Advocacy Blog

The Crystal Lake Public Library launched its Library of Things collection in March 2025, and the community response was immediate and enthusiastic. One of the most popular items in this collection is the TonieBox, an interactive audio player intended for children ages 1-12. Each box has audio...

The Black Hawk College Library received the My Library Is… Grant to purchase two charging stations and ten charging blocks, as well as new charging cables for phones and laptops. The goal of this project was to supplement the technological needs of the campus, especially for students from...

Our school has offered Sora by OverDrive as a digital reading option for several years. As the school librarian, I have encouraged its use and taught the basics. However, I felt it was underutilized both in classrooms and at home. In recent years, I have purchased audiobooks to support some students...

Successful libraries seek opportunities to extend library services beyond the physical confines of the library building to engage their service community where patrons naturally and frequently interact outside of the library. This enhances awareness of library services and improves the library’s...

In September of 2025, fourteen libraries* collaborated on an ad featured on the BNSF Metra line. Many of the libraries along the BNSF line are within walking distance of the train stations, and have a shared goal of reaching commuters, with an audience of 25–55-year-old patrons who may find it hard...

College can be a difficult time in a young person’s life. It may be the first time that a student has been away from home for a long period of time. College may be a place where a student does not know anyone and has to navigate building new relationships on their own. It is a time when the student...

At Illinois College’s Schewe Library, we strive to be a welcoming, inclusive space where students feel at home, finding both academic support and community. With the generous support of the RAILS 2025 My Library Is... Grant, we launched a project to enhance our library’s role as a space for...

How 257 New Diverse Books Helped Students See Themselves in the Library The RAILS My Library Is... Grant helped our junior high add 257 diverse books to our library, but our real goal was larger than just adding new books. We wanted students to walk into the library and find stories that actually...

School libraries and media centers are not the same as when I grew up. They are now spaces that spark curiosity, foster innovation, and create meaningful learning experiences that extend beyond a traditional library. Thanks to the RAILS My Library Is... grant, our elementary school media center has...

It may seem that each day you turn on the news, or show up to work, there is a new change within education. Whether that be at the federal level, the state level, or even just your local elementary school, the changes can feel overwhelming. Each change requires additional work from everyone involved...

Planting Seeds Of Leadership: How Great Books Are Growing Natural Leaders At Prairie Crossing Charter School (PCCS) in Grayslake, IL, we believe that children are our best hope to improve the world. But how do you transform that belief into a daily reality for 432 K-8 students? For us, the answer...

Our project “My Library Is...Connecting Communities and Cultures” was developed to meet the needs of our community by creating a World Languages Collection focusing on Spanish and Arabic titles. The creation of the World Languages Collection impacts students and community members, library work...

What if the books kids checked out at the public library today ended up on their school library shelves next year? That is the whole heart of Share the Shelf: School & Public Library Book Initiative, a project funded by a RAILS My Library Is... grant. The idea was simple: bring a curated collection...

In 2025, Gerber/Hart Library and Archives officially dedicated its newest space: The Raffety/Tran Community Room, a multi-purpose gathering place to help meet the needs of the LGBTQ+ communities it serves. The Community Room has been designed to accommodate meetings, classes, receptions and small...

Des Plaines Public Library has a key belief “that all library users are entitled to the highest level of service.” For us, the highest level of service would not be complete without offerings for users of all abilities. Advancing Accessibility Through the Library of Things While our Library of...