News from RAILS & Libraries

Association of Jewish Libraries IN PERSON Conference: Cooler by the Lake June 22–24, 2026 | Evanston, Illinois Librarians, scholars, educators, archivists, authors, and library advocates are invited to submit proposals for papers and presentations on all aspects of librarianship and on topics...

The creative spirit of Arlington Heights was on full display Thursday night as the Art with Alayne Artists' Celebration Reception brought together 31 artists, their families, friends and many community members for a celebratory evening at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library honoring the creative...

Blue Island Public Library is excited to announce that the construction of a green roof at the Library has been completed. This amazing investment in sustainable building and environmental protection has been made possible through a partnership with Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. The green...

The Orland Park Public Library will present its Land Acknowledgment during a public ceremony on Friday, Nov. 14, at 6 p.m. at the library, 14921 Ravinia Avenue. The program is offered in recognition of Native American Heritage Month and will feature Indigenous artists, musicians, performers, and...

Season two, episode four of Can't Shelve This is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and more. It's time for some real talk. Janette and Leah dive into the realities of school librarianship today—unpacking the numbers, staffing shortages, and loopholes schools use to sidestep library...

After a successful L2 Signup Month, RAILS is continuing to spread the word about Library Directory & Learning Calendar (L2)—the statewide calendar and membership database for library staff and trustees. We’re excited to share our brand-new L2 Signup poster that highlights: Who can have an L2 account...

From the My Library Is... Blog: RAILS delivery is arguably one of the most crucial services provided to member libraries and one of the most recognizable parts of RAILS' services. According to our RAILS: Numbers that Count data, “In 2024, our 46-delivery staff produced a 2813% return on investment...

Explore More Illinois, RAILS’ online cultural and recreational pass program for Illinois libraries, welcomes its newest attraction, Aikman Wildlife Adventure in Arcola! Zebras in the Midwest?! YES!! Aikman Wildlife Adventure is a wildlife sanctuary located in Arcola, Illinois. Our mission is to...

Explore More Illinois, RAILS’ online cultural and recreational pass program for Illinois libraries, welcomes its newest attraction, Bloomington Bison Hockey in Bloomington! The Bloomington Bison are a professional ice hockey team that plays in the ECHL, the premier professional AA hockey...

As part of the Orland Park Public Library’s celebration of Native American Heritage Month, the library is proud to host author Nick Medina for an engaging author talk on Tuesday, November 11, at 6:30 p.m. in Large Meeting Room 104. Born in Chicago and a member of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana...

Dan and Monica break down the latest in this month’s RAILS Minute: 💡 What we learned during conference season 📱 The new platform that will host eRead Illinois ⚖️ Library legislation we’re keeping an eye on 🛒 The latest merch available in the RAILS Online store Relevant Links: Can’t Shelve This (Live...

Due to the recent and abrupt closure of Baker & Taylor, the Boundless app, which hosts the eRead Illinois collection, is being discontinued. While a transition of this size would typically take months, we are moving quickly to ensure you and your patrons experience minimal interruption to your use...

From the My Library Is... Blog: With help from the RAILS My Library Is… Grant, Beach Park Middle School library has been able to support their new student advisement period. Last year, Beach Park Middle School started a student-choice incentivizing advisory period, where students learn a new...

We invite all levels of staff from any type of RAILS library to join the online RAILS Member Update on Wednesday, November 12, 3:00-4:00 p.m. Topics include an Illinois library legislative update, a discussion of what's next for eRead Illinois, and some news from Find More Illinois. An agenda is...

Gail Borden Library Reveals New Fall Exhibit Dinosaur Explorer ELGIN, IL – (October 21, 2025) – Dinosaur Explorer is an all-new traveling exhibition that explores the wildest, wackiest, and most wonderous dinosaurs and examines human physiology through the lens of these magnificent creatures. This...