Dr. Ben Mitchell
@drlibraryben.bsky.social
(he/they) Scholar. Geek. Nova Scotian. 🌍 Libraries (#GLAM), medical humanities, history/public history, neurodiversity and disability studies. 🌍 Geekier at: @willow0wisp.bsky.social
Pinned
Dr. Ben Mitchell
libraryben.trubox.ca
Lots of new follows and following after being on those lists. Folks who are interested can see some of my work and video recording of recent talks I've given on my website: libraryben.trubox.ca
Reposted by Dr. Ben Mitchell
A great thread on the history of eugenics, with some recommended readings. I'll try to reply here later with a few more, too.
Historian of eugenics here. I don't normally like to retweet bad arguments, but this is such a fundamental misunderstanding of eugenics, I think it's important to point out. I don't have time to debunk all of the ways this is inaccurate, but I'll highlight a few things and then recommend some books🧵
December 4, 2025 at 2:38 PM
A great thread on the history of eugenics, with some recommended readings. I'll try to reply here later with a few more, too.
Reposted by Dr. Ben Mitchell
Never mind the rights of children to read and know. www.librarypunk.gay/e/090-right-...
December 3, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Never mind the rights of children to read and know. www.librarypunk.gay/e/090-right-...
Reposted by Dr. Ben Mitchell
"Radical Histories of Decolonization," a new special issue of Radical History Review (153) is now available. View the TOC and read "Decolonization Now," the editors' introduction, made freely available: buff.ly/TipOXAq
Buy this issue: buff.ly/UMGEDEr
Buy this issue: buff.ly/UMGEDEr
December 3, 2025 at 6:01 PM
"Radical Histories of Decolonization," a new special issue of Radical History Review (153) is now available. View the TOC and read "Decolonization Now," the editors' introduction, made freely available: buff.ly/TipOXAq
Buy this issue: buff.ly/UMGEDEr
Buy this issue: buff.ly/UMGEDEr
Reposted by Dr. Ben Mitchell
For convenience: www.researchgate.net/publication/...
We provide an overview, case studies documenting issues, and suggestions for future research.
We provide an overview, case studies documenting issues, and suggestions for future research.
(PDF) Participatory Approaches to Neurodiversity-Affirming Research: Challenges, Strategies, and Recommendations for Conducting Better and More Intersectional Work
PDF | Participatory research with Autistic collaborators uses democratic decision-making to maximize the collaboration of Autistic people throughout the... | Find, read and cite all the research you n...
www.researchgate.net
December 3, 2025 at 4:52 PM
For convenience: www.researchgate.net/publication/...
We provide an overview, case studies documenting issues, and suggestions for future research.
We provide an overview, case studies documenting issues, and suggestions for future research.
Reposted by Dr. Ben Mitchell
Yep! It's why I've kept my school library DVD collection instead of dumping it like most schools. It still gets used, even by students. We also have free external DVD players they can check out.
Audio-visual librarians are quietly amassing large physical media collections amid the IP disputes threatening select availability.
The Last Video Rental Store Is Your Public Library
Audio-visual librarians are quietly amassing large physical media collections amid the IP disputes threatening select availability.
www.404media.co
December 3, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Yep! It's why I've kept my school library DVD collection instead of dumping it like most schools. It still gets used, even by students. We also have free external DVD players they can check out.
Reposted by Dr. Ben Mitchell
"The irony couldn’t be starker: the very programs best equipped to study the social and ethical implications of AI were being defunded, even as the university promoted the use of OpenAI’s products across campus.
This isn’t innovation—it’s institutional auto-cannibalism."
This isn’t innovation—it’s institutional auto-cannibalism."
„CSU—US’s largest public uni system—went all-in with a $17mill partnership with OpenAI. . .CSU unveiled its grand technological gesture just as it proposed slashing $375mill from its budget. While admin cut ribbons on AI, they were cutting faculty positions, academic programs, student services.“
AI is Destroying the University and Learning Itself
Students use AI to write papers, professors use AI to grade them, degrees become meaningless, and tech companies make fortunes. Welcome to the death of higher education.
www.currentaffairs.org
December 3, 2025 at 4:41 PM
"The irony couldn’t be starker: the very programs best equipped to study the social and ethical implications of AI were being defunded, even as the university promoted the use of OpenAI’s products across campus.
