x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Sparks Podcast

Reaching Across Illinois Library System

Conversations about trends and issues affecting libraries. The Reaching Across Illinois Library System provides support services to about 1300 library institutions -- academic, public, school, and special -- in northern and western Illinois.

government & organizations

All Episodes

22:16

Sparks Podcast - Episode 44 - Open Educational Resources

Sparks Podcast ·

2023/06/05

RAILS Executive Director Monica Harris talks with Dan Matthews, Cataloging and Digital Services Librarian at Moraine Valley Community College Library about the benefits of open educational resources and how to get started using OERs.

en

41:58

Sparks Podcast - Episode 43 - Illinois Libraries Present

Sparks Podcast ·

2023/04/17

RAILS Executive Director Monica Harris talks with Kate Hall, Jennifer Czajka, and Mara Barbel from Illinois Libraries Present, a cooperative programming intitative that provides high-quality online events at equitable prices for member libraries. They talk about how ILP was created, the long-term goals for the program, and how your library can take advantage of its benefits. Related links: https://www.illinoislibrariespresent.com/ https://www.illinoislibrariespresent.com/events

en

19:48

Sparks Podcast - Episode 42 - CPL Commissioner Chris...

Sparks Podcast ·

2023/02/21

RAILS (then interim) Executive Director Monica Harris talks with Chicago Public Library (CPL) Commissioner Chris Brown about The Book Sanctuary (committed to protecting banned and challenged books) and the 150th anniversary of CPL. Links: https://www.booksanctuary.org/ https://www.chipublib.org/news/book-sanctuaries-committed-to-protecting-banned-and-challenge-books/ https://www.chipublib.org/cpl-150-anniversary/ Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens, https://juliejurgens.bandcamp.com/

en

29:25

Sparks Podcast - Episode 41 - Support for School...

Sparks Podcast ·

2023/01/19

RAILS Interim Executive Director Monica Harris talks with AISLE Executive Secretary Carolyn Kinsella and RAILS Data Research Specialist Janette Derucki about efforts to support school libraries in Illinois, including a statewide partnership and RAILS’ School Library Data Project. Related Links: School Library Data Project Data in Libraries Pulse Page https://www.railslibraries.info/issues/240560 AISLE (Association of Illinois School Library Educators) https://aisled.org/# SLIDE – The School

en

32:21

Sparks Podcast - Episode 40 - Career Online High School

Sparks Podcast ·

2022/09/13

RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with Lynn Stainbrook and Leon Smith of Rockford Public library, and Leila Heath of RAILS about Career Online High School, a nationally accredited online high school degree program. Lynn and Leon discuss the program’s tremendous success at their library and how it makes a huge impact on lives. RAILS offers a vendor discount on the scholarships from Smart Horizons to libraries offering this program. Related Links:

en

27:21

Sparks Podcast - Episode 39 - Data Analysis

Sparks Podcast ·

2022/04/26

RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with RAILS Data Analysis Manager Grant Halter about how he defines data, demonstrating the library’s value through data, the difference between useful and interesting data, using your strategic plan to develop a survey and gather data, and much more! Relevant Link: https://www.railslibraries.info/issues/240560 Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens, https://juliejurgens.bandcamp.com/

en

26:21

Sparks Podcast - Episode 38 - More Strategic Planning

Sparks Podcast ·

2022/02/28

RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with RAILS Associate Executive Director Monica Harris about our recent strategic planning process: choosing a consultant, virtual tools, member feedback, and much more. They also give advice on how libraries can create their own strategic plans. Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens, https://juliejurgens.bandcamp.com/

en

27:25

Sparks Podcast - Episode 37 - Strategic Planning

Sparks Podcast ·

2022/01/18

RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with Stephanie Chase, Founding Principal of Constructive Disruption (https://www.constructivedisruption.info/), about the importance of strategic planning. Stephanie gives some good tips for what to do if you have little money or little time. Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens (https://juliejurgens.bandcamp.com/)

en

26:08

Sparks Podcast - Episode 36 - CARLI Open Educational...

Sparks Podcast ·

2021/11/16

In our latest Sparks podcast, RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with CARLI (Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois) staff members Anne Craig (Senior Director) and Michele Leigh (Senior Coordinator, Open Illinois) about CARLI’s $1.08 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Open Textbooks Pilot Program. The grant will fund a program that will provide access to open textbooks and personalized learning tools for entry-level courses in high-demand health

en

28:05

Sparks Podcast - Episode 35 - My Library Is... School...

