The Reaching Across Illinois Library System is a regional library system consisting of 1,250 public, academic, special, and school library members, representing more than 4,000 library facilities in Northern, West-central

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

. The regional library system was created in 2011 when the Alliance Library System, DuPage Library System, Metropolitan Library System, North Suburban Library System, and Prairie Area Library System merged. In Illinois, regional library systems were established by state law. Member libraries must certify that they meet membership requirements annually. The systems are funded by annual system area and per capita grants from the

Illinois State Library The Illinois State Library is the official State Library of Illinois located in Springfield, Illinois. The library has a collection of 5 million items and serves as regional federal documents depository for the state. The library oversees the Ta ...

Activities

The library system through the eRead Illinois program has been actively working with Baker & Taylor to make e-books accessible to its members. The library system has worked with the

Illinois Library Association The Illinois Library Association (ILA) is the eighth oldest library association in the world and the third largest state library association in the United States. The association provides leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement ...

and received support from the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...

Digital Content Working Group, the

Public Library Association The Public Library Association (PLA) is a division of the American Library Association, is a professional association of public librarians and supporters dedicated to the "development and effectiveness of public library staff and public library se ...

(PLA), and the Illinois Heartland Library System on the annual Soon to be Famous Illinois Author project, which recognizes a self-published author of adult fiction. This initiative received the John Cotton Dana Public Relations Award from the

in 2015. Other services the library system provides include shared catalogs, continuing education opportunities, consulting, group purchases, and delivery of interlibrary loan materials. The library system maintains a

YouTube channel YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most v ...

References

{{authority control Public libraries in Illinois 2011 establishments in Illinois