How a Lightning Strike Unveiled a Fox at the Dundee Library

5 December 2022
Stacy Palmisano
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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. We were disappointed, but we do our best to turn negatives into positives here at FRVPLD, so we decided to explore the idea of transforming the tree into a sculpture that would add some character and prominence to our front yard.

The tree was planted around 1976, soon after the Dundee Library was built...

MY LIBRARY IS… Providing Accessible ESL & Literacy Services to Everyone

28 November 2022
Stacy Palmisano
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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. 

What it may surprise you to know, is that what started with 4 weekly Culture & Conversation sessions for cardholders only, and a once-a-month open to everyone, Tea & Talk program, today has grown into daily (Monday through Saturday),...

Coming Soon: My Library Is... Grants for School Libraries

28 November 2022
Dan Bostrom
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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.

It's time to start preparing your applications for the 2023 grant awards! On Thursday, December 15, 2022, RAILS will launch the application for these awards. For more information, please visit the My Library Is... Grant for School Libraries website.

 

Book display table

Blind Date with a Book: Love at First Bite

21 November 2022
Stacy Palmisano
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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. Wrapped books were displayed on a table in the main hallway, and each book was decorated and contained hints on the front to entice the reader to pick it up.

Library staff worked hard to keep the table stocked, as the books disappeared quickly. Books were taken from the shelves and sent to the Circulation...

Find More Illinois.

Talking About Find More Illinois

7 November 2022
Dan Bostrom
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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.

What it is:

Find More Illinois connects participating standalone and shared online catalogs. Anyone can search the holdings of all of these catalogs in a single search. Users from participating FMI libraries can locate and request materials...

Man sitting and talking to a woman

Veterans History Project

24 October 2022
Anonymous
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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. Any library, organization, or individual can contribute to this important program by submitting recordings, along with the required forms, to the Library of Congress. IPPL’s interviews and supporting documents can also be found on the library’s website...

A variety of zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers, and a small vase of orange flowers sits on a yellow tablecloth with Garden Table instructions.

My Library Is... A Place for Fresh Produce

10 October 2022
Samantha Rusk
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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.

Started in 2018, the Vespasian Warner Public Library District Garden Table encourages local gardeners to bring their surplus fruits and vegetables to share with the community. Then, library visitors are invited to take home whatever items they can use. This is a great way for the community to receive free produce that may otherwise go to waste.

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Black man sitting behind a wheel of an old convertible car with a cigar in his mouth

Bringing it all together in one place: How the Black Metropolis Research Consortium (BMRC) built a new searchable website.

19 September 2022
Stacy Palmisano
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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. Our end users range from students working on History Day projects to community members digging into genealogy, artists, and writers, to advanced researchers in the field. Visit our new portal at https://bmrc.lib.uchicago.edu...

Red background with book titled Cark and Division by Naomi Hirahara

MY LIBRARY IS… Connecting our Community through One Book

5 September 2022
Stacy Palmisano
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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. After receiving 29 nominated titles by staff library-wide, our selection process involved 15 library staff members across 7 departments and a final vote from our Leadership team. 

Set in Chicago in 1944, Clark...

Image credit: Unsplash.com.

I Met with My State Senator to Talk About Libraries (And You Can Too!)

29 August 2022
Dan Bostrom
Comments: 0

I recently met with my state senator to talk about support for libraries. It was an interesting conversation and at the very least, I think 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.

Reaching Out

National Library Week and School Library Month both fall in April every year. This year, I decided I would write letters to most of my elected officials to tell them about the challenges facing libraries or thank them for...

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