South Dakota State Library Services

This free service is for South Dakota residents of all ages who are unable to read standard print materials due to visual, physical, or learning disabilities. Accessible Library Services program provides recorded, braille, large-print, and descriptive videos.

Should you have questions or needs regarding programming, website recommendations, and literacy issues for children and teens, please do not hesitate to call the State Library! The State Library coordinates the summer reading program beginning with Jumpstart trainings and providing CSLP manuals. Visit https://library.sd.gov/LIB/CYS/index.aspx for even more programs.

Is your library a school/public combo library or are you considering such a collaboration?  

Review the information provided at the bottom of the Library Board/Trustee page to learn more about combo libraries and how they operate.

State library staff provides consultation and assistance to libraries in many areas including administration, trustees, grants, standards, and statistics. See the Public Library Services and the School Libraries page for more details.

As a new library director, you should be familiar with SD Codified Law as it relates to libraries. 

South Dakota Codified Law governing public libraries 
South Dakota Codified Law dealing with public meetings
See specifically:

• 1-25-1: Official meetings open to the public--Exceptions--Teleconferences--Violation as misdemeanor.
• 1-25-1.1: Notice of meetings of public bodies--Violation as misdemeanor.
• 1-25-2: Executive or closed meetings--Purposes--Authorization--Misdemeanor.

To help you keep up with the ever-changing library world, the State Library provides continuing education opportunities in a variety of formats including in-person workshops, online webinars and teleconferences, and online tutorials. Offered every year are the Public Library Institute and ExCITE! (formerly School Library Boot Camp). Visit the individual LibGuides pages for these two events at the left.  To find even more events, visit our Annual Events and More page.

Many helpful webinars are shared on the SDSL listservs. Links have been placed below for use.  To sign up for a listserv, visit https://listserv.sd.gov/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=SDPUBLIB&A=1 and look for SDPUBLIB, SDSCHLIB, or SDACALIB in the dropdown list. 

Online Resources

Many electronic resources are provided by the state library including subjects such as genealogy, business, health, and medicine. State library staff also provide training, troubleshooting, and assistance for these electronic resources.

Digital Services

The State Library provides electronic access to many state publications through our digital services program. See more about this program under the State & Federal Government Publications LibGuide http://libguides.library.sd.gov/c.php?g=667085&p=4780085 See specifically "Online SD State Government Publications".

Disc Repair Service

The South Dakota State Library is offering a Disc Repair Service to libraries.

Libraries can send up to 50 damaged DVDs/CDs at a time to the State Library for repair. The library must be able to pick-up the items at the State Library or arrange for delivery through the courier or some other means. The library sending the material to the state library is responsible for all delivery costs. For more information, visit https://library.sd.gov/ACS/discrepair.aspx

Signing up for listservs helps you keep in touch with what's going on in other libraries around the state. The state library has many lists that you can join to keep up with news and continuing education opportunities in SD libraries. In addition, you can post messages to the lists if you ever needed guidance from library colleagues around the state. SDSL also uses these lists to make important announcements.  Sign up for the school library list at https://listserv.sd.gov/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=SDSCHLIB&A=1 or the public library list at https://listserv.sd.gov/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=SDPUBLIB&A=1 

Are you on social media? If so, also find the SD State Library on the following sites:

• Facebook
• Twitter(X)
• YouTube 

State library research staff are available to help your library staff find the answers to questions that require extensive research or even the use of resources that your library may not otherwise have access to. Please call the state library at 1-800-423-6665 or email your question to library@state.sd.us

Each library in SD is assigned a library card number that can be used to order items through SD Share-It if you are not a participating library. If you don't know your library card number, call the state library.  For all information on interlibrary loan services at the state library, visit http://libguides.library.sd.gov/services/ILL

It is important to be involved in state and regional library associations. Library conferences provide excellent training opportunities and making connections with other librarians through these associations is invaluable. Linked below are some state and regional associations to check out.

South Dakota Library Association

SDLA is a statewide organization representing libraries, library employees, library trustees, and library supporters. SDLA provides leadership and educational opportunities and supports its members in the meeting the challenges of providing quality library service to all South Dakotans. Visit http://www.sdlibraryassociation.org/ for more information.

Mountain Plains Library Association

The Mountain Plains Library Association (MPLA) is a twelve state association of librarians, library paraprofessionals and friends of libraries in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. Its purpose is to promote the development of librarians and libraries by providing significant educational and networking opportunities. Visit http://mpla.us/ for more information.

Association for Rural and Small Libraries

The Association for Rural & Small Libraries, Inc. is a network of persons throughout the country dedicated to the positive growth and development of libraries. ARSL believes in the value of rural and small libraries and strives to create resources and services that address national, state, and local priorities for libraries situated in rural communities. Visit http://arsl.info/ for more information.

American Library Association

The American Library Association (ALA) is the oldest and largest library association in the world. Founded on October 6, 1876 during the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, the mission of ALA is “to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.” Visit http://www.ala.org/ for more information.

Some information and links directly relate to the Federal Depository Library Program, but the general guidance relates to all collections. 

My library books have mold?

My library has a flood or water disaster?