SDSL's Cornerstone Newsletter

During the September 2023 South Dakota Festival of Books, the South Dakota Humanities Council recognized Misti Burns, Library Director at Tripp County Library Grossenburg Memorial, with the Distinguished Achievement in the Humanities (DAH) award. This recognition is a testament to Burns' outstanding dedication to promoting the humanities in her community. The DAH awards are given to an individual, a librarian, and an organization throughout South Dakota. These honorees are carefully selected for their enduring commitment to enriching their communities through the humanities.

“Humanities hold a special place in my heart,” said Burns. “To be recognized on a professional level for these efforts is truly an honor. It’s wonderful when personal interests align with occupational endeavors. Passion combined with purpose is the fuel to make great things happen. I know there are many in the librarian field with the same heart.”

Burns has worked with the South Dakota Humanities Council on several occasions to bring humanities programs to her community. Founded in 1972, the South Dakota Humanities Council’s (SDHC) mission is to deliver humanities programming to the people of South Dakota. They support and promote public programming in the humanities, provide grant funding for community programs and research and discussion projects, and carry out the mission of the South Dakota Center for the Book through reading and literacy programs and the annual Festival of Books.

“There are many different SDHC programs to reach all ages and backgrounds,” said Burns. “As a highlight for the summer reading program, we hosted Homespun Musical Instruments, which was a hit with the school-aged children, including two with special needs. We also had adults ranging from 19-75. All thoroughly enjoyed the program. They felt a part of creating the sounds of music and experiencing sound in a new way. Music unleashes emotion and connects in ways that the verbal language cannot.”

Burns shared that she is grateful for the opportunities that SDHC has provided for her library and community. She shared, “We are fortunate to have the SD Humanities Council make these programs accessible and affordable for smaller communities such as ours. Just because you’re rural or small, doesn’t mean you are excluded from learning opportunities found commonly in larger communities.”

When asked what her biggest challenge was when putting together humanities programming, Burns responded, “Time and energy. I wear many hats, as I know so many librarians in South Dakota do. You must prioritize so that you can say yes to the right things. Humanities programming is something that we love to say yes to! Money can be an issue. Thankfully the SDHC has quick grants which make the grant writing process simple and the programs affordable.”

For libraries looking to work with SDHC to bring humanities programming to their communities, Burns recommends looking through the SDHC Speaker’s Bureau and the quick grant options.

The other DAH award winners for 2023 included Karen Hall from Rapid City (individual) and Black Hills Reads with United Way of the Black Hills in Rapid City (organization).

The South Dakota State Library provides leadership for innovation and excellence in libraries and services to state government.

Email: library@state.sd.us
Website: library.sd.gov
Location: 800 Governors Drive, Pierre, SD, USA
Phone: 6057733131
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