Support Libraries in South Dakota: Stop the Devastating Budget Cuts
In the Proposed Fiscal Year 2026 State of South Dakota Budget the SD State Library is slated for elimination. Without action from SD Legislators, 12.5 staff members will be eliminated in addition to virtually all resources.
The proposed cuts to the South Dakota State Library will impact:
Literacy and K-12 success: The State Library’s grants, summer reading programs, and shared databases support public, private, and homeschool students’ reading, research, and homework. Cutting these resources makes South Dakota students less prepared and competitive in the job market.
Cost to local communities: Individual libraries, homeschool families, K-12 and private schools cannot afford the education and job-seeking databases provided by the State Library, or digital resources like eBooks and Ancestry. The State Library saves taxpayers’ money by negotiating better deals and purchasing at scale. Without the State Library, local libraries and families face skyrocketing costs.
Rural communities’ access to services and materials: The State Library’s interlibrary loan, courier system, and shared digital resources multiply the educational and business materials and services available in rural communities. Losing these services will create "information deserts" and educational gaps for children in rural areas.
Support Libraries in South Dakota: Stop the Devastating Budget Cuts
In the Proposed Fiscal Year 2026 State of South Dakota Budget the SD State Library is slated for elimination. Without action from SD Legislators, 12.5 staff members will be eliminated in addition to virtually all resources.
The proposed cuts to the South Dakota State Library will impact:
Literacy and K-12 success: The State Library’s grants, summer reading programs, and shared databases support public, private, and homeschool students’ reading, research, and homework. Cutting these resources makes South Dakota students less prepared and competitive in the job market.
Cost to local communities: Individual libraries, homeschool families, K-12 and private schools cannot afford the education and job-seeking databases provided by the State Library, or digital resources like eBooks and Ancestry. The State Library saves taxpayers’ money by negotiating better deals and purchasing at scale. Without the State Library, local libraries and families face skyrocketing costs.
Rural communities’ access to services and materials: The State Library’s interlibrary loan, courier system, and shared digital resources multiply the educational and business materials and services available in rural communities. Losing these services will create "information deserts" and educational gaps for children in rural areas.