RAILS Member Announcements

OCLC is pleased to offer OCLC WorldShare^® Interlibrary Loan training in a variety of formats designed to meet your needs as you move to the new service. This includes tutorials, recorded training sessions, and web-based, instructor-led sessions. All of our training resources for WorldShare Interlibrary Loan are available at no charge to members with a resource sharing subscription.

Seats are still available in upcoming web-based, instructor-led sessions. The schedule of courses and more information can be found here:

• WorldShare ILL Borrowing Training

• WorldShare ILL Lending Training

• Custom Holdings on WorldShare ILL

• Deflection on WorldShare ILL

We also recognize that people learn in different ways and have personal scheduling needs, so we’ve created the following three learning paths that can help you learn the system in the style that suits you best: 

1. I want to get started right away. I like to dig into a new system and learn as I go.

2. I want an instructor to guide me, but I don’t have the flexibility to attend the scheduled training.

3. I want an instructor to guide me in the new system, and be able to ask questions and do hands-on exercises in a real-time training session.

Learn more about WorldShare Interlibrary Loan at: http://www.oclc.org/worldshare-ill.en.html.

Through a partnership with the Rock Island office of Prairie State Legal Services, Inc., the Rock Island Main Library will serve as the site of a new public benefits help desk resource for individuals who may need information or assistance in navigating the public benefits system.

The help desk will be staffed by trained Prairie State Legal Services volunteers who can provide assistance, general information and guidance with assistance programs for food, cash, medical and disability, also known as SNAP, TANF, Medicaid and SSI/SSDI. Volunteers can also provide help with general township assistance. They cannot provide legal advice.

Prairie State Legal Services Help Desk volunteers will be available from 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays on the second floor of the Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street.The help desk was conceptualized and developed by Prairie State’s AmeriCorps VISTA as part of a comprehensive public benefits awareness and outreach program.

Prairie State Legal Services, Inc. is a not-for-profit law firm that provides free civil legal services to the poor, elderly and people with disabilities. Prairie State has 12 offices serving 36 counties throughout northern and central Illinois. The mission of Prairie State is to provide or coordinate the delivery of high quality legal services to low-income individuals, families and groups.

Brookfield can proudly say it is home to the smartest bunch of librarians as the library's team, Les Quizerables, took home the grand prize in the 2013 Little Trivia on the Prairie contest. On Saturday, April 13, a four-member team comprised of staff and trustees made their way to the Prairie Trails Public Library District in Burbank to compete against other area libraries in arduous and perplexing rounds of Trivial Pursuit. Six library teams in all challenged each other, with Brookfield pulling off a come from behind tie and win in the sudden death round. 

For further information about the Brookfield Public Library please visit us at www.brookfieldlibrary.info or contact the Library at 708.485.6917.

Pictured: Brookfield's team, Les Quizerables, with Prairie Trails Director Ruth Faklis. Source: Brookfield Public Library news release.

Below is a message from the American Library Association's Chapter Chapter Relations Office:

This is National Library Week. It is a perfect opportunity to write your legislators and let them know how important libraries are to you and about the positive difference libraries make in your community. Libraries need your voice!

Although they continue to be busier than ever, many libraries struggle to maintain budgets, staff, and resources to serve the needs of their communities. Your message of support is important because state governments provide much needed funding for libraries. Without funding, libraries will be unable to continue making available all the resources they do (e.g., books, public access to the Internet, homework assistance) to your community. Like you, families, job seekers, small businesses, and students need their libraries.

If you agree with Walter Cronkite—“Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation.”— take this opportunity to write now. Your message will make a difference, and your state library association has provided an easy and effective way for you to write your elected officials to let them know how much you value the libraries in your community. Here is that link:

http://capwiz.com/ala/il/home/

Consider sharing a personal story about how your public, school, or college library makes a positive impact in your own community. For example, let your elected officials know how much your children depend on their school libraries to help them succeed in school, or explain how much you depend on your public library to connect you to information you need.

Please forward this message to your friends, family, and colleagues in your state. Ask them to take this opportunity to support libraries in their communities, too!

Thank you for advocating for libraries and library staff.