UC-NRLF 
 
LIBRARY REPORT 
 
 OF 
 
 South Dakota Libraries 
 
 t908 
 
 BY 
 
 Wm. H. POWERS 
 PRESIDENT S, D. S. L. A. 
 
 
SCHOOL 
 
 nju*M 
 ci 
 
 GIFT 
 

 Library Report 
 
 SOUTH DAKOTA LIBRARIES 
 
 By the kindness of Wm. H. Powers, President of the South Dakota Library 
 Association, this report on the libraries of the state is herewith submitted. 
 
 019 
 
Library Report 
 
 Blockings, S. D., October 29, 1908. 
 
 SIR: I have the honor to submit to you a report upon the condition of li- 
 braries in South Dakota, Such report is made as the result of correspondence 
 with you and Governor Crawford. In response to a letter from me concerning 
 the desirability of legislation providing for a report upon libraries, Governor 
 Crawford wrote as follows : 
 
 January 12, 1907. 
 
 MY DEAR SIR: I do not think any legislation is necessary in the matter 
 concerning which you write. The association of the Librarians of the State ie 
 one which is so closely allied to the educational system of the state that it see me 
 to me entirely proper for the Superintendent of Public Instruction to incorporate 
 a report like the one you suggest in his biennial report. 
 
 Yours sincerely, 
 
 Cos I. CRAWFORD, Governor. 
 MR. WM. H. POWERS. 
 
 m As you signified your readiness to receive such report, when the governor's 
 opinion was communicated to you, in behalf of the State Library Association I 
 present the following information : 
 
 Yours respectfully, 
 
 WM. H. POWERS. Pres. S. D., S. L. A 
 To the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Pierre, South Dakota: 
 
 The South Dakota State Library Association owes its present organization 
 to the meeting held in Sioux Falls, 1906, in conjunction with the Educational 
 Association. The first attempt at organization dates from a meeting in May, 
 1904, with the Federation of 'Wpmen's Clubs. The curious may learn about 
 this and other interesting matters in the report of the Sioux Falls meeting pub- 
 lished by the Educational Association. 
 
 In 1907 statistics were gathered and published thru the courtesy of the 
 State Journal of Education in the October number of that Journal. Another 
 meeting of the Association was held in Watertown, also in conjunction with the 
 Educational Association. Because of the meeting of the American Library 
 Association at Minnetonka in June, 1908, which it was hoped a goodly number 
 of our librarians might attend, it was decided not to prepare a program for a 
 meeting at Aberdeen in December, 1908. 
 
SOUTH DAKOTA LIBRARIES 
 
 This report embodies statistics gathered in response to inquiries sent out to 
 the libraries and schools. The response has not been as ready as had been ex- 
 pected there seems to be an ingrained antipathy to the making of reports yet 
 the information concerning all but high school libraries is fairly complete and, 
 it is hoped, is accurate. High School libraries were included because the recent 
 law gives to the development of libraries in the schools such impulse that the 
 number of volumes in the high schools already far outnumbers these in the pub- 
 iic libraries. It is to be presumed, therefore, that such libraries are at present 
 showing a larger usefulness than other libraries can. It was with the thought of 
 such conditions that the program for the Sioux Falls meeting was arranged; for 
 in that program special emphasis was placed upon the library as it affected the 
 schools. The usefulness of the school libraries in South Dakota, great as it is, 
 would be greatly increased, so at least some of those who give their whole time 
 to library work have thought, if the teachers could learn somethng of library 
 methods. It is with such end in view that in many normal schools the embryo 
 teachers are given a course of library instruction, So important is the matter 
 that the National Educational Association recently published a pamphlet, enti- 
 tled, Instruction in Library Administration in Normal Schools. 
 
LIBRARY REPORT 
 
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LIBRARY REPORT 11 
 
 Thus it is seen that the Association has received reports from 32 libraries 
 besides reports from high school libraries. There are others from which no re- 
 ports have been received : From the penitentiary, from other state institutions, 
 from a few denominational institutions, and from the following towns, where it 
 is said libraries exist: Clear Lake, Faulkton, Castlewood, Howard, Ipswich, 
 and Pukwana. Regarding some of these towns the information came too late 
 to admit of asking them for a report Yet as these libraries not reporting are 
 all of them small , the totals obtained from those reporting are fairly accurate. 
 
