News & Announcements from Libraries

I recently met with my state senator to talk about support for libraries. It was an interesting conversation and at the very least, I hope I made her think differently about what is happening in libraries. My own journey to this meeting was a bit odd, but I wanted to share it with you in case you...

In the summer of 2021, the Head of Reference and Instruction Services (RIS) at the Paul V. Galvin Library at the Illinois Institute of Technology reached out to the university’s First Year Experience Program (FYE) coordinator about a potential collaboration. One of the goals of the FYE program is to...

As costs rise across the entire economic playing field, libraries are feeling the squeeze on their budgets. One way to help mitigate a tight programming budget is to foster and maintain community partnerships. Working with the businesses in your community is a winning solution for everyone involved...

The Lisle Library District is in the midst of a comprehensive renovation project scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2023. The Library is operating in the building during the renovation, with collections and services being offered on the east end while construction occurs on the west end...

In a new Specialized Library Spotlight, RAILS Member Engagement Manager Dan Bostrom speaks with Rita Hassert, Library Collections Manager at the Sterling Morton Library at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL. Rita discusses ACORN (Arboretum COllections & Resources Nexus), an online platform that...

Well not necessarily…That’s the lesson we learned at Palatine Library. We went through a full renovation on both floors of our Main Library during Covid shutdowns – the only silver lining to that challenging time. Like many libraries, door counts and program attendance went down drastically, but...

Libraries are magical places. In fact, the Vespasian Warner Public Library District in Clinton, Illinois is truly enchanted. In 2018, former maintenance supervisor, David Ward, noticed that a fairy door had appeared on the children’s floor. Two more doors were discovered shortly after on the library...

The Founders’ Memorial Library at Northern Illinois University has been exceedingly fortunate to employ a highly competent and skilled support staff dedicated to serving its students and faculty. They play a major role in everyone’s success by supporting their studies, teaching, and research with...

2022 marks the first year that Juneteenth will be recognized as a federal holiday. As an academic health science library, I wondered how we could provide an appropriate context for our diverse university community. The inspiration came from an unexpected as well as controversial source: J. Marion...

My Library Is... Advisory Team member Gwen Gregory interviews her colleague Kimberly Shotick about a new book that she co-authored, Practical Marketing for the Academic Library. Gwen and Kimberly discuss the challenges and opportunities for reaching new audiences in an academic library setting. For...

A story of how our library went from a list of resources and literature on our website, to host a 2-week humanitarian drive, a cultural program with 140 attendees, a display, and more. All for Ukraine. Libraries are about community and when it comes to helping others, they stand out even more...

Collection development is a craft, a skill that requires expertise, hard work, and insight about your collections and community. We seek out data about our community through information collected through the census, local government, schools, and community organizations. We build connections with...