This isn’t innovation—it’s institutional auto-cannibalism."
This isn’t innovation—it’s institutional auto-cannibalism."
Reposted by Dr. Ben Mitchell
This manuscript is the culmination of years of discussions and work on how projects that aspire to do participatory research with autistic people can truly be inclusive and neurodiversity-affirming, reflecting our experiences on two initiatives. Nothing About Us Without Us!
New preprint alert! Drawing from our experiences and observations on two initiatives with participatory aspirations, we have identified challenges, strategies, and recommendations for better and neurodiversity-affirming autism research. 10.13140/RG.2.2.27146.12481 1/
December 3, 2025 at 10:36 AM
This manuscript is the culmination of years of discussions and work on how projects that aspire to do participatory research with autistic people can truly be inclusive and neurodiversity-affirming, reflecting our experiences on two initiatives. Nothing About Us Without Us!
Reposted by Dr. Ben Mitchell
Beyond paper below I've contributed to many research outputs lately on reshaping research & practice for justice for neurodivergent ppl inc
Epistemic Justice, Safety, and Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice: A Lived Experience-Led Response to Wade and Waller (2025)
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
Epistemic Justice, Safety, and Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice: A Lived Experience-Led Response to Wade and Waller (2025)
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
December 3, 2025 at 10:58 AM
Beyond paper below I've contributed to many research outputs lately on reshaping research & practice for justice for neurodivergent ppl inc
Epistemic Justice, Safety, and Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice: A Lived Experience-Led Response to Wade and Waller (2025)
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
Epistemic Justice, Safety, and Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice: A Lived Experience-Led Response to Wade and Waller (2025)
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
Reposted by Dr. Ben Mitchell
Using Unfolding Comic Narratives as an Innovative Teaching Strategy in Nursing Education
#GraphicMedicine
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39932693/
#GraphicMedicine
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39932693/
Using Unfolding Comic Narratives as an Innovative Teaching Strategy in Nursing Education - PubMed
The integration of unfolding comic narratives proved to be a valuable and effective pedagogical tool for enhancing student engagement and understanding of conflict management strategies in nursing education.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
December 2, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Using Unfolding Comic Narratives as an Innovative Teaching Strategy in Nursing Education
#GraphicMedicine
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39932693/
#GraphicMedicine
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39932693/
Reposted by Dr. Ben Mitchell
The story of how Stanislav Petrov saved the world from Nuclear apocalypse in 1983 always being me to tears.
December 2, 2025 at 1:31 AM
The story of how Stanislav Petrov saved the world from Nuclear apocalypse in 1983 always being me to tears.
Reposted by Dr. Ben Mitchell
The Government of Canada launched an AI Register which collects information about AI systems in use by the federal government.
The data set was partially collected via Access to Information requests, validating the approach I took with the Canadian Privacy Library.
open.canada.ca/data/en/data...
The data set was partially collected via Access to Information requests, validating the approach I took with the Canadian Privacy Library.
open.canada.ca/data/en/data...
Government of Canada AI Register (Minimum Viable Product) - Open Government Portal
The Government of Canada (GC) Artificial Intelligence (AI) Register collects information about the Government of Canada's AI systems. Its publication fulfils a commitment made in the AI Strategy...
open.canada.ca
December 1, 2025 at 9:20 PM
The Government of Canada launched an AI Register which collects information about AI systems in use by the federal government.
The data set was partially collected via Access to Information requests, validating the approach I took with the Canadian Privacy Library.
open.canada.ca/data/en/data...
The data set was partially collected via Access to Information requests, validating the approach I took with the Canadian Privacy Library.
open.canada.ca/data/en/data...
Reposted by Dr. Ben Mitchell
Your annual reminder that the most revealing difference between Irish and Scottish Gaelic is definitely in the words for December: Mí na Nollag (Month of Christmas) in Ireland, and An Dubhlachd (the Blackness) in Scotland. So once again may I wish you all a lovely Blackness.
