Dr Pauline McGonagle

Don't ignore the crisis at the British Library In 2023, one of the world's most significant libraries was hit with a cyber attack that destroyed multiple systems, requiring that its entire technology infrastructure be rebuilt and costing millions. Staff at the British Library say that the attack undermined the working environment, and more than 300 are on strike. The Library's chief executive has resigned, less than a year after she took the position. And some material is still not available to scholars. "Libraries and archives are the labs of humanities and social science scholars, and history is not possible without them," argues Hetan Shah, the chief executive of The British Academy. "The nation rightly values scientific infrastructure, but it pays extraordinarily little attention to what is happening at our national library." Museums Journal | 3 min read & City AM | 4 min read

This is a good note to end the week. The plight of @britishlibrary.bsky.social has been picked up in @nature.com’s influential daily briefing. Thanks everyone (including @floragraham.bsky.social)
who is getting the word out there about our national library
us17.campaign-archive.com?u=2c6057c528...

Watched, Tracked, and Targeted in Gaza Life under Israel’s all-encompassing surveillance regime.

Since October 7, the Israeli army has generated kill lists using AI, monitored the social-media accounts of Palestinians, and stored the audio of their phone calls. @mohamhawish.bsky.social reports on how technology has reshaped the daily lives of Gazans.

And ‘little’ Ireland …

Wasafiri at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature We're delighted to partner with the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature on two special events in January.

We're delighted to be partnering with the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature on two events in Jan.

'Writing Home' considers writing about where we come from when home is no longer what it was.

'A Family Affair' explores what holds families together & what tears them apart.

I emailed about an order sent as gift to Ireland but not yet arrived and no response. Do I need to write an individual? Thank you

It's official: 400 redundancies and a campus closure. At-risk staff will get a letter next week. Absolutely no serious consideration of any of the union's counterproposals.

Please share widely.

True.

It's not just Gaza. From the West Bank to Syria and Lebanon, Israel's onslaught continues | Nesrine Malik Broken ceasefires, bombing, ground incursions and mounting deaths: Israeli imperialism is now expanding across the region, says Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Such a shame you don’t like it. Try Jean Rhys Wide Sargasso Sea alongside it?

So far…. Quite a distance from the book

Unforgiveable

Super to see old friend Anotida in action. Persuade him to join bluesky

YouTube video by Derry Chambers Omar Barghouti BDS City Hall Nov 12th 2025

Omar Barghouti, founder of the BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanction) movement spoke at Cork City Hall last night (Nov 12th 2025). Well worth 30 mins of anyone's time, especially those wanting to end the Israeli Genocide in Palestine.

youtu.be/e4wThtegHSc

The view from the stage at our huge National March for Palestine today. On International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people, and every day, it's clear, the streets are with Palestine! #SolidarityIsAVerb #FreePalestine 🇵🇸

The arrogance and ‘too clever by half’ is all to clear.

Happy to be a contributor to this chapter.

Disappeared to a Foreign Prison The Trump Administration is deporting people to countries they have no ties to, where many are being detained indefinitely or forcibly returned to the places they fled. Sarah Stillman reports.

They were deported to countries where they have no ties, held in secret camps and prisons, and stripped of their rights. @newyorker.com exposes the chilling reality of the rapidly expanding practice of third-country removals under the Trump administration. www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

The Tiktok generation and their ‘tiktok’ accents…

🚨BREAKING -- A new UN report has found Israel's annihilation of Gaza has erased 69 years of human development, marking the worst economic collapse ever recorded.

All with the UK government's support👇
unctad.org/publication/...

Strong letter in today's Irish Times, we are sick of waiting, the government must enact the full #OccupiedTerritoriesBill with services included, immediately.
#EndIsraeliImpunity

‘The Love’: New Poetry in Translation by Hoda Omran "Marriage is the afterlife / for which we have to cross this life, / leaving behind our homes and pasts, / waiting for justice with a light heart, / where our homes become our graves."

‘The Love’: New Poetry in Translation by Hoda Omran

"Marriage is the afterlife / for which we have to cross this life, / leaving behind our homes and pasts, / waiting for justice with a light heart, / where our homes become our graves."

‘The directive was nothing left’: How Gaza’s cities were destroyed Israel has razed large parts of the Gaza Strip since the war began in October 2023. The evidence points to systemic destruction

“Soldiers testify that they have been told to burn down houses they have stayed in by pouring oil on curtains, books and mattresses.”

Read @aloner.bsky.social’s report on the destruction of Gaza’s cities.

Only two on my TRP! Like you.., when Oh when…

Thanks for including me as a contributor to your chapter @josutherst.bsky.social

Utter idiocy @orwellprize.bsky.social

Israeli forces stormed the Palestinian National Theater, shutting down a children’s show. On Sunday night, Israeli forces stormed the Palestinian National Theater, El-Hakawati, in occupied East Jerusalem, shutting down a children’s musical show titled “Dreams Under the Olive…

lithub.com/israeli-forc...

Next Sat (29th Nov 1pm) there is a National March for #InternationalDayOfSolidarity with #Palestine in #Dublin. Israel's attacks on Palestinians haven't stopped with the ceasefire & Israel continues to kill & to take Palestinian lands w/ impunity. Please support the Dublin (or a local) March.

[Online] Solidarity Sessions: Educational Seminars on Palestine (2025 Series - 3 Nov to 1 Dec) - Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign You are invited to attend a new series of the IPSC’s Online Solidarity Sessions on Palestine: Five weekly online webinar zoom sessions, beginning on Monday 3rd November from 7pm to 8pm. In order to ga...

At Maynooth. On tonight and requires pre-registration.[Online] Solidarity Sessions: Educational Seminars on Palestine (2025 Series - 3 Nov to 1 Dec) www.ipsc.ie/event/online...

Meet the AI workers who tell their friends and family to stay away from AI When the people making AI seem trustworthy are the ones who trust it the least, it shows that incentives for speed are overtaking safety, experts say

www.theguardian.com/technology/2...