News from RAILS & Libraries

Episode eight of Can't Shelve This is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and more. Instead of feeling sad, let's get mad. In "An Airing of Grievances," co-hosts Janette and Leah host a mid-year Festivus, addressing the current library landscape and reading listener-submitted rants...

You might not think that your local hospital, museum, church, synagogue, or law firm has a library, but many of them do. They’re called specialized libraries, and they’re RAILS members, too! RAILS is a multitype library system, which means that we serve all kinds of libraries: your local public...

Registration for the JJC Summer 2025 Session is now underway for new and returning students. Classes are online and asynchronous, so they are easy to fit into your schedule. No commuting costs and you will pay in-district tuition if you have no program locally. There are no textbook fees, as we make...

From the My Library Is... Blog: Research has shown that diverse books are beneficial in many ways: they provide students with affirmation of their identities, they allow students to see other perspectives and experiences, and they help to create empathy and community. Professor Rudine Sims Bishop...

Congratulations to Winfield Public Library Director Matthew Suddarth on his upcoming retirement! He has been Director for more than 22 years, and has seen the library through a renovation project, the shift to more digital technologies, the rise of eBooks, and much more. During his retirement, he...

We invite all levels of staff from any type of RAILS library to join the online RAILS Member Update on Wednesday, May 14, 3:00-4:00 p.m. Topics include an update from the Illinois State Library, a book award that honors a love of nature and action for planet Earth, the Explore More Illinois...

Voting is now open for the 2025 RAILS Board Election. Members may cast their ballot until Friday, May 23, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. This year, there are four candidates running for two open at-large seats; 11 candidates running for three open public library trustee seats; and one candidate running for one...

Chicago Public Library (CPL), Illinois Heartland Library System (IHLS), and Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS) are excited to announce the rebranding of the Explore More Illinois program. Explore More Illinois is a cultural and recreational pass program that allows Illinois public...

RAILS would like to share a few short updates on the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) funding situation: System Funding for FY 2026 Illinois State Library (ISL) has directed the regional library systems (including RAILS) to submit plans at level funding for the upcoming fiscal year...

From the My Library Is... Blog: What Dementia Is According to the World Health Organization, more than 55 million people have dementia worldwide. Dementia is a term that encompasses several diseases that affect memory, thinking, and the ability to do daily tasks. It is more common in adults over 65...

All RAILS offices and services will be closed on Thursday, May 15, for a staff in-service day.

Explore More Illinois, RAILS’ online cultural and recreational pass program for Illinois libraries, welcomes its newest attraction, Lincoln Log Cabin in Lerna! Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site, part of the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area, preserves the 19th-century home of Thomas Lincoln...

Libraries generally operate on tight budgets. This is why we offer several grant opportunities to help our libraries thrive and make sure that they also have room to grow. In 2024, we awarded: $10,185 in RAILS Continuing Education Event Grants to support learning and professional growth...

From the My Library Is... Blog: Once a quiet place reserved for hushed study halls and solitary reading, our Marist library has undergone a radical transformation with Project Refresh and it was exactly what our students needed. Our administration greenlit an overhaul of the space and this grant...

The Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS) has selected 24 projects to receive My Library Is... Grants. The total amount funded for these projects is $98,957.35. The purpose of these grants is to provide an opportunity for libraries to focus on projects that help tell their institution’s...