Cornerstone Newsletter - A message from the Webmaster

Very soon you will see that we are changing platforms for our newsletter. Currently we are using Blogspot, and while it has done well for us for years, the team has agreed an upgrade is in order. 

So, we've settled on Smore. Starting next month, we hope you'll enjoy the new look and feel of our newsletter. *

We are keeping our archives (back through 2016) here on Blogspot. We also share out our posts every week on social media, and we plan to continue that practice as well. 

We are also transferring your email subscriptions from the old platform to the new. Emails should be transferred over, but if you do not receive the next post from Smore, you can sign up for the newsletter at Smore by emailing myself, Wynne.Sayer@state.sd.us, or Cheyenne Chontos, Cheyenne.Chontos@state.sd.us and we will put you on the mailing list.

I am aware that there has been some issues with the email subscriptions for the past couple months, and I am hoping that will be fixed with this move. 

If you have any comments or questions about this change, please feel free to email myself, Wynne.Sayer@state.sd.us, and Cheyenne Chontos, Cheyenne.Chontos@state.sd.us. 

*updated Sept 2, 2021: added link to next issue: SDSL's Cornerstone Newsletter | Smore  

LOUD LIBRARIANS LEAD! - August Blog Interview with Kate Kosior, Cheyenne Chontos, and Scottie Bruch (South Dakota State Library)

New South Dakota State Library employees share more about themselves! Meet Kate, Cheyenne and Scottie.

10 Things About You

1. What three words describe you best?

• Kate: Spontaneous, Hilarious, Kind
• Cheyenne: Social, Driven, and Empathetic
• Scottie: Organized, Creative, and Extroverted-Introvert

2. How would you title your autobiography?

• K: Well, That Wasn't Supposed to Happen
• C: Rad Looks and a Stack of Books
• S: "An Unexpected Adventure" because that's what my life seems to be. Growing up, I never imagined that I would someday be a world adventure traveler - backpacking in the Italian Alps, capsizing a canoe in a remote Alaskan river, skydiving in Las Vegas, almost dying on a glacier in Canada. But here I am! The life of a librarian, right?!

3. What would you do if you won the lottery?

• K: Travel, travel, and more travel!
• C: I would definitely spoil my cat with some new toys and treats, and I would spoil myself and my husband with a fun vacation and lots of great food.
• S: I've always said that if I won the lottery, I would buy back all of the buildings on Main Street Sturgis that have been purchased by out-of-state Rally vendors that are only in town for 3 weeks of the year. I would renovate and repurpose those beautiful old buildings and sell them to local business owners who have the best interests of our community at heart. And of course, with my remaining winnings, I would travel more and buy vacation homes around the world!

Kate Kosior, Braille & Talking Book Department Manager

4. Which superpower would you like to have?

• K: The ability to teleport humans and objects anywhere I wanted
• C: I have always wanted to be able to teleport. Imagine how much easier it would be to travel!
• S: If I could have a superpower, I think I would want the power to heal.

5. Where would you go in a time machine?

• K: I would really, really, really like to go see the dinosaurs
• C: Because I have been reading and watching the Bridgerton series, I have to say Regency-era London, but only if I could be part of high society.
• S: This is going to come off as super cheesy, but I wouldn't want to travel anywhere in a time machine. I like to live in the present moment … not the past or future.

6. What song do you have to sing a long with when you hear it?

• K: "Summer of '69" by Bryan Adams
• C: I have so many! My top ones are "Toxic" by Britney Spears, "Macho Man" by The Village People, and the entire album Sour by Oliva Rodrigo.
• S: All.the.songs. Just not in front of anyone! I mostly love modern folk music, though, and Brett Dennen is one of my favorite artists.

Cheyenne Chontos, Library Technology Coordinator

7. What is a tradition that your family has?

• K: My fiancé, daughter, and I get Chinese food and watch Christmas Vacation the weekend before Christmas
• C: Except for my youngest brother, we all owe the same color Subaru! My middle brother has an Outback, my mom has an Ascent, I have a Legacy, and my husband just bought an Ascent.
• S: When my husband and I travel with our two boys (both now teenagers), we do a "Cheers" to toast something great...or not so great (see above about almost dying on a glacier in Canada) that happened that day.

