Written By: Adina Vega
Edited By: Michelle Sosa and Genevieve Hammang
My Library Is… is a virtual campaign promoting the Illinois Library System.
Libraries, regardless of their size, profoundly impact lives and communities. Each library, librarian, and aspiring librarian has a unique story. These stories are not just narratives but powerful tools that can assist libraries in securing funding, enhancing their visibility, and attracting new patrons. The ‘My Library Is…’ website is designed to share member libraries’ stories in the Illinois Library System and demonstrate their value to the community and stakeholders. The campaign also accentuates the need for library funding and staffing by asking elected officials, governing boards, parent institutions/companies, funders, and users to share how their library has affected their community and personal lives.
The ‘My Library Is…’ campaign is part of the Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS) project, a regional library system and government agency that provides services to libraries in the northern and west-central areas of Illinois. They serve approximately 1,250 private, public, school, and university library members, with over 4,000 library facilities in a 27,000-square-mile area. It offers several services to member libraries, such as interlibrary delivery, e-content services, and networking opportunities for library employees. It also targets grant funding for member libraries.
Nick Offerman lending humor to a serious topic: fake news and the Internet.
The campaign emphasizes finding and stopping fake news. Part of the campaign includes a viral video featuring actor Nick Offerman, who has fun explaining the dangers of fake news and why libraries and librarians are needed. Regarding special libraries, the campaign is proud to say that it supports more than 100 specialized libraries in northern and western Illinois. They compiled a talking point flier explaining the reasons special libraries are valuable. These fliers also include academic, public, and school libraries.
Special library talking points from the ‘My Library Is…’ campaign.
The Illinois Library System is making strides by asking the community to assist with community relations and promotions by sharing their stories and media on their library experiences. These efforts have not gone unnoticed; many libraries nationwide have adopted similar practices. Click the links for more information about the ‘My Library Is…’ campaign and RAILS.
0 Comments