North Suburban Library System

Thank you to all NSLS members and friends for your support and encouragement of NSLS over the years.  We are  grateful for the opportunity to serve you, and we appreciate all the great memories. On this last day of operations for NSLS, you may be wondering: What happens tomorrow, when RAILS launches?

Throughout the last twelve months, as representatives from ALS, DLS, MLS, NSLS and PALS have worked on the merger, maintaining member services has been a top priority. So on RAILS first day of operations tomorrow, we will strive to provide the same level of service to which you are accustomed.

On Friday, deliveries will continue with the same schedules, the same routes, the same drivers, the same sorters, and even the same trucks with the same logos and the same license plates.  You can continue to contact Don Johnson for all delivery related questions at 847-353-7147 or djohnson@nsls.info.  You can also continue to contact Mary Witt for other questions at 847-353-7144 or mwitt@nsls.info.  

In the future, as we introduce changes such as new email addresses and phone numbers for RAILS team members, we will keep you informed so you can keep in touch. Please stand by for more information in the days ahead, and be sure to bookmark the new RAILS Web site (http://www.railslibraries.info/) for updates.

The Nomination Committee met on June 17, 2011 to verify and approve the RAILS FY12 Board of Directors election results and draw terms by a lot process. The committee is pleased to announce the RAILS FY12 Board of Directors as listed in the document below:

RAILS FY12 Board of Directors. 

Thank you to all of the candidates who ran for election on the RAILS Board.  We appreciate your willingness to share your time and talents with the new system.

Time is running out!  Please be sure to cast your vote for the RAILS Board of Directors by 12 Noon, tomorrow, Friday, June 10. Only one ballot is permitted from each library agency in ALS, DLS, MLS, NSLS and PALS.

If you are authorized to cast the single ballot for your organization, click here to vote.  Otherwise, please make sure that the person authorized to cast the single ballot for your organization gets this message. The Board of a Public Library designates whether the official voting representative is the Director or someone on the Board.  Other types of libraries appoint an official representative to NSLS.

For profiles of all candidates, visit www.systemsmerger.info/candidate/profiles.

Don’t miss out on this historic election.  Make sure the person authorized to cast the single ballot for your library agency votes today!

Voting for the RAILS Board of Directors is open through noon on June 10.  Only one ballot is permitted from each library agency.  If you are authorized to cast the single ballot for your organization, go to http://www.systemsmerger.info/node/add/ballot . 

For profiles of all candidates, visit http://www.systemsmerger.info/candidate/profiles .

On Friday, June 17, there will be two separate events for NSLS members at NSLS in Wheeling.  Staff from all NSLS libraries are invited to attend one or both events, we just ask that you register for each event on L2 so we will know how many people to expect.

From 9:30 – 11 on June 17, there will be a Merger Update in the NSLS Learning Center.  Jan Hayes and Mary Witt, NSLS Executive Directors, will talk about the latest developments with the merger between NSLS and four other Illinois library systems.  Register for this event.

From 11 – 1 on June 17, there will be a Member Celebration in the NSLS Auditorium.  This will be an open house type event and light refreshments will be served.   Register for this event.

If you have questions about either one of these events, contact Mary Witt at mwitt@nsls.info.  We hope to see all of our NSLS colleagues on June 17!

As previously mentioned, individual systems are no longer issuing reports on Merger Transition Board meetings.  An “official” message will be constructed and posted on the merger website at www.systemsmerger.info.  The communication on the May 18 meeting is now available at http://www.systemsmerger.info/sites/all/files/Official%20Communication%20May18%20MTB%20Meeting_Final.pdf

Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White has approved the merger of five northern and central Illinois library systems. The new Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS) is slated to begin on July 1, 2011. The merging Illinois library systems are: Alliance Library System (ALS), DuPage Library System (DLS), Metropolitan Library System (MLS), North Suburban Library System (NSLS), and the Prairie Area Library System (PALS).

“We are very pleased to receive the approval of Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White to merge our five systems in order to reduce operating costs and continue to provide critical services to libraries and their users,” said Su Erickson, President of the Merger Transition Board. “The merger has been a cooperative and collaborative effort among the boards of the five systems, the Merger Transition Board, and the Illinois State Library,” she added.

RAILS services will be provided to more than 1,500 public, private, university, and school library members at more than 3,700 library locations in a 27,000 square mile area. The organization will also provide talking book services for persons unable to read or use conventional print material due to a visual or physical disability in all 102 Illinois counties.

More information about the merger is available from the Merger website at:  www.systemsmerger.info.

Ravinia tickets for participating libraries are now en route and should arrive at NSLS public libraries on Thursday, May 5.  The tickets are being sent to library directors who are asked to distribute them to the appropriate library staff.  Good luck with your summer programming, everyone!

We have picked up the tickets from Ravinia to be distributed to NSLS public libraries.  There are not as many tickets as last year and libraries will not be receiving as many.  We are not yet able to tell libraries how many tickets they will receive, but this will be resolved soon.  The tickets also need to be sorted.  NSLS staff hope to figure out how to deliver the tickets to participating NSLS public libraries this week.   Stay tuned!

Staff from several NSLS public libraries have asked if there is a way to pick up free Ravinia lawn passes at NSLS as in years past.  NSLS realizes how popular the passes are with public library patrons and is currently working on arrangements with Ravinia.  We will have some lawn passes to distribute, but we are not yet certain of the particulars.

Because of our staff shortage and limited open hours, the particulars of the program may vary from years past. We will try to give public libraries quantities of tickets similar to what they received last year, but the exact number will depend on how the tickets are received from Ravinia.  We are also not sure at this time when library staff can pick up the tickets at NSLS in Wheeling.

We hope to have these details figured out sometime next week and will post updated information on this blog when we have it.  If you would like to sign up for the blog’s RSS feed or to receive automatic e-mail notices when blog information is updated, you will find both of these options at the bottom of this page. 

If your library has participated in the free lawn pass program in the past and you do not want to receive any tickets this year, please notify Mary Witt at mwitt@nsls.info.