 Tota 1 volumes in state institutions 54,190 
 
 Totai volumes in other institutions 24,331 
 
 Total volumes in Carnegie public libraries 37,298 
 
 Total volumes in other public libraries 12,885 
 
 Total volumes outside of school libraries 128,704 
 
 The growth of these libraries has really been remarkable; for outside of the 
 institutional libraries practically all has been done since the century opened. 
 The Carnegie Library has been the chief factor in this growth. Of these I hear 
 good reports. In most cases the library has been cataloged, the work organ- 
 ized, and the librarians eager to do all that can be done to make the library help- 
 ful to the community. The conditions, however, are far from ideal, and it has 
 been the hope of the Association that very soon there might be established a 
 Library Commission. Such a commission is actively at work, with results, in 
 all our neighboring states. In the meantime the Association has aimed as far 
 as possible to make up for the want of the commission. It has been working for 
 the establishment of some traveling libraries; for the experience of other states 
 serves to show that of all the library activities this form pays best for the money 
 expended. It has planned picture circuits whereby especially for the children 
 the library room might be made increasingly attractive; it has tried thru its 
 meetings to rouse the librarians to greater helpfulness to the communities 
 which they serve. Its officers hold themselves ready to do everything that 
 can be done thru correspondence to promote library growth and to increase 
 library efficiency. 
 
 To obtain the desired information about school libraries the following ques- 
 tions were sent out in May to the high schools: 
 
 1 . What is the number of volumes in the high school library ? 
 
 a. Ref. books, b. Sup. reading, c. Add. July 1-June 30, 1908 
 
 2. What is the number of periodicals subscribed for? 
 
 3. How and where are books kept? 
 
 . a. In a library room? b. Are they convenient for reference use? 
 
 4. Are they lent to pupils for home use? 
 
 5. Are they lent to others than pupils and teachers? 
 
 6. Statistics of circulation? 
 
 7. What provision is made for use of books during vacation? 
 
 8. Would the use of books during vacation be appreciated by the com 
 munity? 
 
 .9. Is it feasible to arrange for such use? 
 
 10. Statistics of summer use? 
 
 1 1 . Name of librarian ? 
 
12 
 
 SOUTH DAKOTA LIBRARIES 
 
 12. How much of her time does she give to library duties? 
 
 Returns from the schools were in many cases not made at all. Blanks were 
 sent out twice and postal card notices twice; yet in the end only 39 out of 75 
 made reply. There seemed no use , therefore, in attempting to arrive at totals. 
 
 In the following table are listed all of the schools replying : 
 
 NAME 
 
 Total vols. 
 in library 
 
 Ref. 
 books 
 
 Additions 
 July 1907 
 June 1908 
 
 1 Alexandria 
 
 300 
 
 
 
 2 Arlington 
 
 150 
 
 50 
 
 
 3 Beresford 
 4 Britton (a) 
 
 807 
 800 
 
 115 
 3CO 
 
 .....V.: 
 250 
 
 5 Brookings 
 
 2 000 
 
 1 COO 
 
 100 
 
 6 Bryant 
 7 Canton 
 8 Castlewood 
 
 615 
 1,400 
 596 
 
 
 
 95 
 50 
 
 80 
 
 9 Chamberlain 
 
 860 
 
 
 
 10 Clark : 
 
 1 500 
 
 200 
 
 300 
 
 11 Clear Lake (a) 
 
 300 
 
 
 
 100 
 
 12 Custer 
 
 600 
 
 
 
 13 Deadwood (a) 
 
 3 000 
 
 
 
 14 Dell Rapids 
 15 DeSmet . . 
 
 250 
 1 287 
 
 * 50 
 200 
 
 50 
 116 
 
 16 Elk Point 
 17 Flandreau ... 
 
 1,200 
 2 035 
 
 700 
 317 
 
 100 
 
 460 
 
 18 Ft. Pierre 
 19 Groton 
 
 420 
 900 
 
 225 
 
 30 
 80 
 
 20 Howard (a) 
 21 Hudson 
 22 Huron (a) 
 23 Ipswich (a) 
 
 200 
 733 
 1,705 
 325 
 
 17 
 02 
 ICO 
 60 
 
 17 
 72 
 654 
 40 
 
 24 Lead (a) . . 
 
 3 000 
 
 1 650 
 
 250 
 
 25 Madison (a) 
 26 Mitchell (a) 
 27 Parkston 
 
 674 
 356 
 466 
 
 425 
 200 
 50 
 
 116 
 
 56 
 42 
 
 28 Platte 
 
 308 
 
 96 
 
 
 29 Plankinton 
 
 900 
 
 125 
 
 150 
 
 30 Rapid City .( a) 
 
 1 924 
 
 97 
 
 200 
 
 31 Redfield (a) 
 
 800 
 
 200 
 
 100 
 
 32 Salem 
 
 850 
 
 100 
 
 50 
 
 33 Sioux Falls (a^ 
 
 836 
 
 
 ICO 
 
 34 Sturgis 
 
 2 100 
 
 4CO 
 
 101 
 
 35 Vermillion (a) 
 
 667 
 
 200 
 
 90 
 
 36 Watertown (a) 
 
 675 
 
 631 
 
 150 
 
 37 Webster ... 
 
 2 000 
 
 1 200 
 
 200 
 
 38 White 
 
 591 
 
 119 
 
 11 
 
 39 Yankton (a) ., : 
 
 1,011 
 
 777 
 
 226 
 
 (a) Has public library. 
 
