Blog

The Impact of COVID-19 Related Closures on Library E-Content Usage.

How E-Content Bridged the Gap During Library Building Closures

24 September 2020

Dan Bostrom

Comments: 0

When Illinois’s Stay at Home order went into effect on March 21, 2020 and public libraries were required to close their buildings, something happened. At RAILS we started to see a noticeable shift in user behavior on the eRead Illinois Axis 360 e-content platform. The number of holds being placed on items skyrocketed. The type of materials people were checking out shifted from the most popular best-sellers to more modern classics. And usage as a whole was way, way up.

We wondered - is this happening elsewhere? Are other e-content consortia seeing similar changes? And if so, how does...

Image credit: Matteson Area Public Library District.

Virtual FanFests: Taking the Superhero Size Event into a Virtual Space

21 September 2020

Dan Bostrom

Comments: 0

In 2019, the Matteson Area Public Library District organized its first comic-con event, MAPLD FanFest, in April. Initially, we weren’t sure how our community would receive the idea of a FanFest. We hoped for at least 300 attendees but were pleasantly surprised that we had close to 1,000.

With the success of this program in mind, we started to plan what changes or additions we wanted to make for the 2020 event. We were excited and ready to make it bigger than the last, until everything came to a screeching halt on March 13th, the day our library doors closed due to the pandemic. ...

My Library Is... Conversation with Dr. Mary Moen

16 September 2020

Dan Bostrom

Comments: 0

RAILS Member Engagement Manager Dan Bostrom speaks with Dr. Mary Moen from the School Librarians of Rhode Island about Overdue: The Value of School Librarians. The School Librarians of Rhode Island produced this short documentary style advocacy film to show the value of school librarians. Please be sure to watch the video (linked above) and check out the resources they've provided such as a discussion guide and advocacy letter.

...

Examining Our Controversial History: Deerfield Public Library's Award-Winning Fight to Integrate Project

10 September 2020

Dan Bostrom

Comments: 0

In 1959, a housing developer began work on new, upscale homes in Deerfield, with a difference--the development would be racially integrated. Many residents immediately opposed the development. In the weeks that followed, residents passed a park referendum to condemn the developer’s land. The crisis became a national story, attracting the attention of Martin Luther King Jr., James Baldwin, Eleanor Roosevelt, and years of protest. The land has remained parks. In the years since, many residents were unaware of this important struggle for civil rights in their community.

The Deerfield...

Wanted: Volunteers for My Library Is... Advisory Group

2 September 2020

Dan Bostrom

Comments: 0

Are you interested in library advocacy and outreach? Want to help RAILS libraries tell their story and make the case for increased support/funding? Apply to be a My Library Is.. Advisory Group member!

RAILS is seeking seven volunteers to help publicize the campaign and make people more aware of resources on the My Library Is... website. Volunteers will be asked to help create new resources and write regular blog posts. To apply, please fill out this interest form by Friday, September 25, 2020 (deadline extended).

Bailey Hager, finishing a Virtual Story Time and Craft activity.

Finding Our Voice: Storytime and Summer Reading in the Time of COVID-19

31 August 2020

Dan Bostrom

Comments: 0

Colona District Public Library’s Youth Services assistant, Bailey Hager, had a very busy spring and summer. Bailey began a Virtual Story Time in March which will continue indefinitely. She purposefully chose books to match crafts she was demonstrating using items easily found in a home. She used different voices to act out the parts of various characters in the books. Bailey majored in theater and art in college so I think this was more fun than work!

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bailey Hager developed her own summer reading program for Colona Public Library, Summer of Exploration...

Creating Cohesiveness in Digital Channels to Reach Spanish-Speaking Audiences

24 August 2020

Dan Bostrom

Comments: 1

As librarians working during COVID-19, our main challenge is to understand our community’s needs when social distancing is a must. In the past three months, the Northlake Public Library District has worked through four different re-opening phases that required constant adaptation and resilience. Although access to most of our services has now been reinstated, we know our most cherished one ﹣ programming﹣ will not be the same for a long time. The way libraries have readjusted their offerings varies, but we can all agree that the internet has become our most important tool.

Most...

Norbert at the Window. Image credit: Illinois Prairie District Public Library.

A Bearded Dragon in a Virtual Escape Room: Norbert's Census Adventure

3 August 2020

Dan Bostrom

Comments: 0

When the initial coronavirus shutdown came in early March, no one had any idea long it would actually last. Libraries closed with little or no warning. Books that were checked out could not be returned, new books could not be checked out, and all the programs and activities that libraries pride themselves on were cancelled. It took a little while, but libraries and librarians rose to the challenge, creating virtual programming for their patrons. One popular trend has been the creation of “virtual escape rooms,” essentially an online quiz made using Google Forms (or a similar utility) for...

The Virtual Life of Outreach or How to Remain Relevant in the Time of Social Distancing

29 July 2020

Dan Bostrom

Comments: 0

When life felt normal, before the Coronavirus outbreak became a pandemic, a typical day for the Outreach Services Team at Fountaindale Public Library District would look like this:

Begin work at 8:30 in the morning by starting the Bookmobile or Library Express Van to get the AC or heat going, depending on the weather.
Then, load carts and bags with materials, program supplies, laptops and iPads.
Drive to the location assigned for the day—a retirement facility, park, church or another community stop, more often than not a school.

Once there, kids,...

Library Programs Bridge the Distance

24 July 2020

Dan Bostrom

Comments: 0

Bridie Murphy faithfully attends story time with Ms. B at the Palos Park Public Library. She listens to the welcome song, looks at all the pictures, and knows when to say goodbye. With the implementation of social distancing regulations, story time looks a little different now. Rather than joining other children in the library, she watches Ms. B on the computer surrounded by her stuffed animals. The location has changed but the heart behind library programs has not.

Libraries have quickly adapted to the situation at hand. Stacks of books lay in quarantine waiting patiently to be...

Pages