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My Library Is... Blog

Library books on a shelf in a classroom

My Library Is… Helping patrons find the books they want

Posted on June 7, 2023

As a Librarian, nothing is more frustrating than having students look at our shelves filled with thousands of books and say there is nothing they want to read. I wanted to leverage the RAILS My Library Is Grant to make my shelves more accessible and encourage reading throughout the John T. Pirie Fine Arts and Academic Center.

People holding a ribbon and cutting it

My Library Is... Celebrating Our Renovation

Posted on June 5, 2023

The Lisle Library District (LLD) was aglow from sunflowers and the LiteZilla on Saturday, April 22. After a year-long two-phased renovation, the Lisle Library District celebrated with a Grand Opening that attracted about 800 attendees, who enjoyed soft pretzels from Gnarly Knots and sunflower lollipops.

My Library Is... Conversation with Jeanne' Aken

My Library Is... Conversation with Jeanne' Aken

Posted on May 30, 2023

RAILS Member Engagement Manager Dan Bostrom talks with Jeanne' Aken from Beach Park School District in Beach Park, IL. Beach Park was the recipient of a 2022 My Library Is... Grant for School Libraries.

People sitting at a table working on a project

My Library Is... Empowering English Language Learners: Boosting Creativity and Expanding Vocabulary!

Posted on May 29, 2023

In 2021, the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, proudly opened the doors of its new Makerplace building, ushering in a world of exciting possibilities for the community. Since then, residents of all ages have eagerly embraced the opportunity to acquire new skills, unleash their creativity, and engage in a variety of enriching activities.

Evanston Township High School. Image credit: ETHS Virtual Tour.

My Library Is... A Place of Welcome and Acceptance!

Posted on May 22, 2023

I think it is very important that our students are made to feel whole when they enter our East and Central Libraries at Evanston Township High School.

Child in classroom wearing a VR headset.

My Library Is… Providing “Sliding Glass Doors” with Virtual Reality!

Posted on May 17, 2023

Through the power of virtual reality (VR), school librarians can transport their students to different times and places in order to get immersive, interactive 360-degree views like never before. In other words, VR allows us to become our own versions of Mrs. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus–embarking upon a variety of engaging adventures with our students.

A display of the new Graphic Novels.

Collection Facelift: Updating a School Library

Posted on May 15, 2023

Getting to know the library

Jodi Wortsman was the winner of a 2023 My Library Is… Grant for School Libraries

My Library Is… Me!

Posted on May 10, 2023

Everyone's a reader. That is the message I want to send to the students at Medinah Middle School. Last year I purchased celebrity READ posters from the American Library Association for all of the teachers in the school in order to promote reading in all disciplines. It was fun to see how the posters reflected the teachers’ personalities and interests.

Round table with books

YA? Why Not?! Middle Schooler

Posted on May 8, 2023

Pandemic-related delays are being felt throughout schools, but Heyworth’s Junior-Senior High School library was hit hard. Between closures, no in-person group visits, falling literacy levels, and a budget cut, the library was seeing a drastic loss of circulation as students struggled not only to get access to library materials, but to find materials that met their new needs.

people sitting at a round table with papers

My Library Is… The Heart of Our School!

Posted on May 3, 2023

My Library is…the heart of our school: a space for all students, staff and community members and filled with something for EVERYONE….readers, scientists, engineers, friends and so much more!