December 1, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Your annual reminder that the most revealing difference between Irish and Scottish Gaelic is definitely in the words for December: Mí na Nollag (Month of Christmas) in Ireland, and An Dubhlachd (the Blackness) in Scotland. So once again may I wish you all a lovely Blackness.
Reposted by Dr. Ben Mitchell
Yes good
I am instantly transported back to a Canada Day where we discussed the potential for Prozac shipping at length
And then I laughed so hard I fell off the couch and hurt my shoulder.
I am instantly transported back to a Canada Day where we discussed the potential for Prozac shipping at length
And then I laughed so hard I fell off the couch and hurt my shoulder.
I made this purely to amuse myself and maybe dozens of other Canadians
July 15, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Yes good
I am instantly transported back to a Canada Day where we discussed the potential for Prozac shipping at length
And then I laughed so hard I fell off the couch and hurt my shoulder.
I am instantly transported back to a Canada Day where we discussed the potential for Prozac shipping at length
And then I laughed so hard I fell off the couch and hurt my shoulder.
Reposted by Dr. Ben Mitchell
Reposted by Dr. Ben Mitchell
“One person is an autocratic president of the university for decades” certainly wasn’t a flawless system but it’s clear that “admins hop from job to job scaling the career ladder by filling their CV with ‘accomplishments’ that are expensive burdens to the schools they leave behind” is even worse.
The worst thing to happen to academia was the emergence of a nomadic administrative class like the one in corporations who just move from institution to institution setting fires and walking away.
Say what you will about the flaws of faculty governance, but at least they believe in the mission.
Say what you will about the flaws of faculty governance, but at least they believe in the mission.
December 1, 2025 at 4:28 PM
“One person is an autocratic president of the university for decades” certainly wasn’t a flawless system but it’s clear that “admins hop from job to job scaling the career ladder by filling their CV with ‘accomplishments’ that are expensive burdens to the schools they leave behind” is even worse.
Reposted by Dr. Ben Mitchell
“I enjoy the way that by contrast blogging, once daringly futuristic, now seems quaintly retro—a bit like one of those early TGV prototypes from the 1970s.”
Daniel Gordon in the new piece in @frenchhistory.bsky.social celebrating ten years of the French History Network doi.org/10.1093/fh/c...
🗃️
Daniel Gordon in the new piece in @frenchhistory.bsky.social celebrating ten years of the French History Network doi.org/10.1093/fh/c...
🗃️
Blogging (French) history: conversations and reflections amongst historians
Abstract. In 2014, the French History Network Blog was launched with the aim of ‘connecting people and ideas’. Ten years later, it has shared hundreds of b
doi.org
December 1, 2025 at 11:43 AM
“I enjoy the way that by contrast blogging, once daringly futuristic, now seems quaintly retro—a bit like one of those early TGV prototypes from the 1970s.”
Daniel Gordon in the new piece in @frenchhistory.bsky.social celebrating ten years of the French History Network doi.org/10.1093/fh/c...
🗃️
Daniel Gordon in the new piece in @frenchhistory.bsky.social celebrating ten years of the French History Network doi.org/10.1093/fh/c...
🗃️
Reposted by Dr. Ben Mitchell
By McGill Assoc. Provost Indigenous Initiatives, Celeste Pedri-Spade
"These heroes were largely created by settler-controlled industries like publishing, media and academia — not by us. Their success was sustained by gatekeepers who valued marketable versions of Indigeneity over authentic voices."
"These heroes were largely created by settler-controlled industries like publishing, media and academia — not by us. Their success was sustained by gatekeepers who valued marketable versions of Indigeneity over authentic voices."
Thomas King: As we learn another ‘hero’ is non-Indigenous, let’s not ignore a broader cultural problem
Indigenous people are more than stories. We deserve a future where our identities are not commodities, and accountability is measured by actions that build trust and repair harm.
theconversation.com
November 30, 2025 at 2:50 PM
By McGill Assoc. Provost Indigenous Initiatives, Celeste Pedri-Spade
"These heroes were largely created by settler-controlled industries like publishing, media and academia — not by us. Their success was sustained by gatekeepers who valued marketable versions of Indigeneity over authentic voices."
