Advocacy Blog

We were lucky enough to be a recipient the 2023 My Library Is... Grant for School Libraries. This money was used to create a staff book club that focused on building empathy for and understanding of diverse communities. The books chosen included fiction, nonfiction, and graphic novels. Their purpose...

Like many educators, the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on my mental health. By February of 2021, I had a decision to make: remain in education or leave. I was dismayed with the state of public education and seriously considered leaving it all behind. But it wasn’t just educators. Students were...

Imagine giving your students the power to dive into the world of STEM wherever they go. Well, thanks to the RAILS “My Library Is…” grant money, our school library has launched the coolest initiative we've ever done - Maker Backpacks! Maker Backpacks are STEM kits that students can check out and...

Like many libraries, the Paul V. Galvin Library at the Illinois Institute of Technology receives more donated books than can possibly be added to the collection. Many of the donated titles are fiction and while we do have a leisure reading collection, only a small fraction of the books are of...

In 2022, while undergoing a major two-phase renovation, the Lisle Library District (LLD) fundraised for a special feature in the Youth Services department: a LiteZilla. The wall installation is akin to a giant Lite Brite with larger pegs that are safe for all ages. The library led the fundraising...

During the 2022-23 school year, library staff were informed that both of the D219 high school libraries (Niles North and Niles West) would be undergoing significant overhauls. We knew that remodels were on the horizon as we hadn’t been updated in a very long time, but the timeline was earlier than...

Realizing that the biography collection had some big gaps in representation while working with students was an inspiration for this RAILS grant. I wanted students to be able to see themselves in the collection of life stories and also be able to see outside their daily lives in Libertyville. This...

In 2022 Illinois Institute of Technology established the Galvin Library Media Studio (GLaMS) with funds received from the On the Road to Recovery: Transforming Library Spaces grant offered through the Illinois State Library. The new studio provides the space and tools necessary for patrons to...

Joliet Public Library Unveils Youth Art Gallery Presented by Old National Bank Joliet Public Library is pleased to announce the unveiling of the new Youth Art Gallery, presented by Old National Bank. The gallery space on the second floor of the Ottawa Street Branch will feature artwork from Joliet’s...

Our library was created in 2020, after returning from COVID-19, as a newly formed, K-2, dual language center. Previously, we were K-6 English, mono-lingual. With much gratitude towards the support of RAILS and the My Library Is Grant, we are creating and living a new future for our deserving...

We at the Gail Borden Public Library District are honored to be hosting Violins of Hope, ten lovingly restored violins played before or during the Holocaust. This project showcases Jewish stories of resilience, resistance, and unity through the power of musical performance. “Through hands-on...

Joliet Public Library is excited to announce a new traveling exhibit will open on June 16. – The Questioneers: Read. Question. Think. PLAY! Based on the best-selling series of books by author Andrea Beaty and illustrator David Roberts, the imaginative world of Questioneers characters Ada Twist...

Fox River Grove Memorial Library is proud to offer a Sensory Storytime on the second Monday of every month at 10:30 a.m. The next Sensory Storytime takes place on Monday, June 12, 2023. This program differs from the Library’s regular storytimes in that enrollment is more limited; transitions are...

This year Glenside Middle School rolled out WeVideo accounts to all of our students. This was the first time that students had access to a full-feature video editing program on their Chromebooks. It wasn’t a perfect journey, but over the year almost all students could access the basic editing...

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...