South Dakota State Library Services

Coordinated by the South Dakota State Library, the Library Training Institute is a four-year program of continuing education for South Dakota-based library practitioners, support staff and trustees of small public libraries. The program requires week-long attendance at a host university in June and selected online coursework during the fall and winter months in between the June sessions. No prior formal library science education, or previous college attendance, is required to attend.

Institute participants can start the program at any point in the curriculum, but must complete a four-year program of continuing education that includes on-campus and off-campus requirements in seven (7) years. Institute instructors provide in-depth classes in: the foundations of public library service; public library administration; services to the public; collections; cataloging and metadata; technology; as well as other current topics.. Students earn college credit from the host university, and after completion of the program, are recognized as certified public library practitioners.

Scholarships are limited and also based on need.

The credits that attendees receive are from the university that hosts the Library Institute.  We have attended the following universities:

DSU,  Dakota State University; Madison SD

SDSU , South Dakota State University; Brookings SD

NSU, Northern State University; Aberdeen SD

The graduates of the SD State Library Institute program and the library in which they worked at the time of their attendance.