Sparks Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Sparks Podcast - Episode 34 - Highwood Public Library Jul 30, 2021

Show notes

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 https://www.waukeganpl.org/
Highwood Public Library Recognized as a 2021 Recipient of Nation’s Highest Museum and Library Honor Press Release, May 18, 2021 https://highwoodlibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/Highwood-Public-Library_2021-National-Medal-Press-Release.pdf
National Medal 2021 Virtual Ceremony August 24, 2021 at 4 p.m. ET (3 p.m. CDT) https://www.imls.gov/events/national-medal-museum-and-library-service-2021-virtual-ceremony

Sparks Podcast - Episode 33 - Durand CUSD #322 Jun 01, 2021

Show notes

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, https://himissjulie.com

Sparks Podcast - Episode 32 - Gerber/Hart Library & Archives Apr 27, 2021

Show notes

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

Sparks Podcast - Episode 31 - Fox River Grove Public Library Mar 16, 2021

Show notes

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: https://www.railslibraries.info/services/my-library-grants
FRG video: https://www.mylibraryis.org/showcase/videos/552
FRG video: https://www.mylibraryis.org/showcase/videos/551

Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens: https://himissjulie.com

Sparks Podcast - Episode 30 - Quincy Public Library Feb 11, 2021

Show notes

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 - https://www.quincylibrary.org/
My Library Is... blog post about the videos of community members speaking up for the library at city council meetings - https://www.mylibraryis.org/blog/how-quincy-public-library-used-videos-show-their-community-support

QPL Community Videos:

https://www.mylibraryis.org/showcase/videos/378 (Patron talks about the value she receives from Quincy Public Library programs)
https://www.mylibraryis.org/showcase/videos/377 (Patron talks about QPL's value for genealogy research)
https://www.mylibraryis.org/showcase/videos/376 (Quincy Public Schools staff member describes the benefits QPL provides to schools and children)
https://www.mylibraryis.org/showcase/videos/375 (Community leader talks about the value of a strong library to the community and to her personally)
https://www.mylibraryis.org/showcase/videos/374 (Teens tell about the value of QPL to the teens in our community)
https://www.mylibraryis.org/showcase/videos/373 (Patron describes the impact of a library for her family and her community)
https://www.mylibraryis.org/showcase/videos/372 (Patron describes how QPL has changed her family's life)

Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens, https://himissjulie.com

Sparks Podcast - Episode 29 - Lauren Rosenthal Nov 10, 2020

Show notes

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 data.

Data comes to life in this podcast. We hope you enjoy!

Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens, https://himissjulie.com

Sparks Podcast - Episode 28 - Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Aug 18, 2020

Show notes

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 https://www.railslibraries.info/issues/183804
RAILS EDI Mailing List (for discussion, shared ideas, and other EDI opportunities) https://www.railslibraries.info/user/6935/user_mailman_register#edit-list61
Project READY: Reimagining Equity & Access for Diverse Youth: A free online professional development curriculum https://ready.web.unc.edu/

Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens, https://himissjulie.com

Sparks Podcast - Episode 26 - Census 2020 and Libraries Feb 05, 2020

Show notes

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

Sparks Podcast - Episode 25 - E-Resources Dec 19, 2019

Show notes

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

Intro/Outro music by Julie Jurgens, https://himissjulie.com

Sparks Podcast - Episode 24 - Brian Shepard Oct 02, 2019

Show notes

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

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