"These heroes were largely created by settler-controlled industries like publishing, media and academia — not by us. Their success was sustained by gatekeepers who valued marketable versions of Indigeneity over authentic voices."
On a vaguely optimistic note, maybe the great botslop flood will make people think more about the importance of attribution and citation... maybe? Hopefully? Art, scholarship, news, etc. were always about human relationships, now it's even more important than ever.
December 1, 2025 at 12:09 AM
On a vaguely optimistic note, maybe the great botslop flood will make people think more about the importance of attribution and citation... maybe? Hopefully? Art, scholarship, news, etc. were always about human relationships, now it's even more important than ever.
Reposted by Dr. Ben Mitchell
Everyone enjoying this slide should follow @hugobookclub.bsky.social for more excellent takes that balance shitposting and thoughtful criticism. And occasionally full deep dives like this hugoclub.blogspot.com/2018/12/orga...
Organized labour in science fiction
Discussion of Hugo Award nominees for best novel, other science fiction novels, and analysis of the awards. We read all the nominees before we vote.
hugoclub.blogspot.com
November 29, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Everyone enjoying this slide should follow @hugobookclub.bsky.social for more excellent takes that balance shitposting and thoughtful criticism. And occasionally full deep dives like this hugoclub.blogspot.com/2018/12/orga...
Reposted by Dr. Ben Mitchell
I wrote about systemic medical bias, chocolate medals and Eamonn Holmes
Diagnosed but not believed: Autistic women and the medical gaze
A GP I met for the first time three minutes ago is glancing over my electronic health record, trying to match it with the woman before him…
medium.com
November 27, 2025 at 10:26 AM
I wrote about systemic medical bias, chocolate medals and Eamonn Holmes
Reposted by Dr. Ben Mitchell
The pros and cons of bibliotherapy. Fascinating (and long, but pls try to read it all). No answers here, but a great overview. #BookSky
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
'It opened up something in me': Why people are turning to bibliotherapy
"Bibliotherapy" has been soaring in popularity as a means of improving people's wellbeing. But getting it right depends on the book, and the person.
www.bbc.com
June 17, 2025 at 12:56 PM
The pros and cons of bibliotherapy. Fascinating (and long, but pls try to read it all). No answers here, but a great overview. #BookSky
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
Reposted by Dr. Ben Mitchell
Hi! I'm someone who has the audacity to be brown and autistic on the Internet, and I wrote this piece because I'm also too audacious to care about whether I make certain people uncomfortable. It's not about you! But if you THINK it's about you, then it most definitely is. Hope this helps!
Hapworth's autistic sense of justice never strays far from her side, but was suspiciously absent when Hapworth was accused of being racially insensitive, leading many to believe it had wandered off.
Missing! “Autistic sense of justice” nowhere to be found when it’s time to talk about race
A woman’s "autistic sense of justice" has been reported missing after it failed to appear when it was time to talk about racism in the autistic community, sources have said. Beth Hapworth, 26, uses…
thedailytism.com
November 28, 2025 at 11:05 AM
Hi! I'm someone who has the audacity to be brown and autistic on the Internet, and I wrote this piece because I'm also too audacious to care about whether I make certain people uncomfortable. It's not about you! But if you THINK it's about you, then it most definitely is. Hope this helps!
Reposted by Dr. Ben Mitchell
"I must tell you that a horoscope which has been cast for my younger son shows that he will be pope, but I'm very much afraid he's more likely to be the antichrist."
That's it.
That's the *entire* letter.
That's it.
That's the *entire* letter.
Reading letters from the Princess Liselotte of Palantine, the German sister-in-law of Louis XIV, and it's wild because she had this super informal writing style that almost sounds like modern texts
Like at one point she goes "wish to god my son didn't love holding chunks of bread like a peasant"
Like at one point she goes "wish to god my son didn't love holding chunks of bread like a peasant"
November 28, 2025 at 2:04 PM
"I must tell you that a horoscope which has been cast for my younger son shows that he will be pope, but I'm very much afraid he's more likely to be the antichrist."
That's it.
That's the *entire* letter.
That's it.
That's the *entire* letter.