SDSL's Cornerstone Newsletter

South Dakota State Library's e-newsletter

April 6, 2023

School Library Month 2023

Every April, librarians around the country celebrate School Library Month. School Library Month honors school libraries and librarians and the essential role they play in schools and the learning process. Throughout the month, school librarians promote and host activities that help patrons make connections to learning and the world around them.

School Library Month was first celebrated in 1985 and is sponsored by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a division of the American Library Association. The theme of the first national observance was “Where Learning Never Ends: The School Library Media Center.”

If you aren’t a school librarian, take a moment in April to thank a school librarian! If you are a school librarian, take a look at the School Library Month webpage from ALA for free printables, downloads, activities, proclamations, and PSA videos.

ALA | School Library Month

School Library Survey Open April 3 - May 5

The annual South Dakota School Library Survey (SLS) is open April 3 - May 5 at sd.countingopinions.com. School districts and systems are asked to complete one survey per district/system. Survey data will be compiled and reported back to all stakeholders. The district librarian or other appointed individual may collect and enter the data. Each district's superintendent should have received an email on Monday with district account credentials for logging into the survey. The data from this survey can be informative in the district decision-making processes, school improvement planning, and library media programming.

In addition to online assistance via the FAQs page, the SD State Library will provide districts with direct guidance if needed. For assistance, contact Shawn Behrends, shawn.behrends@state.sd.us, or Scottie Bruch, scottie.bruch@state.sd.us.

View data from last year’s School Library Survey in the 2021-2022 Data Digest HERE.