Everyone's a reader. That is the message I want to send to the students at Medinah Middle School. Last year I purchased celebrity READ posters from the American Library Association for all of the teachers in the school in order to promote reading in all disciplines. It was fun to see how the posters reflected the teachers’ personalities and interests. I wanted to take this idea further and have students and staff see themselves as readers reflected in the hallways and classrooms of the school. I was thrilled to receive the RAILS My Library Is grant, which enabled me to purchase...
10 May 2023
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8 May 2023
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Pandemic-related delays are being felt throughout schools, but Heyworth’s Junior-Senior High School library was hit hard. Between closures, no in-person group visits, falling literacy levels, and a budget cut, the library was seeing a drastic loss of circulation as students struggled not only to get access to library materials, but to find materials that met their new needs.
A “My Library Is…” grant provided a much-needed book-buying boost at exactly the right time. “I knew I didn’t have much to offer at the lower reading level that was now needed,” said Librarian Michelle Harris, “...
3 May 2023
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My Library is…the heart of our school: a space for all students, staff and community members and filled with something for EVERYONE….readers, scientists, engineers, friends and so much more!
My school opened its doors in August 2021 and while the library opened with an adequate supply of books, curated to meet the learning needs of our students, I want it to be so much more than that! As the heart of our school, I want it to not only be a space for learning, but also a space for creating, caring, relaxing and collaborating with peers. No matter the student’s interests or abilities,...
13 April 2023
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During the pandemic, my workspace in a public high school transformed from a traditional book-centric library to an innovative makerspace community called The Hub. Removing our freestanding bookshelves made all the difference in lightening up this student space.
I alternately enjoyed and disliked the process since we went from downsizing our book collection by three-quarters (tough) to painting hexagons around the doors (easy). Fine-tuning the new furniture placement...
3 April 2023
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In March 2022, students at Northern Illinois University created the world’s largest paper snowflake. It is forty-four feet six inches across and has been certified by the Guinness Book of World Records! The NIU Libraries got in on the excitement with a special event in its honor. The library partnered with many people from across campus to display the snowflake, host a workshop for creating paper snowflakes, present talks by experts on snowflakes and weather, and highlight the library’s Science on a Sphere. See more about the event at...
9 March 2023
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The Jerseyville Public Library has been presenting Preschool Storytime for as long back as most staff members can remember. It is a program presented once a month where children ages 2-6 can gather at the library and have a story read to them, sing and dance along to some fun tunes and use their little hands to make a special craft. The children enjoy it so much and have a great time.
So, this got us thinking “why should kids have all the fun?”. There are several assisted living facilities in our small community with active senior citizens who for some reason or another are not...
20 February 2023
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The application period for the My Library Is... Grants for School Libraries is open and runs through Thursday, March 2. In 2022, RAILS awarded $78,232.80 in My Library Is... Grants to 20 school libraries. These grants help recipients focus on projects that tell the library story and increase visibility and support for school libraries. For more information, please visit the My Library Is... Grant for School Libraries website.
6 February 2023
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26 January 2023
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Makerspaces in libraries are great. While makerspaces allow people to get creative and discover new ideas for projects, using the new equipment can be daunting for those who are unfamiliar with it. That’s why The Workshop Lab at Palatine Library District created an easy and accessible way to introduce members to the new space.
This past holiday season at Palatine Library, members were invited to visit The Workshop Lab to make personalized gifts for generously low prices. The Holiday Gift Guide was designed to teach members how to maneuver the new equipment while creating...
3 January 2023
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When Illinois State University conducted a Textbook Affordability survey in the spring of 2019, it was clear there was a problem—one felt by institutions across the United States. The survey found that 73% of students did not acquire a textbook due to cost, 89% delayed purchasing a textbook or other materials, 69% reported purchasing a required material that the professor didn’t use, and 32% reported taking on credit card debt to purchase classroom materials. In response to these obstacles, Illinois State University’s Milner Library developed a plan to address textbook affordability by...
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The My Library Is ... campaign
is a project of the Reaching Across Illinois Library System.