Katie McDonough
@kmcdono.bsky.social
History + DH @ Lancaster University. MapReader, computational history, history of infrastructure and information. Writing a book about people & highways in 18th c. France.
Pinned
!Stop Press! Article on bias in digitised newspaper collections: ’Whose News’, in the new journal of @comphumresearch.bsky.social by Kaspar Beelen, @jonhistorian61.bsky.social, @kmcdono.bsky.social and me. See blog for summary & 🧵 1/7
Article doi.org/10.1017/chr....
Blog is.gd/2IFc30
#dh #c19 🗃️
Article doi.org/10.1017/chr....
Blog is.gd/2IFc30
#dh #c19 🗃️
Whose news? Critical methods for assessing bias in large historical datasets | Computational Humanities Research | Cambridge Core
Whose news? Critical methods for assessing bias in large historical datasets - Volume 1
doi.org
We are so proud of this work. Not only is it the first effort to publish & analyze **open-access data** derived from the entire text contents of digitized @britishlibrary.bsky.social newspapers, it presents a metadata-driven approach to understanding bias in big historical data. #dh #skystorians
Reposted by Katie McDonough
"Ongoing digitization and cataloging work not only serves the interests of scholars and manuscript communities—it also creates crucial, publicly-accessible provenance records that provide an increasingly robust bulwark against manuscript theft and trafficking."
hmml.org/stories/reve...
hmml.org/stories/reve...
Reversal of Fates: Access Through Photographs can be a Counterbalance
“Cultural losses continue to beset communities around the world, especially in areas subject to armed conflict...”
hmml.org
November 24, 2025 at 8:27 AM
"Ongoing digitization and cataloging work not only serves the interests of scholars and manuscript communities—it also creates crucial, publicly-accessible provenance records that provide an increasingly robust bulwark against manuscript theft and trafficking."
hmml.org/stories/reve...
hmml.org/stories/reve...
Reposted by Katie McDonough
The Labour party seems to be obsessed with targeting productive industries and labour rather than targeting the huge amounts of wealth sat growing faster than earnings from labour or industry.
There is no shortage of money in this country to do the things essential for national renewal.
There is no shortage of money in this country to do the things essential for national renewal.
i: Reeves to unveil £600m raid on foreign student
university fees #TomorrowsPapersToday
university fees #TomorrowsPapersToday
November 24, 2025 at 9:34 AM
The Labour party seems to be obsessed with targeting productive industries and labour rather than targeting the huge amounts of wealth sat growing faster than earnings from labour or industry.
There is no shortage of money in this country to do the things essential for national renewal.
There is no shortage of money in this country to do the things essential for national renewal.
Reposted by Katie McDonough
I don't think (successive) governments who ignore the financial crisis in universities really realise what it will look like in cities, including northern cities like mine, if the higher education sector collapses. Newcastle's economy is *really fucking really* propped up by students
i: Reeves to unveil £600m raid on foreign student
university fees #TomorrowsPapersToday
university fees #TomorrowsPapersToday
November 23, 2025 at 10:52 PM
I don't think (successive) governments who ignore the financial crisis in universities really realise what it will look like in cities, including northern cities like mine, if the higher education sector collapses. Newcastle's economy is *really fucking really* propped up by students
Reposted by Katie McDonough
Moved to the UK also 15 years ago, also attracted by the awesomeness of its university sector.
The speed with which something built over generations has been trashed by one MBA-brained cohort is absolutely mindboggling.
The speed with which something built over generations has been trashed by one MBA-brained cohort is absolutely mindboggling.
It would have been hard to believe, when I moved to the UK over 15 yrs ago to start my PhD at Edinburgh, that successive Conservative and Labour governments would actively undermine one of the UK's most successful and strategic sectors and run it to the ground. Unbelievable, really. And here we are
November 23, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Moved to the UK also 15 years ago, also attracted by the awesomeness of its university sector.
The speed with which something built over generations has been trashed by one MBA-brained cohort is absolutely mindboggling.
The speed with which something built over generations has been trashed by one MBA-brained cohort is absolutely mindboggling.