Sparks Podcast ·

2021/09/15

RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with Heather Perhach (CUSD #5 in Streator), Andrea Perrin (CCSD #50 in Gurnee), and Emily Porter (CCSD #299 in Chicago), who have all received My Library Is… grants for their school libraries. Each is working on projects that focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion. https://www.railslibraries.info/services/my-library-grants Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens, https://himissjulie.com

en

24:19

Sparks Podcast - Episode 34 - Highwood Public Library

Sparks Podcast ·

2021/07/30

RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with Carmen Patlan, Executive Director of Highwood Public Library, about winning the 2021 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. This podcast provides an excellent example of what a small library with very limited resources can do to make a real difference in the community through grants, partnerships, and volunteers. Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens, https://himissjulie.com Relevant Links: Waukegan Public Library website

en

16:43

Sparks Podcast - Episode 33 - Durand CUSD #322

Sparks Podcast ·

2021/06/01

RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with Durand CUSD #322 school librarian Audra Hill and Kelly Giovanine, Executive Director of Durand Charm, a local non-profit, about their My Library Is… grant project to promote the combined school and public library. Many in the community are not even aware that they have a library. Durand Charm: https://durandcharm.com Durand CUSD Grant Application Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOJ3ycziilo Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens,

en

25:01

Sparks Podcast - Episode 32 - Gerber/Hart Library &...

Sparks Podcast ·

2021/04/27

RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with representatives from Gerber/Hart Library & Archives about their journey to create an eight-episode podcast on the personal stories of LGBTQ life and history in Chicago. Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens, https://himissjulie.com

en

25:49

Sparks Podcast - Episode 31 - Fox River Grove Public...

Sparks Podcast ·

2021/03/16

RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with Fox River Grove Public Library District Director Nicole Steeves about the videos her library made after being awarded a My Library Is... Grant. Nicole talks about how their videos came together and she provides great, specific tips for libraries that want to do something similar. Their videos can be found in the Sharing Showcase of the My Library Is... website. Relevant Links - My Library Is... Grants:

en

21:59

Sparks Podcast - Episode 30 - Quincy Public Library

Sparks Podcast ·

2021/02/11

RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with Executive Director Kathleen Helsabeck and Assistant Director & Marketing Coordinator Burgundy Hill from Quincy Public Library, about how they worked with library users to tackle budget cuts to the library. Using simple, low-cost methods to make their case with the city council, Quincy Public Library came out victorious. This is a wonderful story about the importance of advocating for your library. Relevant Links: Quincy Public Library -

en

25:43

Sparks Podcast - Episode 29 - Lauren Rosenthal

Sparks Podcast ·

2020/11/10

RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks, via Zoom, with Library Director Lauren Rosenthal, from Fox River Valley Public Library District, about the importance of data in library advocacy and telling a compelling library story. Lauren gives great specific examples about how she used data to achieve library goals. They discuss the library's creation of a Transparency Dashboard and Long Overdue Project/Survey, as well as how the library secured COVID-19 relief funds through the effective use of

en

40:10

Sparks Podcast - Episode 28 - Equity, Diversity, and...

Sparks Podcast ·

2020/08/18

RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with Assistant Library Director Teri Campbell from Evanston Public Library, Preschool Outreach Librarian Emily Conradt from St. Charles Public Library District, and Community Engagement Manager Nancy Kim Phillips from Skokie Public Library about their libraries EDI initiatives and activities. Relevant links: Evanston Public Library’s EDI task force info https://www.railslibraries.info/news/172013 Skokie Cares http://skokiecares.org/ EDI Pulse Page

en

25:34

Sparks Podcast - Episode 26 - Census 2020 and Libraries

Sparks Podcast ·

2020/02/05

In the latest episode of Sparks, RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with Amy de la Fuente, RAILS Census 2020 Program Manager, about the significant role libraries will play in ensuring a complete census count throughout the state, and how RAILS and it’s subgrantees will use the grant received from the Illinois Department of Human Services for the 2020 census. Relevant Link: https://www.railslibraries.info/issues/170330 Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens, https://himissjulie.com

en

28:08

Sparks Podcast - Episode 25 - E-Resources

Sparks Podcast ·

2019/12/19

RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with RAILS' own Leila Heath and Anna Behm about e-resources, including RAILS' e-content and self-publishing resource, inkie.org, the robust amount of material (or rabbit-hole if you prefer) on the BiblioBoard Library, current publisher restrictions on library e-content, and more. Relevant links: inkie.org https://inkie.org BiblioBoard https://library.biblioboard.com RAILS Library Pulse: E-Content Issues https://www.railslibraries.info/issues/170353

en

30:23

Sparks Podcast - Episode 24 - Brian Shepard

Sparks Podcast ·

2019/10/02

RAILS Executive Director Deirdre Brennan talks with Library Director Brian Shepard from Indian Trails Public Library District about being named Librarian of the Year, promoting the value of libraries, library remodels, getting into the library field, and more. Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens, https://himissjulie.com

en

44 results

Similar Podcasts

The Michigan DNR"s Wildtalk Podcast

Michigan Department of Natural...

Bilbo Hiria irratia

Mises Institute

Jua Haki Zako

RFI Kiswahili

Finding Arizona Podcast

Jose Acevedo