iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Royal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · 29/09/2026

Submissions are now invited for the Society's 2027 First Book and Early Career Article Prizes - covering monographs and articles published in 2026 bit.ly/4z45bD8 The closing date for submissions is 14 December 2026. Judging begins in early 2027 with winners announced next July #Skystorians 1/2

bit.ly

Royal Historical Society Book and Article Prizes, 2027: submissions now invited - RHS

The Royal Historical Society invites applications for its First Book Prize, 2027 and Early Career Article Prize, 2027. The call for submissions opened on Monday 28 September 2026 and runs to Monday 14...

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Isabel Holowaty @iholowaty.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

👇 My high-tech 3D cannon ball 😅 which I used when giving a brief talk at @ox.ac.uk GLAM @ 10 staff conference on the 1675 Strasbourg Agreement. Psst, there’s are 3 pairs of thick socks in there! 🤣

Photo of a round cannon ball prop on a green sofa.

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Southern History Society @southernhistsoc.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

The Southern History Society is on Bluesky! We publish Southern History, the peer-reviewed annual on the history of southern England, Cornwall to Kent, since 1979. I'm Jacob, and I'll be posting here. If you would like to learn more about the society, check out our website in our bio!🔗🦋

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Bodleian Humanities Library @bodhumslib.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Want to learn a bit more about us? 💡 Then you're in luck! This Saturday 12th September, we're offering hourly introductory talks about the Bodleian Humanities Library as part of Oxford Open Doors. Please see further details below, or follow this link: tinyurl.com/28puhem4 Hopefully see you soon!

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Dr Sian Witherden @sianwitherden.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

I’m pleased to share that records for parish churches and chapels are now available on Medieval Libraries of Great Britain - mlgb.bodleian.ox.ac.uk #provenance #manuscripts @bodleian.ox.ac.uk

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Taylor Institution Library (Taylorian) @tayoxford.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

🚪Oxford Open Doors🗝️ Please join us on Saturday 12th September for our Oxford Open Doors events! While we're not usually open to the public, for one day only we will be running tours of the building for everyone to attend! See our Oxford Open Door page below for more details!

oxfordpreservation.org.uk

Taylor Institution Library

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Magdalen Libraries & Archives @magdlibandarch.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

1 afternoon. 7 libraries. Countless unexpected treasures. On 28 September, 7 Oxford college libraries (including us!) are opening their doors for a free afternoon exploring their extraordinary historic collections. 📅 28 September, 2–5pm 🎟️ Free, no need to book 🔗 Find out more: ow.ly/qplE50ZAqE8

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Craig Clunas @craigclunas.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Chair of Art History at Oxford advert is now live, and the important bit is this: "We welcome applications from candidates with expertise in any area of the History of Art". You've got till October 19 to apply or tell somebody else to. A wonderful job, go for it. my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

my.corehr.com

Job Details

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Isabel Holowaty @iholowaty.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

I just leave the country for a few days & they changed Blenheim Palace. 🙄🤷‍♀️ Whatever next!? 🤣

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Bodleian Humanities Library @bodhumslib.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

It's going to be another hot one today! 🌡️ If you're interested, here are some live temperatures from the coolest rooms in the Humanities Library: 🔹Multimedia Room - 20.9° 🔹Graduate Reading Room (Floor 1) - 22.2° 🔹Rare Materials Teaching Room - 22.6° Why not come along to cool down! ❄️

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Dr Vanessa @hpsvanessa.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

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.

