29 November 2021
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RAILS Member Engagement Manager Dan Bostrom talks with Cheryl A. Hansen, Research Librarian at the ESi Library about what ESi does and who they serve.
22 November 2021
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Are you looking for a new way to gather input and spark ideas in your community? Try a community conversation.
The Vespasian Warner Public Library District in Clinton held a community conversation in August thanks to grant funding from Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC): Focus on Small and Rural Libraries, an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) in collaboration with the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL).
The LTC grant gave the library the opportunity to participate in a facilitation eCourse and the skills gained were put into action...
15 November 2021
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Did you know that there are over 100 specialized libraries in RAILS? Each specialized library serves a unique audience with specialized resources. As part of the My Library Is... campaign, RAILS is looking to spotlight specialized libraries and how they make a difference in their organization. Through a series of video interviews called the Specialized Library Spotlight, RAILS will discuss how each library serves their audience and how they tell their story.
RAILS seeks participating specialized libraries to interview. For more information about the Specialized Library Spotlight...
3 November 2021
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Do you need help demonstrating the value of your library to different stakeholders? Want to know what to say to justify the need for continued/increased library funding or staffing? Would you like to attract new library users? Want advice on how to promote the library’s role in identifying fake news or why libraries are needed more than ever in the internet age?
The My Library Is… campaign is designed to help libraries of all types (academic, public, school, and specialized) with these challenges and more. The campaign started in 2019, and we want to ensure that it continues...
18 October 2021
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The fall season may seem like an odd time to think about gardening, but it is the perfect time of year to start a Seed Library.
A Seed Library is a collection of herb, flower, fruit, and vegetable seeds that are available for “check-out”. Library card holders are invited to “borrow” free seeds at the library, plant them, and then harvest the new seeds to return to the library at the end of the growing season. Housed in an old card catalog, the Seed Library at the Vespasian Warner Public Library District (VWPLD) in Clinton, Illinois has been used to borrow over 2,000 packets of...
13 October 2021
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Listening to the radio recently, I was reminded that this week is the semi-annual fundraising drive for my local public radio station. A couple of times each hour, an announcer would mention the drive and invite listeners to support the station. Instructions on how to make a donation were given, and then the station would move back to its regular programming. It was not the “in your face” approach that public TV and radio stations used to use, pre-empting large blocks of their programming to try and coerce their audience into making a donation. I was struck by the subtly of it all. ...
11 October 2021
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Back in June, it was with cautious optimism that I emailed our staff to say “we’re getting the band back together!” It was time to dust off the prize wheel, order tchotchkes, air out the tent, and get back out into the community for some personal interaction with residents. We received a number of invitations to fests and gatherings, and I said yes to as many as I thought we could handle. We had great fun, meaningful conversations, and new experiences. Here are some bullet points to consider as your outreach schedule comes back to life:
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27 September 2021
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Small and rural libraries play a critical role in connecting community members to vital resources and programs. Each year nearly 30 million Americans are served by the nation’s approximately 4,000 rural library systems. This number illustrates the value that local communities place on library services. Small and rural libraries are the heart of the community they serve. Like their counterparts they are a place of information, a community hub connecting people to people offering safe havens for their users while providing the range of information resources needed to live, learn...
13 September 2021
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…watercolor bookmark, clay pot gnome, beeswax wrap, cactus rock, painted tea towel, clay pot leprechaun hat, framed burlap chick, sock bunny, decoupage trinket tray, bird mason jar, braided bracelet, swirly paper flowers, lip balm tin, tiny herb pot, tulip string art…
Crafts have been a popular offering at the Lisle Library District for many years. Prior to the pandemic, LLD held monthly family craft programs, adult craft programs, and separate teen craft programs. These events were well-attended with people calling the library as soon as registration opened to make sure...
23 August 2021
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I have a love/hate relationship with August. I hate August because it sometimes feels useless. August is long and hot and dreary. Summer reading is wrapping up or is over already, but it is too soon to start thinking about next year. Patrons seem to be far too preoccupied with tying up their own summers and getting ready for back-to-school to participate in programming. Most autumn activities and programming don’t kick into high gear until after Labor Day. And, there are no universally recognized holidays in August to offer staff a mental break from their routines.
Despite...
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The My Library Is ... campaign
is a project of the Reaching Across Illinois Library System.