crying at this instant classic from @mcsweeneys.net
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/hi-...
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/hi-...
Reposted by Hannah Alpert-Abrams
Whatever strategy you’re about to suggest, we’ve thought about it. docs.google.com/document/d/1...
ChatGPT Harm Reduction for Writing Assignments
ChatGPT Harm Reduction for Writing Assignments Because this document has escaped containment, a couple points of explanation. I wrote this for myself and a few colleagues as we work out how to handle...
docs.google.com
October 28, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Whatever strategy you’re about to suggest, we’ve thought about it. docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Reposted by Hannah Alpert-Abrams
Almost everything I've seen about implementing AI in archives feels as though it was written in a world with neither archivists nor archival description
I have read through the new OCLC blog post about AI in archives (hangingtogether.org/exploring-ai...) and liveblogged my response over on Mastodon.
Overall, it really doesn't feel like they consulted with archivists or took our expertise seriously.
Some highlights:
Overall, it really doesn't feel like they consulted with archivists or took our expertise seriously.
Some highlights:
Exploring AI uses in archives and special collections: Integration, entities, and addressing need - Hanging Together
Learn how archives and special collections are exploring using AI responsibly to meet accessibility requirements and improve access to unique resources.
hangingtogether.org
October 15, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Almost everything I've seen about implementing AI in archives feels as though it was written in a world with neither archivists nor archival description
Reposted by Hannah Alpert-Abrams
Good morning! My comrade @annakornbluh.bsky.social and I published today in Hyperallrgic ean op-ed about the gutting of our right to culture and the ways to defend and fight back. Link below!
October 15, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Good morning! My comrade @annakornbluh.bsky.social and I published today in Hyperallrgic ean op-ed about the gutting of our right to culture and the ways to defend and fight back. Link below!
Reposted by Hannah Alpert-Abrams
Spread the word! #SaveUT!! UT Austin admin are working to eliminate vital departments and censor what profs can teach. If you haven’t yet written to UT Austin admin, please do do do. The more voices of protest and support the better. An attack on one is an attack on all!
October 15, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Spread the word! #SaveUT!! UT Austin admin are working to eliminate vital departments and censor what profs can teach. If you haven’t yet written to UT Austin admin, please do do do. The more voices of protest and support the better. An attack on one is an attack on all!
UT Austin is where I earned my PhD. If this goes through, it would be such a loss for students in Texas and everywhere.
Click through for specific calls to action.
Click through for specific calls to action.
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!!
The University of Texas-Austin is beginning a process to eliminate the Black Studies, Latino Studies, and Gender Studies departments in the College of Liberal Arts. This is a grave threat to the educational liberty of students, faculty, staff, and the people of Texas. 1/
The University of Texas-Austin is beginning a process to eliminate the Black Studies, Latino Studies, and Gender Studies departments in the College of Liberal Arts. This is a grave threat to the educational liberty of students, faculty, staff, and the people of Texas. 1/
October 14, 2025 at 3:49 PM
UT Austin is where I earned my PhD. If this goes through, it would be such a loss for students in Texas and everywhere.
Click through for specific calls to action.
Click through for specific calls to action.
Reposted by Hannah Alpert-Abrams
The Andrew W. Mellon Society of Fellows in Critical Bibliography (SoFCB) at RBS invites applicants to its 2025 cohort of Junior Fellows.
Applications are due 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝟭𝟵 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿.
For details about this & other RBS scholarships & fellowships, visit tinyurl.com/Apply-SoFCB-2025
Applications are due 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝟭𝟵 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿.
For details about this & other RBS scholarships & fellowships, visit tinyurl.com/Apply-SoFCB-2025
October 1, 2025 at 3:03 PM
The Andrew W. Mellon Society of Fellows in Critical Bibliography (SoFCB) at RBS invites applicants to its 2025 cohort of Junior Fellows.
Applications are due 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝟭𝟵 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿.
For details about this & other RBS scholarships & fellowships, visit tinyurl.com/Apply-SoFCB-2025
Applications are due 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝟭𝟵 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿.
For details about this & other RBS scholarships & fellowships, visit tinyurl.com/Apply-SoFCB-2025
Reposted by Hannah Alpert-Abrams
Written by a fellow PASSHE public regional prof, love to see it: “These are small but significant reminders that the university is not doomed to permanent privatization.”
