News from RAILS & Libraries

On the evening of Thursday, October 2, the RAILS data center, located at the RAILS Burr Ridge Service Center, will be undertaking a migration of internet providers. We expect this migration to be quick, but it could take up to 24 hours to complete. In that event, several RAILS services may be...

RAILS is excited to announce an opportunity for suburban Cook County public libraries to collaborate with the Cook County Office of the President in establishing a Digital Navigator Network. We are currently seeking participation in a Cook County Library Digital Navigator Network Guiding Team to...

The Illinois Cataloging Mentorship Program (iCAMP) 2025–26 is looking for additional mentors to support incoming mentees. We don’t always have enough mentors, so your participation is essential to ensure every new cataloger has guidance and support. If you’ve already submitted a mentor application...

Dan and Monica break down the latest in this month’s RAILS Minute: 💰 Your chance to win a $100 Visa gift card 📚 How two million items were added to Find More Illinois 📍 What you can find with our new resource sharing map 📣 How you can support your library system Relevant Links: L2 Signup Month...

The 2025 ILA Annual Conference is October 14–16, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. There are multiple ways you can connect with RAILS staff during the conference, and we look forward to seeing you. Conference attendees can stop by the RAILS booth (#711) to chat with RAILS...

Illinois Heartland Library System (IHLS), Illinois Library Association (ILA), and Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS) are excited to announce the release of a series of Directors University (DU) videos called DU On Demand. Directors University is a joint project of IHLS, ILA, and RAILS...

We are thrilled to announce the continuation of the Illinois Cataloging Mentorship Program (iCAMP), a nine-month initiative designed to foster both professional and personal development among participants. Program Overview: iCAMP operates on a comprehensive nine-month framework, structured to...

We are happy to report several changes made to our submission form. In order to streamline the submission process for large batches of items, the following fields will now be auto populated from the last form submission: Method of Sending Item Phone Return to Library Building Delivery Code Mailing...

Season two, episode two of Can't Shelve This is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and more. In "The One Where They Get Connected," Janette and Leah are joined by Cyndi Robinson (Executive Director of the Illinois Library Association) and K.C. Boyd (District of Columbia Public...

RAILS’ new leadership development program announces members of the inaugural RAILS Catalyst cohort. Due to strong interest, we increased the number of available spots from 40 to 48. All applicants demonstrated a passion for advancing their careers and building leadership skills. Final selections for...

RAILS is excited to announce that the Founders Library at Northern Illinois University (NIU) is bringing over two million items to the Find More Illinois platform. By joining as a lender-only, Northern Illinois University will bring unique collections not previously available to Find More Illinois...

As part of a year-long effort to encourage staff and trustees from member libraries to sign up for a Library Learning (L2) account, RAILS declares September “L2 Signup Month.” To celebrate, we’re hosting a contest! Throughout September 2025, anyone who creates a new L2 account will be automatically...

RAILS is excited to announce the launch of its new Resource Sharing Map, a powerful tool designed to help libraries explore, analyze, and advocate for libraries across Illinois. Built on the advanced ArcGIS software platform, this updated map is now publicly available and offers more features and...

At the World Language Cataloging Service, our mission is to expand access to the many languages spoken and read in Illinois libraries. Juvenile materials make up a large portion of the requests we receive, and are some of the most interesting materials to work with. We receive cataloging requests...

Burr Ridge, IL — RAILS is excited to announce that we’ve secured an eRead Illinois exclusive discount on content through Boundless, allowing us to purchase an additional $50,000 worth of e-books and audiobooks for the shared collection. This means more titles will result in shorter wait times and...