News from RAILS & Libraries

Explore More Illinois, RAILS' online cultural and recreational pass program for Illinois libraries, spotlights attraction, Pritzker Military Museum & Library in Chicago! The mission of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library is to increase the public's understanding of military history, military...

After a nationwide search, the RAILS Board appointed Monica Harris as RAILS Executive Director effective immediately. Monica has been serving as Interim Executive Director since November 2022. Monica first joined RAILS as Associate Executive Director in January 2020. In this role, she provided...

Cozying up with five cool, rare books on plants Winter is a great season for bookworms—there's nothing like a good book to keep you company during the colder months. And as far as stories go, the Rare Book Collection at the Chicago Botanic Garden's Lenhardt Library is a true treat. The Lenhardt...

RAILS Member Engagement Manager Dan Bostrom talks with Dawn Scuderi from Summit Hill Junior High School in Frankfort, Illinois. Summit Hill was the recipient of a 2022 My Library Is... Grant for School Libraries. Applications are now open for the 2023 version of the My Library Is... Grant for School...

Over the next few months, people who live in and around Lake Villa District Library will see some interesting newspaper ads and a large billboard and will receive a postcard at their home address. While this type of media plan is far from remarkable ----some might even consider it dated as Reels...

Please join RAILS in welcoming our newest member, General George S. Patton School District 133! This school district is located in Riverdale, Illinois. There is one school in the district, serving K-8 students. According to the Illinois State Board of Education, the district has an enrollment of 210...

Elgin Mayor David Kaptain, Jennifer Hammer of the Conservation Foundation, Val Devine from Joliet Public Library, Stephanie Driscoll from Schaumburg Township District Library , Ali Lanthrum from Aurora Public Library and Gail Borden Library representatives worked together to create a traveling...

The Illinois Association of College & Research Libraries (IACRL) Awards Committee is excited to announce the opening of applications for the OER Campus Kickstart: Award for Growing Illinois OER Programs. If you have been looking for a way of getting financial incentive to your faculty to take on OER...

Makerspaces in libraries are great. While makerspaces allow people to get creative and discover new ideas for projects, using the new equipment can be daunting for those who are unfamiliar with it. That’s why The Workshop Lab at Palatine Library District created an easy and accessible way to...

The Oak Park Public Library has published an impact report that details progress made last year in its anti-racism strategic priorities. In her introduction, Executive Director Joslyn Bowling Dixon writes: "With Stephen Jackson, our Director of Equity and Anti-Racism, leading the charge, our library...

There were plenty of kisses seen between parents and their children at the Lunar New Year celebration, a Sunday afternoon memory maker on Jan. 22 at the Northfield branch of the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library. Amelia Kmiec, Northfield branch services librarian from Norwood Park, said the Lunar...

When Illinois State University conducted a Textbook Affordability survey in the spring of 2019, it was clear there was a problem—one felt by institutions across the United States. The survey found that 73% of students did not acquire a textbook due to cost, 89% delayed purchasing a textbook or other...

3D printing was launched at Illinois State University’s Milner Library as part of our Make It Space initiative in the fall of 2018. Initial interest was strong, but our staff was flooded with requests after we moved the printer to a highly visible, publicly accessible space. Since then, we’ve had...

Once upon a time, there was a library nestled amid farm fields in Central Illinois. Now, this library was not big, but its patrons loved the library, and the library loved all the people that came to visit. The kind people who ran the library wanted to do everything they could to provide materials...

In May of 2022, a patron came up to the Reference Desk at the Northbrook Public Library asking for help with her new cell phone. She said that she had previously used a flip phone, but was told by her phone provider that they no longer supported it and that she needed to get a smartphone. She said...