News from RAILS & Libraries

Registration is now open for the hybrid BHL Day 2024 on May 16, 2024, at the Field Museum in Chicago. Themed " Year of the Cicada: Buzzing with 17 Years of Biodiversity Achievements ", the program will include a keynote by Dr. Gene Kritsky on the dual emergence of Broods XIII and XIX of the...

From the My Library Is ... Blog : Like many educators, the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on my mental health. By February of 2021, I had a decision to make: remain in education or leave. I was dismayed with the state of public education and seriously considered leaving it all behind. But it wasn’t...

Find out why the Midwest is home to some of the most innovative thinking in information services and specialized libraries! The 2024 SLA Midwest Symposium will take place on Friday, June 7, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Central. This event for anyone with an interest in specialized libraries. The entire program...

Dan and Monica discuss why you should vote in the upcoming RAILS Board election, where you can find us during the spring, and how we've expanded opportunities for the My Library Is... grants in 2024. Monica also gives a brief update on library-related legislations in Illinois that would affect...

The eighth annual Directors University will be held July 30 – August 1, 2024, at the Marriott in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. This professional development is intended for first-time directors and directors new to Illinois from public libraries of all shapes and sizes. The training will prepare...

The Reaching Across Illinois Libraries System (RAILS) has selected 28 projects to receive My library Is… Grants. The total amount funded for these projects is $104,204.15. The purpose of these grants is to provide an opportunity for libraries to focus on projects that help tell the library story and...

Lake Bluff Public Library is excited to announce a new service that demonstrates its commitment to access and the health and well-being of the community. The Library is now offering free high quality sustainable period products through a partnership with Aunt Flow . This initiative recognizes that...

In 2022, we, at Danvers Township Library, saw “Youth Art Month” on our March calendar and thought, we have a craft room full of miscellaneous art supplies. Why couldn’t we offer a weekly craft for the youth in our community? And so we did, and the youth in our community showed up week after week to...

Bestselling author Vanessa Riley and award winner Alina Rubin, will discuss writing historical fiction, giving women a voice in history, doing and using research, traditional versus independent publishing, and building empathy through history. This is a virtual program via Zoom. To register visit...

RAILS recently conducted a short survey to find out how current participants are experiencing the new Social Justice in Public Libraries program from Freedom Lifted. The feedback was almost entirely positive. Here are a few quotes from people who have tried the program: “Social Justice for Public...

Jessica Silva has been selected as RAILS Member Engagement Specialist, effective April 3, 2024. Silva fills the space previously vacated by Dan Bostrom, who was promoted to RAILS Director of Marketing and Communications in October 2023. Silva has 12 years of experience in education and librarianship...

From the My Library Is ... Blog : Imagine giving your students the power to dive into the world of STEM wherever they go. Well, thanks to the RAILS “My Library Is…” grant money, our school library has launched the coolest initiative we've ever done - Maker Backpacks! Maker Backpacks are STEM kits...

Explore More Illinois, RAILS’ online cultural and recreational pass program for Illinois libraries, welcomes its newest attraction, Des Plaines History Center in Des Plaines! The Des Plaines History Center collects, preserves, and interprets the history of Des Plaines and its people. Toward that end...

Furthering his commitment to the Right to Read, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is spearheading legislation that underscores the vital role of librarians in providing essential educational resources and ensures those individuals can go to work without fear and intimidation. HB 4567...

For the past several months the Galena Public Library has been working with the City of Galena, the Galena School District, and the Galena Center for the Arts to find Galena's first Poet Laureate. Two representatives from each organization made up a Poet Laureate Selection Committee. Galena will be...