South Dakota library services on state budget chopping block
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South Dakota lawmakers will soon resume debate on a budget-cutting plan targeting library services within the state.
Legislative committees are likely to take another look at Governor Kristi Noem's proposal to reduce the State Library's main budget by more than $1 million, along with federal funding requiring a state match. A companion bill would repeal the agency's responsibilities.
Elizabeth Fox, president of the South Dakota Library Association and a librarian at South Dakota State University, warned the office would barely exist under the governor's approach. She said it now secures dozens of databases, which help students in many ways, like preparing for college entrance exams. Local branches benefit, too.
"There's medical databases," Fox pointed out. "If you go to the doctor and get told that you have something and you want to learn about it, the public library can help you do so through the databases provided by the State Library."
Fox noted while policymakers embracing these moves might argue about government efficiency, the State Library has purchasing power, which keeps costs lower. She argued taking away that ability would force school and municipal libraries to buy resources on their own when they are more expensive, putting pressure on local taxpayers.
As states try to fill workforce shortages, Fox feels such moves would set students back in charting a path for their professional lives.
"If this goes through, students will not even have a print index to find a journal article that they could go look in print," Fox explained. "It does put the state at a great disadvantage."
Other potential effects include the loss of library staff training for local sites and the use of a courier system allowing patrons to request a book from a different branch. Meanwhile, the national advocacy group EveryLibrary fears South Dakota's plans could be replicated by other states with similar budget motivations.
