News from RAILS & Libraries

It was quite an honor for the Virginia Community School District to receive the RAILS My Library Is… Grant! We were able to receive this grant through our teamwork and love for the library. It all started when our 2023-2024 School Librarian, Ms. Stephanie, and our High School ELA teacher, Mrs...

As the world has gone digital, books have, too. eRead Illinois expands access to e-books and e-audiobooks to Illinois residents through their participating libraries. What started as a grant program in 2013 has grown into an impressive platform where students, teachers, and community members can...

Explore More Illinois, RAILS’ online cultural and recreational pass program for Illinois libraries, welcomes its newest attraction, The 1843 Durant-Peterson House Museum in St. Charles! The Durant-Peterson House Museum is the original homestead of Bryant and Jerusha Durant, built in 1843. Your visit...

Explore More Illinois, RAILS’ online cultural and recreational pass program for Illinois libraries, welcomes its newest attraction, Oakton College Performing Arts Center in Des Plaines! The Oakton College Performing Arts Center, originally built in as a lecture hall, was renovated in 2001, adding a...

Do you ever wonder how RAILS is funded and can afford to provide resources to its members? Most of our funding is provided from the Illinois State Library and the Illinois Secretary of State. However, the Illinois State Library receives roughly 10% of their total budget from the Institute of Museum...

In news of a federal grant freeze, Dan and Monica explain how RAILS is funded. They also address the recent legal questions from our members about immigration enforcement and First Amendment rights. Lastly, Monica emphasizes the importance of serving your community and highlights a resource that...

RAILS is excited to announce the formation of the Leadership Training Design Team, a group of current and aspiring leaders tasked with creating a new leadership training initiative for staff at member libraries of all types. Tentatively scheduled to launch in Fall 2025, this program aims to provide...

Episode five of Can't Shelve This is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and more. In "A Love Letter to Libraries," Janette and Leah sit down with the internet's favorite librarian, Mychal Threets! Together, they talk about how even the smallest moments of library joy help us persist...

Explore More Illinois, RAILS’ online cultural and recreational pass program for Illinois libraries, welcomes its newest attraction, Chicago a cappella in Chicago! Chicago a cappella is a professional vocal ensemble that moves the heart and spirit with fun, innovative concerts. Their concert series...

Explore More Illinois, RAILS’ online cultural and recreational pass program for Illinois libraries, welcomes its newest attraction, Chicago Hounds in Bridgeview! The Chicago Hounds are a professional rugby team that joined the Major League Rugby competition in 2023. As the only professional Chicago...

We invite all levels of staff from any type of RAILS library to join the online RAILS Member Update on Tuesday, February 11, 3:00-4:00 p.m. Topics include public library meeting rooms and the First Amendment, the Galena LitFest, and a new learning opportunity from the RAILS Continuing Education team...

RAILS is excited to welcome Carolyn Sennett to the RAILS Board of Directors. Carolyn is a current member of the Wilmette Public Library Board. She is filling a vacant public library trustee seat for RAILS. She was sworn in at the board’s January 24, 2024 meeting. The seat’s term ends on June 30...

We are thrilled to announce the successful completion of the Right to Read Poster Project, an inspiring initiative celebrating intellectual freedom and libraries' vital role in our society. This project was made possible through generous funding from the My Library Is... Grant. Thanks to their...

The My Library Is... Grant has allowed over seventy of our students to read books in their home language. Some of the languages spoken in our school are Ukrainian, Spanish, and Portuguese. Multilanguage learner instructors have utilized the foreign language texts purchased from Follett to work in...

Explore More Illinois, RAILS’ online cultural and recreational pass program for Illinois libraries, welcomes its newest attraction, Evanston History Center in Evanston! The mission of the Evanston History Center is to collect, preserve, and share Evanston's history to educate, inspire, and enrich...