 What constitutes a reference book those who answered I judge are not 
 agreed upon. The question was designed to bring out, of course, what portion 
 of the library was not available for circulation; and reference books were svp- 
 
LIBRARY REPORT 13 
 
 posed to include, besides the encj-clopedias, the larger histories, histories of lit- 
 erature, and all text-books. It is hardly conceivable that in a library for school 
 use of several hundred volumes only a handful should be for reference. Some 
 other interpretations was probably placed upon that term. 
 
 It is of interest to note what influence the presence of a public library has 
 upon the school library. In some cases it would seem as yet to have no influ- 
 ence. The school library in several such towns seems just as large and just as 
 varied as if no pi blic library existed. In other cases the effect has been most 
 striking. In Sioux Falls for example, there is in the school library about the 
 the same number of books as in Chamberlain. It must be noted also that near- 
 ly the entire number consists of reference books. Such must certainly be the 
 tendency of the establishment of town libraries; to cut down the percentage of 
 fiction and other circulating books purchased for the school. Does the presence 
 of a fair school library prevent the establishment of a public library on the 
 ground that such library is superfluous? Some superintendents with whom I 
 have talked are of the opinion that such is not the case; the funds they sa} r avail- 
 able for school libraries are so small that as the school grows the demand for 
 reference books alone passes bej-ond the power to purchase and it becomes 
 impossible to provide, with school funds, books for general reading. Further- 
 more it is urged that the school library tends to cultivate a taste for reading, to 
 form the book habit. A generation brought up with good school libraries will 
 not be satisfied without correspondingly good public libraries. 
 
 Almost as important as the book is the way in which it is kept. Only one 
 school reports that their books are not convenient for reference rse. The large 
 number of 24 reports a special library room where the books, at least in part, 
 are kept. In only a few cases, however, is there a well equipped reading or 
 study room. Fourteen schools report that they are taking some periodicals, 
 tho the number in nearly every case is small. It is an open question how much 
 encouragement should be given to periodical reading. One superintendent 
 reports a very great interest in such reading, which in his school is carried on 
 under careful supervision. A considerable number of schools designate a libra- 
 rian, but only e ight reported definite duties and hours of serv ice. In most cases 
 the librarian is a pupil or a teacher who at odd times gives out books. The 
 conditions in some of the larger schools , however, are particularly encouraging. 
 Lead, perhaps, in this matter exemplifies its name; for there they have a large 
 and well-equipped reading room, under the constant supervision of a trained 
 librarian, who devotes her entire time to the service of the students. In smaller 
 schools the example might well be followed to the extent of detailing for an hour 
 each day one of the teachers to library duty; she should then help those who are 
 using the library; to give out books is the smallest part of a librarian's business. 
 Only seven schools report any statistics of circulation. 
 
 Of great general interest is the amount of vacation use made of the library. 
 It has long seemed to the writer a sin in economy, terrible in its proportions, 
 especially for a people so practical as the Americans that our churches should 
 be used but one day in seven and that for many months the school houses 
 should be a refuge only for spiders and vermin. As the school houses are be- 
 coming equipped with more and more of expensive furniture and apparatus the 
 economic sin seems all the greater. The writer's views are shared by a consid- 
 
14 SOUTH DAKOTA LIBRARIES 
 
 erable portion of those in charge of the high schools; for five sqhools report that 
 they are already in some way making provision for vacation use of books. 
 Thirteen think that such use would be appreciated by the community", and ten 
 think such use feasible. How this shall be accomplished is of course, where the 
 difficulty begins. The superintendent in Plankinton checks out books at stated 
 times during the summer. The school library at Elk Point is open two days ot 
 each week for the use of the public. Perhaps in other cases this might be good 
 work for public spirited club women. 
 
 Libraries grouped by size are as follows : 
 
 Number containing over 2,000 volumes 6 
 
 Number containing from 1,800 to 2,000 1 
 
 Number containing from 1,600 to 1,800 ..' 1 
 
 Number containing from 1,400 to 1,600 2 
 
 Number containing from 1,200 to 1,400 2 
 
 Number containing from 1,000 to 1,200 1 
 
 Number containing from 800 to 1,000 7 
 
 Number containing from 600 to 800 6 
 
 Number containing from 400 to 600 5 
 
 Number containing from 100 to 400 ., 
 
 Some schools even throughout the school year are extending library privi- 
 leges to the public. Sixteen schools report that they are lending books to 
 others than pupils and teachers. From the little town of Britton comes the 
 report that the astounding number of 100 books are in circulation all the time; 
 Britton has a small public library also. 
 
 The officers of the / ssociation are as follows: 
 
 President, Wrn. H. Powers, S. D., S. C., Brookings. 
 
 Vice Presidennt, Edla M. Laurson, Carnegie Library, Mitchell, S. D. 
 
 Secretary-treasurer, Nettie I. Current, Carnegie Library, Sioux Falls.