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Dozens of librarians urge committee to restore State Library funding, cite cost efficiencies
Summary
Library directors and trustees from across South Dakota told the appropriations committee proposed cuts to the State Library would raise local costs and reduce services; speakers highlighted shared statewide subscriptions and local reliance on State Library resources.
Dozens of librarians, trustees and library directors addressed the Joint Committee on Appropriations to urge restoration of proposed cuts to the State Library budget.
Elizabeth Fox, president of the South Dakota Library Association, told the committee the State Library provides 54 databases to schools and libraries statewide and highlighted one subscriptionSwankused for classroom film streaming. "The State Library pays $137,800 a year for this database," Fox said. "If that goes away and each individual district has to pay for the database, the cost would be $355,865. If the districts choose not to get it and individual schools have to subscribe to this database, the cost would be $760,830." She urged the committee to restore State Library funding to preserve statewide economies of scale.
Speakers who identified themselves from more than 20 public and school libraries gave short "me too" statements after Fox—s remarks, telling committee members how the State Library supports classroom resources, professional development and small rural libraries that could not individually afford subscription services. Testimony included directors from Miller, Mitchell, Sioux Falls, Huron, Watertown, Custer, Vermillion, Spearfish, Belle Fourche and other towns; several directors noted the State Library provides training and certification for local library staff.
Dora Sandmertz, the school section chair for the South Dakota Library Association and former Custer County Library director, told the committee the State Library—s overall budget has increased modestly since 2005 and that much of the funding comes from federal sources; she called the State Library "one of the leaner, more efficient divisions" within state government.
Why it matters: multiple testifiers told the committee that a centralized State Library makes statewide licensing of databases affordable and provides training and materials that small and rural districts cannot easily replace. Committee members noted the testimony and asked that lead speakers sign in for the record.
The testimony came immediately after the Department of Education presentation; the public record of statements will be used in upcoming budget deliberations.
