News & Announcements from RAILS

On Thursday, May 15, 2025, the Cook County Board of Commissioners voted to approved $850,000 for a project aimed at improving digital equity. This funding, which was awarded to RAILS by the Cook County Board of Commissioners, will go towards the design and implementation of a Digital Navigator...

Episode eight of Can't Shelve This is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and more. Instead of feeling sad, let's get mad. In "An Airing of Grievances," co-hosts Janette and Leah host a mid-year Festivus, addressing the current library landscape and reading listener-submitted rants...

You might not think that your local hospital, museum, church, synagogue, or law firm has a library, but many of them do. They’re called specialized libraries, and they’re RAILS members, too! RAILS is a multitype library system, which means that we serve all kinds of libraries: your local public...

We invite all levels of staff from any type of RAILS library to join the online RAILS Member Update on Wednesday, May 14, 3:00-4:00 p.m. Topics include an update from the Illinois State Library, a book award that honors a love of nature and action for planet Earth, the Explore More Illinois...

Voting is now open for the 2025 RAILS Board Election. Members may cast their ballot until Friday, May 23, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. This year, there are four candidates running for two open at-large seats; 11 candidates running for three open public library trustee seats; and one candidate running for one...

Chicago Public Library (CPL), Illinois Heartland Library System (IHLS), and Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS) are excited to announce the rebranding of the Explore More Illinois program. Explore More Illinois is a cultural and recreational pass program that allows Illinois public...

RAILS would like to share a few short updates on the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) funding situation: System Funding for FY 2026 Illinois State Library (ISL) has directed the regional library systems (including RAILS) to submit plans at level funding for the upcoming fiscal year...

Explore More Illinois, RAILS’ online cultural and recreational pass program for Illinois libraries, welcomes its newest attraction, Lincoln Log Cabin in Lerna! Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site, part of the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area, preserves the 19th-century home of Thomas Lincoln...

Libraries generally operate on tight budgets. This is why we offer several grant opportunities to help our libraries thrive and make sure that they also have room to grow. In 2024, we awarded: $10,185 in RAILS Continuing Education Event Grants to support learning and professional growth...

The Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS) has selected 24 projects to receive My Library Is... Grants. The total amount funded for these projects is $98,957.35. The purpose of these grants is to provide an opportunity for libraries to focus on projects that help tell their institution’s...

Explore More Illinois, RAILS’ online cultural and recreational pass program for Illinois libraries, welcomes its newest attraction, Lincoln Douglas Debate Museum in Charleston! Visit this first-class facility located on the site of the 1858 Charleston, IL, Lincoln-Douglas debate. Take a self-guided...

The ninth annual Directors University will be held August 4 - 6, 2025, at the Hilton DoubleTree 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. Directors University (DU)...

RAILS World Language Cataloging Services Program is committed to enriching library collections with global perspectives, one title at a time. Among our recent projects, one stood out as an exciting intersection of literary heritage and linguistic diversity: the cataloging of a Khmer translation of...

Dear Library Colleagues, I’m writing to share some important news about proposed legislation that our office is spearheading designed specifically to improve security at libraries and enhance safety for librarians across Illinois. House Bill 2747 and Senate Bill 1550, which were introduced in the...

Dan and Monica provide updates about the dismantling of IMLS, sharing new resources, events, and talking points that members should know about. They also discuss the new 2024 RAILS Annual Report and highlight the continuing education opportunities available to library workers in Illinois. Relevant...