iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

If any library would like to host their own initiative to assist students with absentee ballots, here is a great write-up of what it takes. crln.acrl.org/index.php/cr... And here is the awesome tool kit for 2026 absentee ballot requests by state: subjectguides.library.american.edu/absentee_bal...

crln.acrl.org

Absentee Ballot Day in the library: Empowering students to vote | Reece | College & Research Libraries News

Absentee Ballot Day in the library: Empowering students to vote

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

This is the "wall of shame" - all of the states with unusual requirements for absentee voting. New Hampshire and Mississippi are tied this year with the most ridiculous requirements. NJ requires you to upload a file with your signature if filling out an online form (paper form also available).

Whiteboard with specific voting requirements for absentee voting listed by state. New Hampshire - "must either register or note in person, ID with app(lication), must include BOTH app and affadavit, notary app" and Mississippi "request form to have app mailed, notary with app, notary with ballot"

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Volunteering on our campus' absentee ballot initiative in a bit - stay tuned to see how ridiculous some states make it to successfully vote via absentee ballot.

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Holy shit, the low end of their HIGHEST category, Librarian 4, is $71,656?! That's roughly AU's starting salary for Assistant. That is absolutely insane.

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

They're also high on their own supply, e.g. AI sycophancy and online social media bubbles - there's no one in their orbit to tell them how insane they are.

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Ahh, my apologies! Hasty searching. 🤦

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Definitely not allowed at my univ. I would email whoever asked you to clarify, but that should have been in their initial email! (we sometimes have trouble getting ahold of the list of evaluators from their tenure eval, so they're probably unaware)

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Right?! I assume we're too earnest to be reliable arbiters of what's cool, but I was sold just based on the yellow sneakers.

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

@sjadams.bsky.social Thank you for the very accurate / slightly too on-the-nose line!

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

"You look like a librarian trying to be cool." Character in Sarah Adam's The Rule Book reacting to an outfit of yellow and white herringbone 3/4 sleeve blazer, baby blue skirt, Rolling Stones t-shirt and yellow sneakers. Made me LOL this morning.

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Precocious/ferocious and crow blush is one of the more humorous song rhymes out there. (Not as great as stupid, Cupid, and loopid!)

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Reposted by Rachel Borchardt

Gabrielle A. Perry, MPH @geauxgabrielle.blacksky.app · 08/06/2026

This is the purpose of data centers. Not ChatGPT that yall keep screaming about. Nobody needs 40,000 acres for a search engine The future of mass surveillance & neo-feudalism (where we are headed) depends on the government AND corporations maintaining a permanent underclass using mass surveillance

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

That is a SHAME. I treasure these earrings!

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

There are zero Krogers in DC - closest one is hours away in VA.

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

AU is hiring two Resident Librarians with interest in reference and instruction for 2-3 year term faculty positions - must be a recent graduate. I'm not on the search committee, happy to answer questions: american.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/AU/job...

american.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com

Resident Librarian

American University is a student-centered research institution located in Washington, DC, with highly-ranked schools and colleges, internationally-renowned faculty, and a reputation for creating meani...

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Reposted by Rachel Borchardt

Willow @rockshrimp.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

Every time I see someone talk about Claude I think about how they switched from female to male names as soon as they wanted the robots to seem like experts vs personal assistants.

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

I thankfully have very little memory of this, but I do remember often thinking that you and a couple others forced into our department probably disliked those meetings greatly 😂 General faculty rule: there is NOTHING too small or petty to debate ad nauseum.

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

I didn't doubt that for a second! My colleague says there are some more prolific reviewers that send in sight variations of the same letter, which is painful to hear, but also understandable if we're continuously tapping the same small group of Full rank faculty at R1 institutions..

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Thanks for posting this! Just brought it up to my colleagues. External letters seem particularly tricky, since there is so much about them that's already prone to formulaic language.

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

Like even putting aside all the increasingly exaggerated AI claims, I don't understand why his claims about nuclear fusion weren't enough for people to instantly understand this.

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

I'm full, but with continuing appointment rather than tenure. Background is schol comm and subject specialist (sciences)...

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

CA delivered some magical ones - Sequoia Natl Park, Yosemite, Catalina Island, Hershey factory. Sadly, it was cold and snowy in Yosemite and the cabins were unheated, but still magical.

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

He'll always be Moon President to me -SNL nailed it with that one.

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

This plus whatever technology enables a taco stand on every corner, please and thank you

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Reposted by Rachel Borchardt

Kate McKean @katemckean.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

Over on threads someone just use ai;dr and we all need to adopt that right quick

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

Catherine O'Hara performing Kidnap Sandy Claws with Danny Elfman and Paul Reuben. I love it so much, and hope it can bring a smile to those mourning her loss. www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yHQ... (song starts at 1:49)

youtube.com

Danny Elfman, Catherine O'Hara, & Paul Reubens - Kidnap the Sandy Claws -Live - 10/31/15

YouTube video by draw den

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

Already wondering how I can cite this talk.

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

Penny loves to help with puzzles! Mostly by following your hand for pets.

Tortoiseshell cat stands on top of a partially finished puzzle on a dining room table

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Reposted by Rachel Borchardt

MinnMax @minnmax.com · 23/01/2026

In solidarity with today's ICE OUT OF MINNESOTA blackout, MinnMax is donating $1 to the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota for every share of this Bluesky post for the next hour.

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

Just called my senators urging them to oppose the DHS funding bill, and encourage folks to do likewise! (still HATE HATE HATE phone calls, but both of mine had the option to leave a voicemail, which is a little less awful IMO)

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

With the last recession, a lot of homeowners were "underwater" - owing more on the house than their home was worth. Any similar economic crash, which seems likely given that AI is propping up a lot of the economy currently, would likely have similar outcomes.

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

new-age/MAHA influencers 🤝 gross farms

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

It's also an amazing thing for a junior scholar to include in a file like for tenure, especially if you don't plan to cite them - qualitative reviews just hit differently than a citation count when it comes to demonstrating impact.

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

I remember words in songs better than ordinary words, including random songs from music class in elementary schools and many songs from the 50's and 60's.

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

Also faculty v. staff status in academia, structure and expectations of tenure. I had almost no idea, even after my MLS program.

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

My best advice is to see what kind of jobs are posted frequently, and try to square that with your interest/experience. Ideally try to gain experience in an area that's high demand or always in need of qualified librarians (science and business liaisons come to mind!).

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

One of the radio stations I listen to switched over on Friday.

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

Add the browser extension now! Sooner or later, you're going to come across something new you want to save and it's one click. And that's how you keep it useful until the next paper!

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

Why can I taste this ad so clearly?? RIP Kudos!

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

Chloraseptic! It tastes funny but works well - I used it as a kid.

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

FWIW, if you end up needing a place to crash for the night, happy to host you! We're in Vienna (Northern VA). We have a guest room & bathroom on its own floor.

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

I believe that there are only two fates for photos taken of slides at a conference: 1) Posted online 2) Literally never looked at again

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

Especially when they leverage that copyright to sell your work to AI companies for massive amounts of money. sr.ithaka.org/our-work/gen...

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

"Good and Cheap: Eating well on $4 a day" is a wonderful, free cookbook. It has lots of good ideas for making money and food stretch farther. dhs.saccounty.gov/PUB/WIC/Docu...

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

Settle for no reparations but you spell my name correctly?

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Rachel Borchardt @butternutsquash.bsky.social · 03/11/2025

I always feel like we've let you down when you repost, like we didn't give you sufficient props initially. Sorry.

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