Reposted by Katie McDonough
Come and apply to be the Professor of Bibliography & Modern Book History @engfacoutreach.bsky.social & @jesusoxford.bsky.social (and work closely with us @bodleian.ox.ac.uk). Following a long line of great scholars: Don McKenzie, Kathryn Sutherland, & Dirk van Hulle ... my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
my.corehr.com
November 23, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Come and apply to be the Professor of Bibliography & Modern Book History @engfacoutreach.bsky.social & @jesusoxford.bsky.social (and work closely with us @bodleian.ox.ac.uk). Following a long line of great scholars: Don McKenzie, Kathryn Sutherland, & Dirk van Hulle ... my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
Reposted by Katie McDonough
CfP "Doing #MigrationHistory with Digital Methods", #DigHum #MigHist, am @dhi-paris.fr: www.hsozkult.de/event/id/eve....
Doing Migration History with Digital Methods
Call for papers for the summer school 2026 at the German Historical Institute in Paris: How does the history of migration change when it relies on digital sources and methods? What new knowledge and w...
www.hsozkult.de
November 20, 2025 at 8:54 AM
CfP "Doing #MigrationHistory with Digital Methods", #DigHum #MigHist, am @dhi-paris.fr: www.hsozkult.de/event/id/eve....
Reposted by Katie McDonough
Maps silence and they other, what is 'off the map' is as important as what is 'on the map'
1835 Florida map showing the Everglades untouched & undeveloped.
Fernandina Historic Museum.
Fernandina Historic Museum.
November 22, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Maps silence and they other, what is 'off the map' is as important as what is 'on the map'
Reposted by Katie McDonough
We are seeing multiple university course closures across a range of arts, humanities & social sciences. I'll be in the East Midlands at De Montfort University on Thurs 27 Nov talking about why these disciplines are essential to the future of the UK. All welcome
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/shaping-a-...
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/shaping-a-...
Shaping a Brighter Future
The first event in our Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Lecture Series, delivered by Hetan Shah, Chief Executive, The British Academy
www.eventbrite.co.uk
November 21, 2025 at 12:23 PM
We are seeing multiple university course closures across a range of arts, humanities & social sciences. I'll be in the East Midlands at De Montfort University on Thurs 27 Nov talking about why these disciplines are essential to the future of the UK. All welcome
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/shaping-a-...
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/shaping-a-...
Congratulations to Allmaps (led by @bertspaan.nl & Jules Schoonman) + @iiif.bsky.social on the announcement of this partnership. It's a fantastic step towards a sustainable, open, digital maps infrastructure and data ecosystem.
Learn more at allmaps.org/iiif-partner... & iiif.io/news/2025/11...
Learn more at allmaps.org/iiif-partner... & iiif.io/news/2025/11...
November 21, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Congratulations to Allmaps (led by @bertspaan.nl & Jules Schoonman) + @iiif.bsky.social on the announcement of this partnership. It's a fantastic step towards a sustainable, open, digital maps infrastructure and data ecosystem.
Learn more at allmaps.org/iiif-partner... & iiif.io/news/2025/11...
Learn more at allmaps.org/iiif-partner... & iiif.io/news/2025/11...
Reposted by Katie McDonough
Just appalling. Nurses and teachers do far more valuable jobs than almost anyone earning £125k.
Shabana Mahmood's Indefinite Leave To Remain Culture War
3 years - if you're earning £125k+
15 years - if you're e.g. a nurse, or a teacher
Labour's two tier system which rewards high earners and insults those who work just as hard but don't earn as much - really sad to see Labour fall
3 years - if you're earning £125k+
15 years - if you're e.g. a nurse, or a teacher
Labour's two tier system which rewards high earners and insults those who work just as hard but don't earn as much - really sad to see Labour fall
November 21, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Just appalling. Nurses and teachers do far more valuable jobs than almost anyone earning £125k.
Reposted by Katie McDonough
When libraries join Google Books, Google not only scans their books, it also makes a wealth of image, OCR, & metadata available to them via the Google Return Interface (GRIN). But working with GRIN can be challenging, so we're releasing a tool to make it easier. www.institutional.org/posts/grin-t...