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Isabel Holowaty @iholowaty.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Wearing 4 sunglasses 😎😎😎😎 is perfectly safe to watch the #solareclipse, right? 🤣

Selfie while wearing 4 sunglasses on top of each other

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Christina de Bellaigue @cadebellaigue.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Today, Filippo de Vivo, Martin Conway, @faridahzaman.bsky.social and I, along with 30 other members of the Faculty of History at the University of Oxford have written to the leadership of the University of Exeter to express our deep concern about the proposed cuts to Humanities and Social Sciences

We write to express our profound concern at the proposed redundancies at the University of Exeter...History at Exeter has built a global reputation in recent years through its outstanding scholarship, major international research projects, and research-led teaching./We in Oxford have benefitted enormously from collaborations and exchanges with colleagues at Exeter, including on the Socialism Goes Global project, and on a developing programme of research focusing on Downward Social Mobility, and we frequently draw on the excellent work that your department members publish. The Exeter Centre for Global History in particular, has been world-leading in the field and stimulated our work in Oxford, as has the department’s long-established excellence in European, Imperial and Military history, Economic and Social History and the History of Science. We note too, the recent election to Fellowship of the British Academy of Professor Jane Whittle and Professor Mark Jackson, whose work has also inspired and guided ours. We have seen our undergraduates go on to prosper as graduate students in Exeter’s School of Archaeology and History, and recruit Exeter students to our own graduate programmes with enthusiasm, knowing they will have had excellent preparation for their studies. These strengths have taken decades to establish but could be undermined in a matter of months. Such losses would diminish the University’s academic standing, weaken its ability to attract outstanding staff and students, and jeopardise the reputation on which the University’s long-term institutional success depends./The case for cuts of this scale is difficult to reconcile with the University’s own recent financial position or with the continued strength of the disciplines most heavily affected. Rather than protecting Exeter’s future, these proposals, and the consequent restructuring and generalising of the curriculum, risk causing lasting reputational and financial harm while reducing the quality and bread…

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Good to see science and universities bundled into the same analysis rather than treated as separate entities (as they are by their dismemberment in separate government departments). But it would be QUITE NICE if 'science' could be construed in the European sense of science. It's not STEM alone.

ft.com

Time for Andy Burnham to smile on UK science

Waning support for basic research threatens Britain’s technology ambitions

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Lucy Delap @lucydelap.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Great discussion at the 'crisis in UK history' meeting hosted by @ihr.bsky.social, @royalhistsoc.org, @histassoc.bsky.social and History UK. Horror stories of closures and redundancies, balanced by new resources. Check out for ex. the new Independent Historians Network independenthistorians.org

independenthistorians.org

Independent Historians Network

The place for independent and freelance historians to connect

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Dot Porter @leoba.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Do you use digitized medieval manuscripts in any capacity? Do you have opinions about the metadata that describes them? We want to hear from you! Please take a moment to fill out our very short survey. Please repost and share with anyone you know who might be interested! forms.gle/sBPXAnoRhwe1...

forms.gle

Digitized Medieval Manuscripts: Metadata Preferences

A brief survey about what metadata formats people prefer to go along with their digitized medieval manuscripts. The results of this survey will be used to consider what metadata we make available thro...

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Isabel Holowaty @iholowaty.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

📣 EThOS is back! 📣 This is brilliant news. And it has a new shiny (much better). And it has details of another 14K theses. What's not to like? Well done @bldigischol.bsky.social

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Daisy Black @daisyeblack.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

After months of gaslighting from my university, which thinks medieval things of little interest in an English Literature degree, it's validating/ extremely annoying to be 49,319th in the queue for tickets to see the Bayeux Tapestry.

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Isabel Holowaty @iholowaty.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

3 yrs ago we decided to dedicate a small patch of our small lawn to wild flowers & leave it untouched. Yesterday I counted 6+ ladybirds, 1 cinnabar moth caterpillar & a grasshopper. We now have a variety of grasses from the original lawn. You too can choose to make a difference. #Biodiversity

Photo of grasses with a blue shed in the background and red common poppies.

