Advocacy Blog

Latest News

  • My Library Is… The world’s largest paper snowflake

    In March 2022, students at Northern Illinois University created the world’s largest paper snowflake. It is forty-four feet six inches across and has been certified by the Guinness Book of World Records! The NIU Libraries got in on the excitement with a special event in its honor. The library...

  • My Library Is ... Bringing "Senior Storytime" to Local Assisted Living Facilities

    The Jerseyville Public Library has been presenting Preschool Storytime for as long back as most staff members can remember. It is a program presented once a month where children ages 2-6 can gather at the library and have a story read to them, sing and dance along to some fun tunes and use their...

  • My Library Is... Conversation with Dawn Scuderi

    RAILS Member Engagement Manager Dan Bostrom talks with Dawn Scuderi from Summit Hill Junior High School in Frankfort, Illinois. Summit Hill was the recipient of a 2022 My Library Is... Grant for School Libraries. Applications are now open for the 2023 version of the My Library Is... Grant for School...

  • Celebrating Makerspace Success

    Makerspaces in libraries are great. While makerspaces allow people to get creative and discover new ideas for projects, using the new equipment can be daunting for those who are unfamiliar with it. That’s why The Workshop Lab at Palatine Library District created an easy and accessible way to...

  • Tackling Textbook Affordability

    When Illinois State University conducted a Textbook Affordability survey in the spring of 2019, it was clear there was a problem—one felt by institutions across the United States. The survey found that 73% of students did not acquire a textbook due to cost, 89% delayed purchasing a textbook or other...

  • Sparking Creativity and Advancing Research with 3D Printing

    3D printing was launched at Illinois State University’s Milner Library as part of our Make It Space initiative in the fall of 2018. Initial interest was strong, but our staff was flooded with requests after we moved the printer to a highly visible, publicly accessible space. Since then, we’ve had...

  • Making a Makerspace: A Library-Win Fable

    Once upon a time, there was a library nestled amid farm fields in Central Illinois. Now, this library was not big, but its patrons loved the library, and the library loved all the people that came to visit. The kind people who ran the library wanted to do everything they could to provide materials...

  • Teaching Essential Digital Literacy

    In May of 2022, a patron came up to the Reference Desk at the Northbrook Public Library asking for help with her new cell phone. She said that she had previously used a flip phone, but was told by her phone provider that they no longer supported it and that she needed to get a smartphone. She said...

  • Library Exhibit in the Southeast Asia Collection

    Northern Illinois University Libraries are home to a vital, growing Southeast Asia (SEA) Collection, probably the largest in Illinois. The university is home to a Center for Southeast Asian Studies ( https://www.niu.edu/clas/cseas/index.shtml) and several Southeast Asian languages are taught on...

  • Meet Aseel! A Chicago Ridge Public Library Patron Story

    "In Chicago Ridge, everyone is here for one another and is always ready to help whenever they see someone in need." Aseel Alhamidi Aseel Alhamidi graduated high school in 2021 through the library partnership with Smart Horizon’s Career Online High School Program. Eleven Chicago Ridge residents have...

  • Meet Stan! A Chicago Ridge Public Library Patron Story

    Stan Pawlowski is a long-time Chicago Ridge resident, avid library user, and a member of our Board of Trustees. We asked Stan to share his library story. “I began utilizing the library about four years ago on a consistent basis. I had just lost my job and was eager to get another position as soon as...

  • My Library Is... Collaborative

    It’s not unusual for college students to struggle with college life during the course of an academic year, but the stress experienced at the end of the semester is in a category of its own. The extra pressure associated with wrapping up a semester makes it a particularly high-stress time for many...

  • Helping Start a New Business

    Business Librarian at the Crystal Lake Public Library here. I had a patron come in for a one-on-one reference appointment shortly before the COVID-19 lockdown went into effect. She and her partner were looking to open a bookstore and needed help gathering information. I showed her our collection of...

  • How a Lightning Strike Unveiled a Fox at the Dundee Library

    In July, one of the large cottonwood trees that had stood proudly in front of the Dundee Library was struck by lightning during a summer storm. While it was not completely split, it was significantly weakened. Because the tree is so close to the building, we knew it had to come down. We were...