Announcing the release of GRIN Transfer
GRIN Transfer, an open source tool that allows Google Books partner libraries to more easily access their Google Books collection.
www.institutional.org
November 20, 2025 at 4:42 PM
When libraries join Google Books, Google not only scans their books, it also makes a wealth of image, OCR, & metadata available to them via the Google Return Interface (GRIN). But working with GRIN can be challenging, so we're releasing a tool to make it easier. www.institutional.org/posts/grin-t...
Reposted by Katie McDonough
"(NEH) grant funds appear to have been put towards supporting two awards at nearly 10 percent of the agency’s annual $207 million budget" bit.ly/48asUWt
Ten Percent of National Endowment for the Humanities Budget Will Support Two Grantees
'The agency’s ability to conduct grantmaking has been seriously damaged,' Representative Chellie Pingree of Maine, explained.
bit.ly
November 19, 2025 at 5:29 PM
"(NEH) grant funds appear to have been put towards supporting two awards at nearly 10 percent of the agency’s annual $207 million budget" bit.ly/48asUWt
Reposted by Katie McDonough
1/ Announcing GovScape – a public search system for 10 million U.S. government PDFs (70 million pages)! GovScape offers visual search, semantic text search, and keyword search. Explore below:
Website: www.govscape.net
ArXiv link: arxiv.org/abs/2511.11010
Website: www.govscape.net
ArXiv link: arxiv.org/abs/2511.11010
www.govscape.net
November 18, 2025 at 8:19 PM
1/ Announcing GovScape – a public search system for 10 million U.S. government PDFs (70 million pages)! GovScape offers visual search, semantic text search, and keyword search. Explore below:
Website: www.govscape.net
ArXiv link: arxiv.org/abs/2511.11010
Website: www.govscape.net
ArXiv link: arxiv.org/abs/2511.11010
Reposted by Katie McDonough
🏫 The Lives of Early Modern Librarians. Actions, Networks, and Emotions (1400s-1800s)
📅 Vendredi 12 et samedi 13 décembre 2025
📍 Reid Hall @columbiauniversity.bsky.social
& @sorbonneparis1.bsky.social
Paris 6et 5e
ihmc.ens.psl.eu/the-lives-of...
P. M. Tommasino, F. Montcher @gcalafat.bsky.social
📅 Vendredi 12 et samedi 13 décembre 2025
📍 Reid Hall @columbiauniversity.bsky.social
& @sorbonneparis1.bsky.social
Paris 6et 5e
ihmc.ens.psl.eu/the-lives-of...
P. M. Tommasino, F. Montcher @gcalafat.bsky.social
November 19, 2025 at 4:16 PM
🏫 The Lives of Early Modern Librarians. Actions, Networks, and Emotions (1400s-1800s)
📅 Vendredi 12 et samedi 13 décembre 2025
📍 Reid Hall @columbiauniversity.bsky.social
& @sorbonneparis1.bsky.social
Paris 6et 5e
ihmc.ens.psl.eu/the-lives-of...
P. M. Tommasino, F. Montcher @gcalafat.bsky.social
📅 Vendredi 12 et samedi 13 décembre 2025
📍 Reid Hall @columbiauniversity.bsky.social
& @sorbonneparis1.bsky.social
Paris 6et 5e
ihmc.ens.psl.eu/the-lives-of...
P. M. Tommasino, F. Montcher @gcalafat.bsky.social
Reposted by Katie McDonough
Solidarity with the faculty at The New School, one of the most important institutions for humanistic research in the US over the past 75 years.
The New School is now a place where students cannot major in History, Anthropology, Sociology, Global Policy & International Affairs, Global Studies, Urban Studies, or Environmental Studies. And more pauses, closures, and mergers coming down the pike this week. The future is uncertain.
November 19, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Solidarity with the faculty at The New School, one of the most important institutions for humanistic research in the US over the past 75 years.
Reposted by Katie McDonough
Great turnout at the Edinburgh UCU rally at parliament to demand an end to the University of Edinburgh management reckless budget cuts and redundancies!
#StopStaffCutsatUoE @ucu.org.uk
#StopStaffCutsatUoE @ucu.org.uk
November 19, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Great turnout at the Edinburgh UCU rally at parliament to demand an end to the University of Edinburgh management reckless budget cuts and redundancies!
