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My Library Is... Blog

A wooden bookshelf holds an assortment of children’s books. The books are neatly arranged in rows and columns, with colorful covers and spines visible.

My Library Is... Bilingual

Posted on July 11, 2024

My school is bilingual. And my library was too . . . sort of. Thanks to the RAILS My Library Is… Grant money, I can now say with confidence that the library is a bilingual space that serves all of our students.

Books on a bookshelf with many display cards naming different subjects.

My Library Is... A Place to Cultivate Lifelong Readers

Posted on July 1, 2024

“I can’t find anything to read. Nothing interests me.  These books are too hard. I do not know where the book is located.”  Sound familiar? The My Library Is... Grant provided funding to update and enhance the library collection and reading experience. It also provided colorful new signage to improve book accessibility for staff and students.  

Wooden shelving unit with various craft supplies, books, and artwork.

My Library Is... A Place to Create

Posted on June 24, 2024

In addition to using the library for academic purposes, students enjoy the opportunity to decompress and have downtime in the library. The library is open to students for their free time before school, during our four lunch periods, and after school. These are ideal times for students to read for pleasure and to utilize the makerspace/creativity corner.  

Decorative image.

My Library Is… Informative and Engaging!

Posted on June 17, 2024

This school year, I was lucky enough to receive a My Library is… Grant from RAILS at Glenbard East High School. Glenbard East is a majority-minority, Title 1 high school in Lombard, IL. Of our 2253 students, forty three percent are eligible for free or reduced lunch.

Top Left: A dog with curly hair wearing a gopro camera. Top Right: A whiteboard with various photos of evidence and evidence markers. Bottom Left: Various people in a study room writing on a whiteboard. Bottom Right: Two people standing in thought and writing on a whiteboard.

My Library Is... The Place to Be

Posted on June 10, 2024

The administration of Saint Patrick High School in Chicago decided to renovate the James J. Barrett Learning Resource Center during the 2022-2023 school year. During the renovation, the carpeting and furniture were replaced. Before the renovation, the collection was extensively evaluated and weeded, and old technology was removed.

A cart of various books, graphic novels various titles available for student check out.

My Library Is... Loving Graphic Novels

Posted on June 3, 2024

Are graphic novels as HUGE in your library as they are in mine? It is our most highly circulated section, and every single title circulates at least once per school year.  Safe to say, we love graphic novels here at Adler Park School. 

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Inclusion Overhaul

Posted on May 28, 2024

In January of 2020 our library was given a brand-new space. The idea was for our library’s physical space to be a more sophisticated college-like space for our young adult high school students. We weeded our collection heavily and got rid of the old.

An alebrije sculpture in the library.

My Library Is... Presenting an Amazing Exhibit of Mexican Art

Posted on May 27, 2024

On January 29, 2024 Northern Illinois University Libraries opened a new exhibit displaying large Mexican sculpture pieces known as alebrijes. The exhibit, which will remain open until November 8, presents a collection of 23 pieces created by six artists from Mexico City. The DuPage Mexican Cultural Center in West Chicago selected the pieces and provided them to the library.

Four students around a table, showing a Lewis Latimer picture book, working on an invention in STEAM club.

Risingsteam: Unveiling the Wonders of Diversity in Steam through Creative Exploration

Posted on May 20, 2024

In the bustling halls of Northbrook Glenview District 30, a beacon of innovation and inclusion is rising. It is called RisingSTEAM, a transformative initiative that is breaking barriers and igniting the passions of young minds in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM).

The Off Topic Exhibit in the Kemper Room at Galvin Library

My Library Is... Supporting Student Creativity

Posted on May 16, 2024

The Kemper Room is an exhibition space located on the upper level of the Paul V. Galvin Library at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Over the years it has been a place for campus partners to showcase an eclectic assortment of work: German airbrushed ceramics, textile artwork, photography, a student drama group show, and more.