iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by carolyn

I broke this story in 2011, about the first major publisher-imposed loan restrictions on ebooks (the only truly big story of my trade journalism career). It’s been 15 years, and the only major difference is that public library budgets are lower and what publishers charge libraries has gone up.

libraryjournal.com

HarperCollins Puts 26 Loan Cap on Ebook Circulations

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carolyn @papersquared.bsky.social · 15h

Also, please read. This is what librarians do. This is who we are.

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carolyn @papersquared.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

BEGGING job applicants to please make sure that your cover letter mentions THE CORRECT POSITION YOU'RE APPLYING FOR. Otherwise, it's an automatic no. Especially for a position that requires attention to detail.

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carolyn @papersquared.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

We fail women and children every single day.

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carolyn @papersquared.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Class gave MIDSOMMAR a ~3.75 rating, which was better than I expected! Next week: THE THING!

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Reposted by carolyn

Whitney Curry Wimbish @whitneycwimbish.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The youngest person his pager attack killed was 9-year-old Fatima Abdullah, who had just started 4th grade. The pager was on a table when it went off and she picked it up to take to her dad. It exploded in her face and reports said it covered the room in her blood. She wanted to learn English.

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Reposted by carolyn

lumberjack wharfie @lumberjackwharfie.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Just called Senator Duckworth's Illinois office to tell them what a cowardly, chickenshit, total abandonment of the oath of office this is, that this attitude is how we got here, and that I will absolutely be supporting primary challengers to Tammy Duckworth next time she's up for reelection.

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carolyn @papersquared.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Duncan Sheik has passed away. His music got me through the death of my grandfather, which was the first death that truly shook me to my core. Later, as a poor married couple with an infant, I had tickets to see him but had to sell them. I regret I never got to see him perform. What a loss.

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carolyn @papersquared.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

On October 11, 2001, I was traveling to a wedding with a friend to a wedding across the country, and she was pulled out of the boarding line for "extra security." She's Egyptian. She was the only one pulled. I have NEVER forgotten how life changed for her after 9/11. I also lost my naivete then.

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Reposted by carolyn

Waldo Jaquith @waldo.net · 11/09/2026

Here’s how the New York Times describes this moment in their coverage:

At one point Mr. Trump asked attendees to raise their right hands and pledge to him that he would vote with their family and friends.
Dutifully, they did.

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carolyn @papersquared.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I watched THE DRAMA over the weekend and while I didn't hate it, I spent most the film watching with this expression:

static.klipy.com

Man's Hilarious Confused Look

Alt: Man's Hilarious Confused Look

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Reposted by carolyn

kelly jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I've launched a new limited-run podcast. Liberating Lit brings to listeners the advocacy origin stories of the people who have been defending the right to read and championing literature, with the goal to inspire new advocates and refill the cups of those feeling depleted.

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carolyn @papersquared.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

There’s one of these “schools” in Chicago and I’ve heard little in the way of protest or dissent. Parents should not only keep their kids out, they should loudly encourage everyone else to say away. This is NOT a school.

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Reposted by carolyn

Matt Gabriele @profgabriele.com · 04/09/2026

Dietram Scheufele is a sex pest and currently teaches at ASU

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carolyn @papersquared.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

CGI still exists. And Ryan Coogler didn’t need AI. Scratching this off the to-watch list.

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carolyn @papersquared.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

The dialect quiz said I was from California (54%), which makes sense since I'm from AZ, but the low % also makes sense as I've been with a guy from MA for 25 years AND I've lived in the midwest for nearly 20 years, so some pronunciations and terminologies have shifted.

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Reposted by carolyn

Julie& @himissjulie.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Let’s travel back to bored in the house and in the house bored with this banger of an earworm that had a chokehold on me. It’s fun to sing and I hope it’s fun to listen to. Also it’s Bandcamp Friday! Support real musicians by buying their music! 🎶

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Reposted by carolyn

Preeti Chhibber @runwithskizzers.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

i love that this has had literally no impact on my day lol

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carolyn @papersquared.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

legitimate question: how does the Shedd dispose of a whale's body?

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Reposted by carolyn

Robin Bradford @tuphlos.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Hey library staff: Do any of your libraries cap the number of copies of ebooks/eaudiobooks that you buy?

