News from RAILS & Libraries

From the My Library Is... Blog: 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...

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...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Doug Cataldo, Communications and Outreach Coordinator Phone: 847-458-3144 Email: doug.cataldo@aapld.org Algonquin, IL – January 2025 We are thrilled to welcome you back to the Eastgate Branch of the Algonquin Area Public Library District! After months of transformation...

Episode four of Can't Shelve This is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and more. In “A Good Librarian’s Guide to Getting Along (with Administration),” Janette and Leah are joined by school librarian Beth Kovacic and principal Akemi Sessler (Dryden Elementary School). Together, they...

From the My Library Is... Blog: The Learning Commons (LC) Library at Sauk Valley Community College (SVCC) is pleased to announce some significant developments made possible through the My Library Is... Grant funds. These enhancements are aimed at improving branding, visibility, and overall awareness...

Black History Month is a time to honor and reflect on the rich history, culture, and contributions of Black Americans. This February, we are thrilled to host a series of exciting events Our events will take place at both the Holiday Inn Matteson and the Matteson Area Library District 801 School Ave...

Saturday, January 25 | 1-4 pm | Glen Ellyn Public Library Meet local authors whose books are part of Glen Ellyn Public Library’s Emerging Author Collection and the collection at large. Discover the next wave of literary talent and connect with up-and-coming writers, hear about their fresh ideas, and...

Explore More Illinois, RAILS’ online cultural and recreational pass program for Illinois libraries, welcomes its newest attraction, First Floor Theater in Chicago! Founded in 2012, First Floor Theater has garnered a reputation for pairing some of the most cutting-edge scripts in Chicago and the...

The Zion-Benton Public Library District made the news! A Zion woman worked with the Zion Genealogical Society (ZGS) to find the family of the person who donated their kidney to her 40 years ago! The ZGS has dedicated space in the Library for genealogical research, and ABC 7 selected the Library for...

In compliance with Illinois statutes and administrative rules [23 Ill. Adm. Code 3030.200], annual certification is required of ALL library system members to retain system membership and eligibility for grants administered by the Illinois State Library. Examples of Illinois State Library grants...

All levels of library staff in the Lake County Area are invited to learn about people in transitional housing in Lake County and in particular how local libraries can connect people with resources for assistance and support. Participants are invited to join in-person or online via Zoom. Coffee will...

On Wednesday, December 18, 2024, the Maywood Public Library District has officially announced, Daniela Martinez, as their new Executive Library Director. Daniela graduated from Dominican University in 2021 with her Master of Library and Information Science, with a concentration in Youth Services...

RAILS Executive Director Monica Harris looks back at all the great work we’ve done together this year. We wish you all the best as we say goodbye to 2024 and we’re looking forward to the important work we will do together in 2025. Happy Holidays!

Following our 50 year anniversary as a Library District on Saturday, December 7th, local newspaper The Record North Shore ran this article on our event. The exhibit runs through February 8th and since this is our first-ever exhibit, we hope all our library friends in RAILS will come to see it!

From the My Library Is... Blog: On Sunday, December 8 2024 the Chicago Tribune ran a story entitled “Schools pick local control over grants.” This article discussed how libraries must adopt the ALA Bill of Rights or an equivalent statement against blanket book bans or lose their eligibility for the...