Universities Are Selling Themselves Off Piece by Piece
American higher ed has become a mesh of corporate contracts and outsourced services. From dining halls to student records, private vendors now run many institutions’ most basic operations — atomizing ...
jacobin.com
October 14, 2025 at 11:45 AM
Written by a fellow PASSHE public regional prof, love to see it: “These are small but significant reminders that the university is not doomed to permanent privatization.”
Reposted by Hannah Alpert-Abrams
People think the first thing Gutenberg printed was the Bible. This is false. The first things he printed were a political prophecy, propaganda about the Turks’ threat to Christendom, & a popular school text. If you want a parallel to AI, that’s it: making $ from conspiracies, racism, & school slop.
really nice piece on this btw from @sonjadrimmer.bsky.social sonjadrimmer.com/blog-1/2025/...
"The Printing Press Democratized Knowledge": When Slogans Masquerade as History — Sonja Drimmer
The phrase is said so frequently it seems, like the mechanism it celebrates, to mechanically replicate itself. It's become a favorite catchphrase among tech boosters of any sort (see my post on...
sonjadrimmer.com
October 10, 2025 at 10:41 PM
People think the first thing Gutenberg printed was the Bible. This is false. The first things he printed were a political prophecy, propaganda about the Turks’ threat to Christendom, & a popular school text. If you want a parallel to AI, that’s it: making $ from conspiracies, racism, & school slop.
Reposted by Hannah Alpert-Abrams
In response to that skeet asking if anything amazing has ever happened to you bc of social media: my friendship w @halperta.bsky.social is rooted irl, & has crossed continents & platforms w long gaps & reunions, exchanges of art & ideas. My answer is yes (&)
I love seeing this book in the world!
I love seeing this book in the world!
Looking to read immersive, deeply considered essays about land, labor, and the subtle politics of inhabitation in rural Alaska?
I am so excited to have received Ghosts of Distant Trees by my incredibly talented friend @rickirobin.bsky.social
I am so excited to have received Ghosts of Distant Trees by my incredibly talented friend @rickirobin.bsky.social
October 9, 2025 at 7:56 PM
In response to that skeet asking if anything amazing has ever happened to you bc of social media: my friendship w @halperta.bsky.social is rooted irl, & has crossed continents & platforms w long gaps & reunions, exchanges of art & ideas. My answer is yes (&)
I love seeing this book in the world!
I love seeing this book in the world!
Looking to read immersive, deeply considered essays about land, labor, and the subtle politics of inhabitation in rural Alaska?
I am so excited to have received Ghosts of Distant Trees by my incredibly talented friend @rickirobin.bsky.social
I am so excited to have received Ghosts of Distant Trees by my incredibly talented friend @rickirobin.bsky.social
October 9, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Looking to read immersive, deeply considered essays about land, labor, and the subtle politics of inhabitation in rural Alaska?
I am so excited to have received Ghosts of Distant Trees by my incredibly talented friend @rickirobin.bsky.social
I am so excited to have received Ghosts of Distant Trees by my incredibly talented friend @rickirobin.bsky.social
Absolutely unhinged fantasies about what learning in the age of AI means on my timeline today.
The most important thing they reveal is that many educators never took learning seriously.
The most important thing they reveal is that many educators never took learning seriously.
October 9, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Absolutely unhinged fantasies about what learning in the age of AI means on my timeline today.
The most important thing they reveal is that many educators never took learning seriously.
The most important thing they reveal is that many educators never took learning seriously.
Reposted by Hannah Alpert-Abrams
This is only 12 miles from where my family lives. When you use AI in any form, people are affected directly
October 8, 2025 at 7:10 AM
This is only 12 miles from where my family lives. When you use AI in any form, people are affected directly
Reposted by Hannah Alpert-Abrams
Introducing Sidra Collaborative co-founder Hadassah St. Hubert! Hadassah is dedicated to helping cultural heritage funders and workers scope ideas and programs, while identifying resources to support thriving creatives. She can help build emergency response funding programs.
sidracollaborative.com
sidracollaborative.com
October 7, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Introducing Sidra Collaborative co-founder Hadassah St. Hubert! Hadassah is dedicated to helping cultural heritage funders and workers scope ideas and programs, while identifying resources to support thriving creatives. She can help build emergency response funding programs.
sidracollaborative.com
sidracollaborative.com
Reposted by Hannah Alpert-Abrams
ACLS has released a statement regarding the White House “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education”: bit.ly/3IviMig
October 6, 2025 at 4:48 PM
ACLS has released a statement regarding the White House “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education”: bit.ly/3IviMig