Photo of a plant with a black/orange caterpillar

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Isabel Holowaty @iholowaty.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Channeling 🧊 vibes by planning already for Freshers Week. 😃 #scorchio 🥵

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Arches Project @archesproject.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

🗺️ Who Is Using Arches? The GEMENE‑ST project maps the Genoese merchant network (1450–1530) & slave trade across the Mediterranean & the Atlantic, highlighting connections between thousands of historical records. 🔗 Explore the database, hosted by @dhiroma.bsky.social: gemene-st.dhi-roma.it/

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Sheilagh Ogilvie @sheilaghogilvie.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

The University of Oxford is advertising a 2-year Teaching Fellowship in Economic and Social History starting 1 Sep 2026. Applications close 1 Jul 2026. my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

my.corehr.com

Job Details

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Bodleian Humanities Library @bodhumslib.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

🔔 We're hiring! 🔔 Would you like to join our team of evening & weekend staff? We're currently recruiting for 3 part-time posts, each with different hours! Closing: 22nd June 2026 See the listing for more details: shorturl.at/cP6fn

shorturl.at

Job Details

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

The belief that voters under FPTP "find a way of getting what they want" is just mysticism. It assumes that people whose votes are being ignored, backing parties that don't get represented, are somehow brilliantly manipulating the system to get an outcome different to the one they're voting for.

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Engaging the public in humanities & social sciences feels more important than ever. So we are offering £8k grants for researchers to work with galleries, libraries, archives, museums or performing arts organisations to do this. Please help spread the word! www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/sche...

thebritishacademy.ac.uk

SHAPE Involve and Engage

A funding programme for innovative public engagement from the British Academy.

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Abilu Tangwa. @abilutangwa.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Let's prioritize installing solar panels on structures like car parks and building rooftops instead of agricultural land, as this approach embodies sustainable development.

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Royal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · 29/05/2026

We are stronger, and better historians, together. Historical societies abound in the UK, and we've listed 150 with BlueSky accounts in this updated Starter Pack. go.bsky.app/AZaYQDd Other societies appear on a new listing of subject societies on the RHS website bit.ly/4ebwP9r #Skystorians

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Isabel Holowaty @iholowaty.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

This is a tasteful display at Heathrow T5 to welcome newly arrived passengers to the UK. Just a bit OTT, no? 😂

Display for traffic options at Heathrow airport.

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

The Wiener Holocaust Library @wienerlibrary.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

🗺️ Our interactive Refugee Map allows you to browse and search a selection of our rich collection of family papers, including diaries, photo albums, identity and emigration papers, Red Cross letters and recorded interviews... www.refugeemap.org

refugeemap.org

Refugee Map | Documents from the Wiener Holocaust Library

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Royal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · 18/05/2026

The Society is pleased to publish the Shortlist of its 2026 First Book Prize for early career historians: bit.ly/4dARJO1 This year's list includes eight monographs published in 2025 and follows an open call for submissions. Our two prize winners will be announced in July #Skystorians

Image of books with text: Royal Historical Society First Book Prize, 2026. Shortlisted Titles.

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Caitlin G. DeAngelis @caitlindeangelis.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Recently, FamilySearch digitized and uploaded tons of microfilmed records, including many from 18th-century Massachsuetts. They're using some sort of AI to transcribe/summarize the handwritten documents. I've noticed that the AI strips out references to race and enslavement in 18thc documents.

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Isabel Holowaty @iholowaty.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

If you like C17 paintings, esp portraits, you must go to the RA's exhibition on Michaelina Wautier's work. A truly astounding artist of her time but little known until now. www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/m...

royalacademy.org.uk

Michaelina Wautier | Royal Academy of Arts

A 17th-century trailblazer rediscovered.

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Bodleian Libraries @bodleian.ox.ac.uk · 11/05/2026

Last chance to book! Join Bodley's Librarian Richard Ovenden as he talks about knowledge, power and why libraries still matter - now more than ever. 🗓️ 14 May, 5.30-7.30pm 📍 Weston Library Book now: visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/fob-annual-…

The image is a poster for the Friends of the Bodleian Annual Lecture 2026. It features the book cover of "Burning the Books: A History of Knowledge Under Attack" by Richard Ovenden, with a red background and a burning book illustration. Quotes from various publications surround the cover. Event details: "Defending Knowledge: Why Libraries Matter," scheduled for Thursday, 14 May 2026, from 17:30 to 19:30.

