News from RAILS & Libraries

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!

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 IL state library per capita...

The FY 2025 application and expenditure report that documents the disbursement of the FY 2023 award are due on Thursday, January 30, 2025. To be eligible, a public library must meet all statutory requirements, including providing library services that meet or make progress toward meeting Illinois...

RAILS published Illinois Libraries: Agencies of Impact, a Data Study in September 2024 to help member libraries of all types and sizes demonstrate their value to various stakeholders. We have now added a media kit to the study’s web page. In this media kit, libraries will find all the infographics...

Since 2015 the Galena Public Library has been providing a variety of presentations, readings, workshops, and conversations with bestselling authors during the cold days and nights of January - a celebration of reading and writing in all its forms. Five events are planned for January and, back by...

Explore More Illinois, RAILS’ online cultural and recreational pass program for Illinois libraries, welcomes its newest attraction, Forest Park Nature Center in Peoria Heights! Forest Park Nature Center offers seven miles of trails for hiking and nature enjoyment and is home to a gift shop that...

https://www.therecordnorthshore.org/2024/12/02/winnetka-northfield-library-district-will-celebrate-half-a-century-on-saturday-before-turning-th…

Stories of mythical beings have been with us for thousands of years. These legends, which were sometimes inspired by fossils or living animals, continue to inspire us today. On exhibit at the Ela Area Public Library through February 2, Giants, Dragons & Unicorns: The World of Mythic Creatures traces...

JJC LTA Spring 2025 classes start on January 13! Register now! 2 classes offered, both delivered online: LTA 103 - Library Materials - 3 Credit Hours Examines the role of the library technical assistant in the practice of acquiring print and non-print materials from the selection decision through...

Waukegan Public Library is extremely excited and proud to share its original mural that has been one year in the making. After receiving a grant from the Waukegan Arts Council, the library set forth to interview artists and select a piece that would be a welcoming and joyful statement of the library...

From the My Library Is ... Blog: We set out to prove that “My Library Is …” a welcoming place for students who read in all languages. Thanks to a generous RAILS grant, the Library Media Center at Vernon Hills High School has been very successful in making this statement feel true to our multilingual...

We set out to prove that “My Library Is …” a welcoming place for students who read in all languages. Thanks to a generous RAILS grant, the Library Media Center at Vernon Hills High School has been very successful in making this statement feel true to our multilingual students, as well as the whole...

Just Published! ITALIAN WOMEN IN CHICAGO--VOL 2---SIAMO ARRIVATE BOOK PRESENTATION AT CASA ITALIA LIBRARY-1621 N. 39th Ave., -STONE PARK SAT. DEC. 14 NOON MEET THE WRITERS, PIZZA, READINGS, CELEBRATION, BUY BOOKS 708-345-5933 Detailed flyer: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BLKChoNoM62aP1mWzX7sdQ1...

Dan and Monica recap what they learned at last week's AISLE Conference in Tinley Park. They also discuss RAILS news, including a public library trustee vacancy on the RAILS Board and the launch of our online store. Lastly, they promote an exciting deep discount for Udemy, available exclusively to...