Posted on December 5, 2022
In July, one of the large cottonwood trees that had stood proudly in front of the Dundee Library was struck by lightning during a summer storm. While it was not completely split, it was significantly weakened. Because the tree is so close to the building, we knew it had to come down.
Posted on November 28, 2022
As we continue to welcome new residents and English as a Second Language Learners from all over the world, it is no surprise that 25% of Arlington Heights residents speak English as a second language and that the Arlington Heights Memorial Library has for over 30 years offered free ESL & Literacy services to our community members.
Posted on November 28, 2022
In 2022, RAILS awarded $78,232.80 in My Library Is... Grants for School Libraries to 20 school libraries. These grants help recipients focus on projects that tell the library story and increase visibility and support for school libraries.
Posted on November 21, 2022
This past February, Booth Library on the campus of Eastern Illinois University held its first Blind Date with a Book. It was so popular that we decided to bring it back this fall and put a spooky twist on it. Blind Date with a Book: Love at First Bite ran throughout October.
Posted on November 7, 2022
Are you familiar with Find More Illinois (FMI)? It’s an interlibrary loan platform that provides access to a growing number of library holdings in one seamless interface. To help you learn more about it, RAILS put together some resources to help you make the case for this amazing resources.
Posted on October 24, 2022
Indian Prairie Public Library has participated in the Veterans History Project through the Library of Congress since 2003. The project, which was authorized by Congress in 2000, collects first-hand accounts of veterans via oral histories. IPPL has interviewed over 120 veterans and counting.
Posted on October 10, 2022
Cool, autumn weather and… gardens? It may not seem like the two go hand-in-hand, but now is the perfect time to start thinking about library programming and services for next year. One great way to get started is with a Garden Table.
Posted on September 19, 2022
The BMRC is a Chicago-based consortium that includes public and private libraries, academic archives and special collections, community archives, art centers, and more. Our mission is to connect all who are interested in learning more about Black history and culture to resources and collections in our member institutions.
Posted on September 5, 2022
This is the ninth year that Arlington Heights Memorial Library (AHML) invites the community to read the same book at the same time and share the experience through related programs and book discussions. This year, in particular, the book has a meaningful connection to Chicago, with local ties that unearth a buried piece of American history and the Japanese American community.
Posted on August 29, 2022
I recently met with my state senator to talk about support for libraries. It was an interesting conversation and at the very least, I hope I made her think differently about what is happening in libraries. My own journey to this meeting was a bit odd, but I wanted to share it with you in case you might want to go on your own advocacy journey.