News from RAILS & Libraries

Please join RAILS in welcoming two new member libraries: Newark CCSD 66 is a public school district located in Newark, Illinois. The district has two schools, an elementary school serving K-4 and a junior high school serving 5-8. According to the Illinois State Board of Education, the district has...

Starting Monday, February 19, the RAILS Burr Ridge Service Center is re-open to outside groups. The facility was closed due to a project to replace all network cables. The majority of work has been completed and meeting space areas are now open. The closure did not impact phone or email...

Explore More Illinois, RAILS’ online cultural and recreational pass program for Illinois libraries, welcomes its newest attraction, Peoria Park District Playhouse Children’s Museum in Peoria! The Peoria PlayHouse Children's Museum provides children with the tools and inspiration they need to be...

As a reminder to all library types, RAILS is offering an exciting resource to help address equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in libraries. The Social Justice in Public Libraries program from Freedom Lifted is relevant and applicable to all types of member libraries. This asynchronous course is...

We invite all levels of staff from any type of RAILS library to join the virtual RAILS Member Update on Wednesday, February 14, at 1 p.m. Attached is a full agenda for this event. Topics include libraries serving new Americans/asylum seekers and the launch of the SLATE Project dashboard tool. There...

Explore More Illinois, RAILS’ online cultural and recreational pass program for Illinois libraries, welcomes its newest attraction, Whim Chicago @ Stage 773 in Chicago! Welcome to WHIM CHICAGO, where IMMERSIVE ART, UNIQUE COCKTAILS, and CAPTIVATING PERFORMANCE create unforgettable moments of...

The ILA Public Policy Committee wants to know more about your use of newspapers, specifically when it comes to required legal postings. This short 10-question survey will help ILA understand your costs, publication frequency, service area, and more. If applicable, please fill out a separate survey...

The Illinois Library Association (ILA) asks library workers to contribute witness slips for SB 2787. This bill would amend the Illinois Local Library Act and the Public Library District Act of 1991 to require competitive bidding for contracts in excess of $35,000 (rather than $25,000) for specified...

With the Digital Equity Plan comment period ending today, RAILS, along with CARLI and IHLS, has submitted public comments representing the statewide library perspective to the Illinois Office of Broadband. This open letter outlines several recommendations for further strengthening the draft Digital...

RAILS announced the release of a new memo which provides guidance for libraries on reporting requirements for newly hired independent contractors (please see the attached document). This is in connection to Public Act 103-0343 which was signed into law by Governor Pritzker on July 28, 2023 and went...

In the first episode of 2024, Monica and Dan formally announce the new RAILS Director of Consulting and CE, the SLATE dashboard launch, and all the deadlines members should know about to ensure proper certification and delivery. Relevant Links: RAILS Member Update 2024 Certification Tutorial...

RAILS is recruiting reviewers for the 2024 My Library Is... Grant for Libraries. A position description document for volunteers is attached. Each volunteer will be assigned to review and score between 10-15 applications. Volunteers will have 5-6 weeks to review applications. Please note that being a...

All libraries receiving direct van delivery are required to complete a quarterly delivery count. To ensure that the count is performed and the data is entered on time, we ask all library directors to review the list of library staff designated as a System Delivery Contact to receive notices and...

Starting Tuesday, January 30, 2024 RAILS will be working on a project to replace all network cables in the Burr Ridge Service Center. This project is expected to take 2-3 weeks to complete. The timeline is as follows: Start date: Tuesday, January 30 End date: Tuesday, February 20 (tentative, could...

Explore More Illinois, RAILS’ online cultural and recreational pass program for Illinois libraries, welcomes its newest attraction, McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn! Since opening our doors in 1986, the McAninch Arts Center has been focused on enriching our community with...