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State Library asks for equity funding, interlibrary‑loan bridge and tribal library support
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Summary
State Librarian Mary Susie briefed the subcommittee on a budget request that maintains base funding while seeking optional compensation equity, an interlibrary‑loan platform to link more than 350 libraries, and expanded grant opportunities for tribal libraries.
Mary Susie, State Librarian, told the Senate Appropriations Education and Environment Division that the North Dakota State Library’s mission is to strengthen and enhance libraries statewide and that the agency’s fiscal 2025–27 base appropriation was presented in the committee packet with minimal base change from the prior biennium.
Susie described the library’s services — interlibrary loan, a statewide e‑book consortium (about 62,000 e‑titles), digitization (Digital Horizons), talking‑books services, and grants to public and tribal libraries — and noted that the state library supports 554 libraries and 26.75 FTE.
Operational and budget priorities
- Equity/compensation: The state library said it is the third‑lowest paying state agency and requested a targeted equity package to raise nine positions classified at the 102 level to a higher midpoint percentage; the House increased the amount from $80,000 to $128,000 to reach a $20 per hour wage for those positions.
- Interlibrary loan (ILL) bridge: The agency requested an optional $450,000 general‑fund allocation (total ILL cost about $702,000 with redirected federal funds) to implement a statewide ILL platform in partnership with ODIN (the North Dakota University System core technology group). The platform would connect 350+ libraries, reduce out‑of‑state borrowing and enlarge in‑state resource sharing.
- Tribal libraries and grants: The state library sought to expand eligibility and targeted grant rounds for tribal libraries, which it classifies as unserved. The House recommendation included expanded tribal grant access.
Why it matters: Susie said reduction of state general fund would reduce available federal matching funds in some grant programs. She also noted a 26% turnover rate during the biennium and that turnover driven by salary pressures affects service continuity.
Facilities, IT and other items
Susie reported facility issues (roofing and water main repairs at the Liberty Memorial Building) and told senators that an IT review and cybersecurity certification process has added time and complexity to renewing online resources.
No final committee actions were recorded in the transcript excerpt; Susie’s testimony explained the agency’s requests and the House‑recommended adjustments.
Speakers
- Mary Susie — State Librarian, North Dakota State Library (government)
Authorities referenced
- North Dakota Century Code chapter 50‑4‑24 (state library commission) and chapter 54‑24.2 (state aid to public libraries) were cited as statutory authority for state library operations and state aid distribution.
Clarifying details
- State Library FTE: 26.75 (23.75 direct service FTE for constituents).
- E‑book consortium: roughly 62,000 e‑titles available to participating library cardholders.
- State aid to public libraries: $1,737,582 general fund requested in the biennium; library vision grants: $287,500 general fund.
Discussion vs action
The session recorded testimony, clarifying questions and House‑level adjustments; no votes or formal appropriations actions were recorded in the provided transcript.
Searchable tags: state library, interlibrary loan, tribal libraries, library grants, HB1013
Provenance: topicintro: "For the record, my name is Mary Susie, and I'm the state librarian of North Dakota." (timecode ~116:50) topicfinish: "This concludes my testimony." (timecode ~141:32)
