News from RAILS & Libraries

My Library Is... Cooking was a grant to purchase updated cookbooks for our library. Our library’s cookbook selection was unappealing and outdated, and this grant allowed me to purchase a whole new set of cookbooks based on input from both staff and students. We hosted a book club potluck in the...

Explore More Illinois, RAILS’ online cultural and recreational pass program for Illinois libraries, welcomes back for the 2024 season, the Chicago Red Stars in Bridgeview! Established in 2007, the Red Stars were a founding member of the former Women’s Professional Soccer and would later become one...

Dan and Monica talk about the eagerly-anticipated statewide e-resource package, exciting new opportunities for library catalogers, and resources available for school librarians to remain in compliance with Public Act 103-0100 as they head back to school. Relevant Links: Statewide e-Resource Package...

Moraine Valley Community College Library is hosting weekly field trips to our library for 8 weeks in summer. Accompanied by camp counselors, the summer camp kids, ages 5-12, walk over to the library to read kids books, play board games, color or draw, and work on puzzles. The books for the littlest...

Illinois Heartland Library System (IHLS) recently published an FAQ for schools regarding Public Act 103-0100 on book bans. This legislation is designed to protect Illinois libraries' freedom to acquire materials and Illinoisans' freedom to read. This law mandates that every Illinois library...

Explore More Illinois, RAILS’ online cultural and recreational pass program for Illinois libraries, welcomes its newest attraction, Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra in Ottawa! This season we celebrate the diamond anniversary of the Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra, presenting a wealth of...

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Illinois Cataloging Mentorship Program (iCAMP), a year-long initiative designed to support all levels of current and aspiring cataloging staff. Program Overview: iCAMP operates on a comprehensive year-long framework, structured to facilitate growth and...

The LACONI Unconference is back! With a new location & new format. Come ready to design your own conference! Join the Recharge and Supervisors, Administrators & Managers (SAAM) sections of LACONI to celebrate our collective expertise by discussing any library-related topics at our second annual...

As we all know libraries have changed over the years, from e-books, chromebooks, and maker spaces to adding STEAM, reading nests, Lego and Lite Brite walls and so much more. However, one passion of mine has always been to keep real books in the hands of the students. Students need to understand how...

RAILS Music Librarianship Group Quarterly Networking Meeting Can't wait to see you all! This meeting will be announced on our ListServ. Feel free to contact Jodi Gianakopoulos, gianakopoulos@addisonlibrary.org or Colby Maddox, cmaddox@oldtownschool.org about joining our email list. This meeting will...

Scott Grotto has been appointed as the new Director of the River Grove Pubic Library District. Scott comes to River Grove PLD from Aurora Public Library District where he has served as the West Branch Library Manager since 2019. The River Grove staff and board are excited to welcome Scott to the...

ATLAS is excited to present another year of continuing education and professional development. We create exciting educational opportunities across the spectrum of public libraries. Our Middle Managers Round Table meets every other month with a focus on issues and best practices of library middle...

The Macomb High School library was honored to receive the My Library Is... Grant in the amount of $5,000. This grant is sponsored by the RAILS Library System and promotes collaborative projects between libraries and their community. Ms. Pittman’s and Ms. Eddington’s English students visited the...

My school is bilingual. And my library was too . . . sort of. Thanks to the RAILS My Library Is… Grant money, I can now say with confidence that the library is a bilingual space that serves all of our students. Brentano Math and Science Academy is a bilingual school. We have many students who speak...

To meet our community’s growing needs, the Oak Park Public Library partnered with Triton College this spring to offer an eight-week conversational Spanish course for 12 library staff members at the Main Library. The course was designed to help staff provide more responsive customer service and build...