Sparks features interviews with RAILS members and other leaders in the library/related fields. We intend to spark conversation, comment, and debate about current trends and issues affecting all types of libraries.
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RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with Carmen Patlan, Executive Director of Highwood Public Library, about winning the 2021 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. This podcast provides an excellent example of what a small library with very limited resources can do to make a real difference in the community through grants, partnerships, and volunteers.
Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens, https://himissjulie.com
Captions are available in the YouTube video.
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RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with Durand CUSD #322 school librarian Audra Hill and Kelly Giovanine, Executive Director of Durand Charm, a local non-profit, about their My Library Is… grant project to promote the combined school and public library. Many in the community are not even aware that they have a library.
Durand Charm: https://durandcharm.com
Durand CUSD Grant Application Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOJ3ycziilo
Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens, https://himissjulie.com
Captions are available in the YouTube video.
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RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with representatives from Gerber/Hart Library & Archives about their journey to create an eight-episode podcast on the personal stories of LGBTQ life and history in Chicago.
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Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens, https://himissjulie.com
Captions are available in the YouTube video.
RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with Fox River Grove Public Library District Director Nicole Steeves about the videos her library made after being awarded a My Library Is... Grant. Nicole talks about how their videos came together and she provides great, specific tips for libraries that want to do something similar. Their videos can be found in the Sharing Showcase of the My Library Is... website.
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Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens: https://himissjulie.com
Captions are available in the YouTube video.
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RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with Executive Director Kathleen Helsabeck and Assistant Director & Marketing Coordinator Burgundy Hill from Quincy Public Library, about how they worked with library users to tackle budget cuts to the library. Using simple, low-cost methods to make their case with the city council, Quincy Public Library came out victorious. This is a wonderful story about the importance of advocating for your library.
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Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens, https://himissjulie.com
Captions are available in the YouTube video.
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RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with Library Director Lauren Rosenthal, from Fox River Valley Public Library District, about the importance of data in library advocacy and telling a compelling library story. Lauren gives great, specific examples about how she used data to achieve library goals.
They discuss the library's creation of a Transparency Dashboard and Long Overdue Project/Survey, as well as how the library secured COVID-19 relief funds through the effective use of data.
Data comes to life in this podcast. We hope you enjoy it!
Relevant links:
Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens, https://himissjulie.com
Captions are available in the YouTube video.
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RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with Assistant Library Director Teri Campbell from Evanston Public Library, Preschool Outreach Librarian Emily Conradt from St. Charles Public Library District, and Community Engagement Manager Nancy Kim Phillips from Skokie Public Library about their libraries' EDI initiatives and activities.
Relevant links:
Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens, https://himissjulie.com
Captions are available in the YouTube video.
RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with Dawn Scuderi, Library Media Director at Lemont Township High SD #210, and Carolyn Kinsella, AISLE Interim Executive Secretary, about the important role that school libraries and school librarians play among all library types and in the life-long learning of an individual.
Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens, https://himissjulie.com
In the latest episode of Sparks, RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with Amy de la Fuente, RAILS Census 2020 Program Manager, about the significant role libraries will play in ensuring a complete census count throughout the state, and how RAILS and its subgrantees will use grant funds from the Illinois Department of Human Services for the 2020 Census.
Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens, https://himissjulie.com
RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with RAILS' own Leila Heath and Anna Behm about e-resources, including RAILS' e-content and self-publishing resource, inkie.org, the robust amount of material (or rabbit-hole if you prefer) on the BiblioBoard Library, current publisher restrictions on library e-content, and more.
Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens, https://himissjulie.com