#StopStaffCutsatUoE @ucu.org.uk
#StopStaffCutsatUoE @ucu.org.uk
Reposted by Katie McDonough
📢 The #CHR2025 proceedings are out!
97 papers, ~1600 pages of computational humanities 🔥 Now published via the new Anthology of Computers and the Humanities, with DOIs for every paper.
🔗 anthology.ach.org/volumes/vol0...
And don’t forget: registration closes tomorrow (20 Nov)!
97 papers, ~1600 pages of computational humanities 🔥 Now published via the new Anthology of Computers and the Humanities, with DOIs for every paper.
🔗 anthology.ach.org/volumes/vol0...
And don’t forget: registration closes tomorrow (20 Nov)!
Edited by Taylor Arnold, Margherita Fantoli, and Ruben Ros
anthology.ach.org
November 19, 2025 at 12:53 PM
📢 The #CHR2025 proceedings are out!
97 papers, ~1600 pages of computational humanities 🔥 Now published via the new Anthology of Computers and the Humanities, with DOIs for every paper.
🔗 anthology.ach.org/volumes/vol0...
And don’t forget: registration closes tomorrow (20 Nov)!
97 papers, ~1600 pages of computational humanities 🔥 Now published via the new Anthology of Computers and the Humanities, with DOIs for every paper.
🔗 anthology.ach.org/volumes/vol0...
And don’t forget: registration closes tomorrow (20 Nov)!
Reposted by Katie McDonough
Day 3 Sheffield Uni UCU strike against threat of extensive redundancies. 400 academic staff gone. Nearly 100 more now confirmed. They want another £10m staff saving this year, despite being in a strong position financially. #SheffieldUCU @sheffielducu.bsky.social www.ucu.org.uk/article/1423...
November 19, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Day 3 Sheffield Uni UCU strike against threat of extensive redundancies. 400 academic staff gone. Nearly 100 more now confirmed. They want another £10m staff saving this year, despite being in a strong position financially. #SheffieldUCU @sheffielducu.bsky.social www.ucu.org.uk/article/1423...
Reposted by Katie McDonough
New @carefultrouble.bsky.social paper out today with a whole bevy of academic partners, on the impacts of AI in urban environments. As the plan for AI Growth Zones starts to roll out, we find innovation policy is disconnected from the real impacts of AI on people and places
November 19, 2025 at 8:43 AM
New @carefultrouble.bsky.social paper out today with a whole bevy of academic partners, on the impacts of AI in urban environments. As the plan for AI Growth Zones starts to roll out, we find innovation policy is disconnected from the real impacts of AI on people and places
Reposted by Katie McDonough
Please consider donating to the Lancaster UCU Hardship Fund as we prepare to go on strike next week against the threat of compulsory redundancies at Lancaster University. #ukhe
www.peoplesfundraising.com/donation/lan...
www.peoplesfundraising.com/donation/lan...
November 18, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Please consider donating to the Lancaster UCU Hardship Fund as we prepare to go on strike next week against the threat of compulsory redundancies at Lancaster University. #ukhe
www.peoplesfundraising.com/donation/lan...
www.peoplesfundraising.com/donation/lan...
Reposted by Katie McDonough
Good to see the problems facing our colleagues @britishlibrary.bsky.social being raised here by @hetanshah.bsky.social (of @britishacademy.bsky.social). If this had happened in France it would be considered a national problem to be urgently addressed! www.cityam.com/the-british-...
The British library is in crisis: why does nobody care?
The widespread indifference to the British Library's crippling cyberattack demonstrates a perilous failure to value the knowledge infrastructure vital for national prosperity
www.cityam.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Good to see the problems facing our colleagues @britishlibrary.bsky.social being raised here by @hetanshah.bsky.social (of @britishacademy.bsky.social). If this had happened in France it would be considered a national problem to be urgently addressed! www.cityam.com/the-british-...
Reposted by Katie McDonough
I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
The British library is in crisis: why does nobody care?
The widespread indifference to the British Library's crippling cyberattack demonstrates a perilous failure to value the knowledge infrastructure vital for national prosperity
www.cityam.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:27 AM
I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
www.cityam.com/the-british-...