News from RAILS & Libraries

The RAILS Board of Directors voted on Friday, September 27 to endorse the CARLI Statement of the Importance of Librarians in Academic Libraries. The statement is attached.

Check out The Arcade Age Exhibit at the Schaumburg Library! From now through January 5th, 12 retro arcade games are on display at the library and free to play. The exhibit also showcases the story of video arcade games; from the pioneers in the early ‘40s and ’50s to the golden age in the late ‘70s...

The Waukegan Public Library has officially opened our new Telehealth Booth! Thanks to a partnership with Abbott and Abbott Fund, this private, ADA-accessible booth will provide patrons with direct access to virtual healthcare services. Equipped with a WiFi-enabled laptop, webcam, and vital signs...

From preparing food in a cooking class to engraving a cutting board, repairing household appliances to creating artwork to display in your home, the opportunities to create and learn are endless at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library Makerplace. Now celebrating its third year, the Makerplace is...

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced that RAILS Director of Technology Services Anne Slaughter has been appointed the new Broadband Advisory Council Chair. Slaughter has been engaged with the council since its inception in 2019. The Illinois Office of...

RAILS has signed an agreement to continue providing access to the Social Justice in Public Libraries program from Freedom Lifted for all member libraries. This popular resource allows library staff to learn more about equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in libraries. The course content...

The Casa Italia Library Traveling Exhibit Italians in Chicago The Italians in Chicago Traveling Exhibit, will be available for loan starting in Italian Heritage month in October. This will be the first time in decades that the Traveling Exhibit will be available for loan. Visitors at your location...

Visit RAILS at our exhibit booth (#401) at the ILA conference in Peoria, October 8-10. Exhibit hours are Wednesday, October 9, noon–5 p.m., and Thursday, October 10, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. RAILS is a Platinum Sponsor of the conference and is sponsoring the ILA Membership Meeting and President’s Program with...

Things are ramping up at RAILS this fall! Dan and Monica talk about the new Illinois Libraries: Agencies of Impact data study, the exciting premiere of our new podcast for school library workers, and more updates on the statewide e-resource package. Relevant links: Illinois Libraries: Agencies of...

Please join SLUI in-person for our annual meeting & program at the Tinley Park Public Library on Wednesday September 25th! -- REGISTER HERE SirsiDynix representatives will be on hand to showcase new SirsiDynix software and give a roadmap for upcoming product enhancements! We will also be hosting...

RAILS is thrilled to announce the premiere of its newest podcast, Can’t Shelve This . The series is co-hosted by RAILS Data Analyst Janette Derucki and Illinois Heartland Library System School Library Membership Coordinator Leah Gregory. The podcast aims to create a space for school library workers...

Tour of the Resource Center at The Old Town School of Folk Music Join the RAILS Music Librarianship Networking Group Meeting for a tour of The Resource Center at the Old Town School of Folk Music. Old Town School of Folk Music Lincoln Square Campus, West Building 4544 N. Lincoln Ave. Chicago, IL...

Maggie Thomann has been selected as the new Library Resource Specialist in RAILS’s Resource Sharing department. This position was added in FY2024 to support the growing Deals & Discounts program. Thomann’s first day in the position was September 4, 2024. Thomann has over 20 years of experience in...

At RAILS, our mission statement “We Connect Libraries” reflects our belief in the transformative power of libraries. We go beyond brick-and-mortar walls, fostering collaboration and resource-sharing to empower libraries of all types and sizes. That's why we have published the Illinois Libraries...

The Illinois State Library (ISL) will host online training sessions to answer common questions about the statewide e-resource package . Attendees will learn how to get links, set up an EBSCO Connect account, access training videos, and more. ISL’s Library Program Specialist Suzanna Jones will also...