What we do at the SDSL:

Serving state government, empowering South Dakota libraries, and enriching the lives of South Dakota residents.

Effective, well-resourced libraries are critical to the social economic development of our rural and metropolitan communities and essential to the vitality of our democracy.

The South Dakota State Library (SDSL):

• Supports the work of all South Dakota libraries through education and advocacy.
• Works to expand and strengthen citizens access to library services.
• Digitizes specific specialized collections and state publications.
• Improves the work of state government by providing timely access to information.

By state statute, we perform specific functions as outlined in SDCL 14:1 .

All state libraries receive direct "Grants to State" federal funding which requires matching funds from the state receiving the funds. These funds come from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).

These federal dollars pay for:

• Electronic resources
• Interlibrary loan support and statewide courier service
• The entirety of the South Dakota Accessible Library Services program and staff
• Digitization of older state documents
• Federally and state-required annual data collections
• The summer library programming
• The training and standards for our school and public librarians including technology

Every five years the State Library creates a plan for expending federal funds.