2024 School Libraries Facts & Stats

2024 South Dakota School Libraries Facts & Stats: South Dakota

Through Program, Place, and Professional, school libraries make a powerful difference in student achievement.

• 91% Districts/Systems in South Dakota have a school library
• 98% Students attend a district/system with at least one school library
• 1 item per student added to library collections
• $19.11 spent on new materials per student
• 27 items checked out per student
• 85% of students checked out at least one book during the school year
• 5,400 classes visited school libraries every week
• 8,300 students visited school libraries independently every day

Data for the 2024 South Dakota School Libraries Facts & Stats comes from the South Dakota Public Library Survey held in 2023.

School libraries in South Dakota incorporate spaces that accommodate various learning styles and educational needs.

• 62% virtual spaces for programs
• 70% individual study spaces
• 98% small group instruction
• 91% classroom instruction
• 68% meeting room functions

School libraries provide digital access to educational resources to support learners.

• 100% have access to research databases provided by the South Dakota State Library
• 53% have staff who provide instruction to teachers and students on using SDSL electronic resources
• 73% offer online catalogs
• 57% have digital book collections
• 52% have a library website
• 38% offer additional electronic resources
• 30% offer virtual spaces
• 12% stream videos

School libraries provide programs and activities that link literacy and student interests.

• 83% local, state, and national reading promotion programs
• 82% thematic displays and bulletin boards
• 59% ELL, SPED, and multicultural resources
• 53% book fairs
• 68% meeting room functions
• 70% individual study spaces
• 98% small group instruction
• 91% classroom instruction
• 68% meeting room functions

School librarians curate resources, provide guidance, and support student and staff development.

South Dakota school librarians instruct & collaborate

• 74% teach with SD School Library Standards
• 57% innovatively organize their collections
• 62% survey students & staff in regard to resources, reading & services
• 74% utilize SD School Library Guidelines
• 55% collaborate with local public library
• 30% collaborate & teach with classroom teachers

South Dakota school librarians communicate with:

• 37% Newsletters create content for digital/print newsletters to share with students, staff, and parents
• 38% Websites maintain website or pages dedicated to the school library
• 17% Social Media develop content and maintain social media accounts to connect with students and parents

School librarians are educators, mentors, collaborators, and leaders.

• 65% attend district meetings and in-services
• 57% engage in professional development
• 41% serve on district-wide committees
• 32% present and participate at workshops outside the district
• 19% deliver professional development for teachers & staff

School librarians have a variety of educational backgrounds. 86% serve multiple roles within their schools.

• Librarians: 27% are certified teacher-librarians with a library endorsement
• Teachers: 13% are certified teachers in the library without a library endorsement
• Paraprofessionals: 60% are librarians with no teaching certificate and no library endorsement

South Dakota State Library formally recognizes the following schools with libraries that meet the characteristics of a 21st century school library.

Every year South Dakota public school districts, non-public school systems, tribal/BIE (Bureau of Indian Education) schools and state special schools are surveyed about their libraries. The information here reflects the activities of 348 school libraries that responded to the South Dakota School Library Survey (90% response rate). Many thanks to the dedicated school librarians and administrators who contributed their time and attention to this data collection.