South Dakota DEA proposes huge cuts to State Library services
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has proposed severe cuts to services provided by the South Dakota State Library. HB 1041, introduced by House Education Committee Chair Rep. Lana Greenfield at the request of the South Dakota Department of Education, details the services that would be eliminated if the bill should pass and become law.
According to a statement from the South Dakota Library Association, “In the Proposed Fiscal Year 2026 State of South Dakota Budget the South Dakota State Library is slated for near elimination. Without action from SD Legislators, 12.5 staff members will be terminated in addition to virtually all resources and support for K-12, Public, and Academic Libraries in South Dakota.
State budget cuts to the library of $1.3 million would also trigger an additional loss of $1.39 million in federal grant money to South Dakota’s library infrastructure.
HB 1041 revises and repeals the State Library’s responsibilities to patrons — including research for legislators, support and training for all SD libraries, compiling library statistics, historical archiving of government documents, and the State Library Board.”
Several people testified before the Senate Education Committee on January 16, including Elizabeth Fox, president of the South Dakota Library Association.
“Shared resources offer efficiency of scale and ease of access to many things,” she said.
Databases are a primary resource provided by the State Library to community and school libraries across South Dakota. One such service, Peterson’s Test Prep, costs the State Library $26,000 per year to provide to all libraries in South Dakota for local students to access. If each library had to purchase it on their own, it would cost over $3,000 per library in smaller communities to over $9,000 for the Siouxland Library which serves a larger population.
Besides money allocated through the state budget, the State Library receives federal funds which must be used to fund statewide services, and must be matched at 34 percent from the state. If proposed cuts are adopted, “Federal funds will be refused,” Fox said. “Our State Library is crucial to library services throughout the state.”
“The State Library is especially important to our school libraries,” Fox said. “Some high schools may hire a degreed librarian, but most elementary and middle schools, and schools in smaller communities don’t. Often they’ll say to a teacher, ‘Now you’re the librarian.’ The State Library provides extensive training to teacher-librarians across the state.”
Governor Noem’s office referred communications on the proposal to the Department of Education.
“The Governor’s proposed budget recommends reductions to services such as databases, digitization, and inter-library loans,” said Nancy Van Der Weide, South Dakota Department of Education Public Information Specialist. “The state will continue to support South Dakota Accessible Library Services (Braille and Talking Books) and professional development programming for public and school libraries with nine full time employees”
Librarians across the state are speaking out against the proposed measures, which they say would negatively impact South Dakota’s public and school libraries.
Raven Christman has been the librarian at the Lemmon Public Library for 12 years.
“I would in no way be the librarian I am today had it not been for the Library Institute,” Christman said.
Through online and in person training courses Christman has gained skills and knowledge that she’s not sure how else she would have learned had she been on her own.
“It’s all knowledge I am bringing back to our library to be the most effective I can be for my job. I have also connected with other librarians to build a community of resources and friendships,” she said.
The Lemmon Public Library utilizes many services and databases accessible through the State Library.
“We participate in interlibrary loan and the state park pass program,” Christman said. “One of the databases that gets used regularly in the library is Ancestry. Our library can’t afford to pay to replace almost any of the databases. The State Library negotiates a good rate so they are able to utilize their money in a really smart way. It’s a huge help for all libraries.”
Christman also draws on resources and training provided by the State Library for Summer Reading programs every year.
“I don’t understand,” Christman said. “It’s unbelievable. How are we prioritizing education when taking such a huge cut out of our State Library. I am so angry and disappointed. It is gut wrenching. It feels like an attack on libraries, and of course I take that personally.”
Patrons come to the Lemmon Library from a 40-mile radius, and some from even further.
“Our libraries and our communities are doing a great job. Why would you rip their support out from underneath them, and not even be aware of the impact across the entire state and for the future. Once those things are gone we may never get them back. What is that going to do for the future of our communities and our kids?”
Kallie Kronberg has worked as the Bison librarian for 11 years.
“It’s going to hurt if it goes through,” she said.
She was able to receive training through State Library programs to learn how to do her job, and still relies on State Library personnel for help when she has questions.
“The library training institute was fundamental,” Kronberg said. “I went one week a year for four years. It covered budgeting, collection management, children and youth services, and young adult services. It was a crash course in librarianship so I wasn’t flying blind. The State Library facilitated all of that for us.”
Kronberg also uses the Summer Reading program from the State Library every year.
“I’m a part-time librarian and don’t have time to set up my own program,” she said. “It comes with an online database, activities, and a list of books to use, so it’s really streamlined.”
Interlibrary Loan is another service Kronberg utilizes frequently.
“That service is valuable, and so helpful to me,” she said. “We provide interlibrary loans to homeschool students, as well as other people in the community. If I don’t have the resources they need, I can look them up and get them here in a few days.”
Kronberg said that the Bison School Library also utilizes educational databases provided through the State Library, such as World Book Encyclopedia.
Kronberg, and librarians across the state are urging people to reach out to their legislators.
“The State Library has a huge effect on what we do,” she said.