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Hanna Sinclair @hannasinclair.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

Prof. Lyndal Roper deserves this honour so much. Nobody is more inspiring, enthusiastic, and encouraging, and she is such a brilliant scholar. I'm honoured and very glad to have had the opportunity to pay tribute to her (even under an alias?!). Congratulations Lyndal!

youtube.com

Meet the 2026 Holberg Prize Laureate, Professor Lyndal Roper.

YouTube video by Holberg Prize

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

University of Hertfordshire closes a swathe of Humanities courses, accelerating the sweeping tide against Human-centred disciples in the UK. Because understanding humans is so yesterday today. With such happy consequences, as we see when we look around us.

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Alice Reid @amrcampop.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Exciting new census-linking project about to start at @camunicampop.bsky.social !

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Isabel Holowaty @iholowaty.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

“Our intellectual, psychological and physical well-being requires taking this algorithmic vice very seriously.” A must-read.

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Isabel Holowaty @iholowaty.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Swifts!!! Safely arrived from the other side of the world. 🥰 #swiftwatch #birdies

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Isabel Holowaty @iholowaty.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

@oldfortunatus.bsky.social would have loved to listen to your talk but queues were enormous! 😃

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Isabel Holowaty @iholowaty.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

Amazing vibe today’s Open House @oxhumanities.bsky.social #SchwarzmanCentre. Music, talks, drama, all there to explore. And @bodhumslib.bsky.social is there of course. Join a free tour! And say hello to Tom. 👍😃

Photo of a male librarian at the Humanities Library stall with two blue banners.

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Bodleian Humanities Library @bodhumslib.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

Need Saturday plans? Come by the Schwarzman Open House! Alongside cultural events, the library will be running tours every half-hour from 11am-5pm; head to the ground floor Space for Reading to join! Full details here: www.schwarzmancentre.ox.ac.uk/theme/open-h...

schwarzmancentre.ox.ac.uk

Open House

Curious about what’s inside? The Schwarzman Centre doors are wide open and you are invited. This free-entry Saturday festival brings the building to life, celebrating the launch of our cultural progra...

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Of interest to (among others) @ihr.bsky.social , @royalhistsoc.org and #Skystorians

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Isabel Holowaty @iholowaty.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Happy to share that I’m starting a new exciting position as Interim Head of Humanities Libraries @bodleian.ox.ac.uk. Supporting students and researchers across @oxhumanities.bsky.social is both an honour and a challenge which I am hugely looking forward to. 😃

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Isabel Holowaty @iholowaty.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

A topical recommended read: Anderson, Noel. Wars without End : Competitive Intervention, Escalation Control, and Protracted Conflict. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2025. solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/permalink/44...

solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk

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Isabel Holowaty @iholowaty.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

If any #Oxford folk are interested in a limited print of a lovely wintery scene Bath Place near the Turf Tavern, then get in touch with my dearest friend ophelia@opheliaredpath.com.

Image of a young lady wearing a bright red long coat, with a dog on the lead, while walking down a snowy Bath Place, nr Turf Tavern, Oxford.

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

British History Online @bho.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

Dear everyone, As per the post from the Bodleian librarian below, AI bots and scrapers are putting just about every website under great pressure, British History Online included. A lot of excellent tech staff are working hard to keep everything working, but outages and siruptions are inevitable.

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Reposted by Isabel Holowaty

Calum Cockburn @ccockburn.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

The British Library’s Medieval MSS team now have a presence on Bluesky @blmedieval.bsky.social Follow for updates as we restore more of our digitised content online!

A miniature of the construction of the Tower of Babel, from Boccaccio's Des cas de nobles hommes et femmes (Add MS 35321).

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