News from RAILS & Libraries

RAILS and Western Illinois University (WIU) are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024 Western Illinois Digital Access Mini-Grants and Chromebook Lending Grants. These grants were made possible by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Office of Broadband. The...

The Gail Borden Public Library District celebrated its momentous 150th anniversary with a huge community birthday party on March 19, 2024. It was heartwarming to welcome so many people to this celebration. The Library was honored by a city proclamation by Elgin Mayor David Kaptain and a State...

Please join us on March 27, 2024, at 11 am CT for our next B'LONG Meeting! For those who do not know about B'LONG, we are the Bookmobile and Library Outreach Networking Group, a group of outreach specialists, librarians, managers, and support staff dedicated to bringing outreach services to meet the...

The Northern Illinois University Libraries' new exhibit, Alebrijes: Creatures of a Dream World, is featured in an episode for the WNIJ Under Rocks podcast at https://www.northernpublicradio.org/wnij-news/2024-03-21/alebrijes-out-…. A digital...

Would you like to work with a dedicated team of colleagues representing all types and sizes of libraries to help shape the future of a member-driven, vibrant, and innovative library system? RAILS is seeking nominees for five volunteer positions on its Board of Directors. Two at-large seats (to be...

This month, Dan and Monica highlight the successful launch of the School Library Advocacy through Education (SLATE) data dashboard and emphasize the value of the Freedom Lifted EDI course that is available to RAILS members. Plus, Monica breaks down all you need to know about library-related...

A six-minute, step-by-step video tutorial on how to create an L2 account is now available on the RAILS YouTube channel. All Illinois library employees and board members are encouraged to create an account on the Library Directory & Learning Calendar (L2) website . L2 has a statewide directory of...

Laura McGrath, deputy director at Skokie Public Library, is standing for election as a Director-at-Large for the PLA Board of Directors. Learn more about her great work in libraries: https://skokielibrary.info/staff/60/laura-mcgrath/.

ATLAS is gearing up for another continuing education event: Storytime, Outreach. Oh My! How do we create community for our littlest patrons? How do we connect with our daycares? What can I do to better connect to the diverse communities we serve? Join experts Rosie Camargo, Cultural Literacy...

Registration is open for the 22nd Annual Information Literacy Summit! Please join us at the College of DuPage on Friday, April 19, 2024 for this year's Summit, including: A keynote address featuring Dr. Troy Swanson, Library Department Chair at Moraine Valley Community College and author of the new...

Find out where your library card can take you! As the weather gets warmer, you may be looking for things to do outside the home. We all love tending to our yards, and gardens, and being outside after a cold winter, but if it’s too rainy to spend time out there, visit your library! Starting 7 April...

On Friday, April 12, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., RAILS and Western Illinois University are excited to host a free, one-day event on broadband and libraries. This event will feature speakers, networking, and a chance to find out more about what broadband opportunities lie ahead for libraries. Western...

We are pleased to announce the five proposals that have each been awarded a RAILS Continuing Education Event Grant: BIPOC Library Workers networking group: “Navigating White Spaces as a BIPOC Library Worker,” presented by Tracie D. Hall College of DuPage Library and DePaul University Library...

Please join RAILS in welcoming two new member libraries: Lindop SD 92 is a public school district located in Broadview, Illinois. There is one school in the district, an elementary school serving K-8. According to the Illinois State Board of Education, the district has an enrollment of 342 students...

Palatine Library Board of Trustees is excited to appoint Melissa Gardner as the Executive Director of the Library, effective July 8, 2024. Gardner has worked in libraries for over 20 years and has served as assistant director of the Library for the past nine years. During this time, she was part of...