News from RAILS & Libraries

After a nationwide search, the RAILS Board appointed Monica Harris as RAILS Executive Director effective immediately. Monica has been serving as Interim Executive Director since November 2022. Monica first joined RAILS as Associate Executive Director in January 2020. In this role, she provided...

Cozying up with five cool, rare books on plants Winter is a great season for bookworms—there's nothing like a good book to keep you company during the colder months. And as far as stories go, the Rare Book Collection at the Chicago Botanic Garden's Lenhardt Library is a true treat. The Lenhardt...

Over the next few months, people who live in and around Lake Villa District Library will see some interesting newspaper ads and a large billboard and will receive a postcard at their home address. While this type of media plan is far from remarkable ----some might even consider it dated as Reels...

Please join RAILS in welcoming our newest member, General George S. Patton School District 133! This school district is located in Riverdale, Illinois. There is one school in the district, serving K-8 students. According to the Illinois State Board of Education, the district has an enrollment of 210...

Elgin Mayor David Kaptain, Jennifer Hammer of the Conservation Foundation, Val Devine from Joliet Public Library, Stephanie Driscoll from Schaumburg Township District Library , Ali Lanthrum from Aurora Public Library and Gail Borden Library representatives worked together to create a traveling...

The Illinois Association of College & Research Libraries (IACRL) Awards Committee is excited to announce the opening of applications for the OER Campus Kickstart: Award for Growing Illinois OER Programs. If you have been looking for a way of getting financial incentive to your faculty to take on OER...

The Oak Park Public Library has published an impact report that details progress made last year in its anti-racism strategic priorities. In her introduction, Executive Director Joslyn Bowling Dixon writes: "With Stephen Jackson, our Director of Equity and Anti-Racism, leading the charge, our library...

There were plenty of kisses seen between parents and their children at the Lunar New Year celebration, a Sunday afternoon memory maker on Jan. 22 at the Northfield branch of the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library. Amelia Kmiec, Northfield branch services librarian from Norwood Park, said the Lunar...

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