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carolyn @papersquared.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

NYC public schools just banned GenAI in elementary and middle schools. I'd love to see CPS follow.

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Reposted by carolyn

Librarian by Day 🏳️‍🌈 @librarianbyday.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Librarians, library profesionals, do no not use Substack. There are plenty of great alternatives! Reposting with tags. #publibs #skybrarians #medlibs 📚

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Reposted by carolyn

Erin Biba @erinbiba.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

A country actively hostile to science has enabled Drexel to close a 200-year-old museum for “financial reasons”. I personally refuse to believe they had no choice but to do this. Money always flows in the direction where priorities are set. This is devastating.

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Reposted by carolyn

Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

I feel like I’m going to throw up

Screen shot of an Instagram post that says the academy of natural sciences is closing its museum after nearly two centuries

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Reposted by carolyn

American Astronomical Society (AAS) @aas.org · 31/08/2026

🔭 Our new policy blog post shows that the number of astronomical sciences research awards made by NSF has decreased by 57% since last year, corresponding to a 51% reduction in funding. (1/2)

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carolyn @papersquared.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Libraries tossing out weeded titles is not a travesty. 🧵 1. libraries MUST weed. We don't have magic shelves with unlimited space. 2. we do try to find alternatives to recycling. Book sales, free tables, and places like Better World Books get the majority of weeded titles. 1/3

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carolyn @papersquared.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Plan a horrorfest using only your first name. Candyman (1992) Alien Rosemary's Baby Omen, The Lost Boys, The Y (I haven't seen any in this category. Lots of recs for You're Next but I can't do home invasions.) Nosferatu (1922)

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Reposted by carolyn

Jason Song Quinn (Comms Open) @hulkhoquinn.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Think about Miss Piggy. She lost a best friend and now an ex-lover in matter of 24 hours.

Miss Piggy and Dolly Parton in fancy dresses posing together

photo of Tim Curry surrounded by muppets, smiling for a photo. A quote from curry is added “it didn’t go very well. It didn’t survive the shoot. She felt I wasn’t being faithful to her” it’s him discussing his ill fated affair with miss piggy

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carolyn @papersquared.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

My introduction to Dolly was Islands in the Stream on my mom's clock radio Then: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. A surprisingly wholesome musical my parents had no problem letting me watch. Later, Dolly's Christmas album. Hard Candy Christmas makes me cry every time. And Steel Magnolias. ❤️

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carolyn @papersquared.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

I hate it here. The AI, not the fascist-fighting Spider-Man.

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carolyn @papersquared.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Getting a little concerned about how many times I'm seeing folks respond to a piece of writing with "that's AI" and I'm like... it is? Because more and more it's getting harder for me to tell. Terrified for the moment when someone accuses me of using AI. IT'S JUST HOW I WRITE.

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carolyn @papersquared.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Tori Amos still puts on a hell of a show.

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Reposted by carolyn

Glennyrodge @glennyrodge.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

The person who named sweetbreads isn't allowed to name stuff anymore.

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carolyn @papersquared.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Went to the lake to read and enjoy Nature but people talk a lot (not their fault) and my squirrel brain can't read in that environment. So backyard it is.

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carolyn @papersquared.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

This reminds me of the woman who accused me of using AI despite badmouthing it. My good woman, I do NOT use genAI. I actively avoid it. If it disappeared tomorrow, my life would be easier, honestly.

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carolyn @papersquared.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

He’s going to ruin this too.

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Reposted by carolyn

Hyde Park Trish @pmorse.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

3rd attempt—I was poking around the Library of Congress and found this map of the 1893 World’s Fair showing the location of all the Remington typewriters in use at the fair.

Faded blue ink map with many red stars showing the location of typewriters in action

1893 Remington typewriter with the qwerty key layout

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Reposted by carolyn

Colin Boyle @colinbphoto.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

These AI ads are garbage & a disgrace. Chicago’s lakefront doesn’t look like this, and whoever approved this trash needs to 1) hire REAL artists to create & 2) simply do better at their job. This is so embarrassing to see, especially at a mall in the heart of Chicago’s Mag Mile.