8. What do you binge watch?

• K: British television! I love it all. Right now, we are blasting through Line of Duty
• C: This summer I have been watching a ton of horror movies! I just finished watching the Fear Street series, based on the R.L. Stine books, on Netflix, and I loved every creepy, thrilling second.
• S: I'm currently not binge watching anything in particular, but I do love to binge!

Scottie Bruch, School Library Technology Coordinator

9. Where would you go on vacation?

• K: The beach! We are hoping to go to Belize next year, and I love Myrtle Beach. My daughter and I went to the Dominican Republic in February and loved it.
• C: I love a vacation anywhere warm where I can be by the pool or the beach. My two favorite places are Orlando and Las Vegas.
• S: I am lucky enough to have a husband who loves to travel and is a superb travel planner, so that is a main priority for us and just about the only thing we spend money on. But, I have never been to the South Pacific, so I would love to get to Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia!

10. What do you love to learn about?

• K: Baking, which I took up during the pandemic quarantine. Now I'm taking classes and really learning the art of baking correctly.
• C: I love to learn about American history. I really enjoy reading Doris Kearns Goodwin for nonfiction, and for historical fiction with a ton of great facts I enjoy reading Beverly Jenkins. Also, anything involving ghosts or the supernatural!
• S: I consider myself a lifelong learner and am open to learning about anything and everything! I'm very open-minded and tend to see things from all angles, so learning from a non-biased source (if possible!) is really important to me. I do love all things yoga, mindfulness, and wellness-related, though!

See more Loud Librarians Lead at library.sd.gov.

Library Associations – What’s in it for me? Part 2 (New Librarian)

From the desk of Cheyenne Chontos, Library Technology Coordinator…

South Dakota library staff have many choices if looking for a library association to join:

• SD Library Association https://www.sdlibraryassociation.org/
• Mountain Plains Library Association (MPLA) https://mpla.us/ - 12 state regional library association of which SD is a member
• Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL) https://www.arsl.org/

Not to mention larger associations like

• PLA https://www.ala.org/pla/
• ALA https://www.ala.org/
• ACRL https://www.ala.org/acrl/, etc.

Libraries, as a general rule, will not pay dues for staff who want to join an association. Staff members then have to decide if it is worth it to join. Here is the perspective from a newly minted librarian. Read Part 1 of this post series to read the perspective of an 'seasoned' librarian.

Cheyenne: When I started my MLS program in 2019, I was not working in a library, and I did not feel as connected with the library world as my classmates who worked in libraries seemed to be. My advisor suggested that I join the South Dakota Library Association and the American Library Association, and I have been a member ever since! I loved that the library associations offered an opportunity to network and be a part of the library community that I felt like I was missing. When I started at the State Library, I also joined the Mountain Plains Library Association, and they have also been incredibly welcoming and have offered great networking opportunities. The professional publications from the ALA and the newsletter from SDLA and MPLA also keep me connected and up-to-date on everything going on in the library world.

I am grateful not only for those networking and community opportunities but also for the continuing education opportunities these associations offered. I attended ALA Virtual in 2020 and 2021, and both offered incredible speakers and exciting topics to explore. I was also grateful that the conferences were offered at discounted rates for members – a win-win! As Brenda mentioned, the upfront costs can seem intimidating, but the benefits of joining library associations are immeasurable.

Library Associations – What’s in it for me? Part 1 (Experienced Librarian)

From the desk of Brenda Hemmelman, Interim State Librarian…

South Dakota library staff have many choices if looking for a library association to join:

• SD Library Association https://www.sdlibraryassociation.org/
• Mountain Plains Library Association (MPLA) https://mpla.us/ - 12 state regional library association of which SD is a member
• Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL) https://www.arsl.org/

Not to mention larger associations like

• PLA https://www.ala.org/pla/
• ALA https://www.ala.org/
• ACRL https://www.ala.org/acrl/, etc.

Libraries, as a general rule, will not pay dues for staff who want to join an association. Staff members then have to decide if it is worth it to join. Here is the perspective from a 'seasoned' librarian. Come back next week to read the perspective of a newly minted librarian.

Brenda: When I got my first library job, I did not have my MLS. Getting my masters was a goal and I had heard that there were grants available from SDLA and MPLA, so I joined in 1993 and 1994, respectively. I've been a member of both associations ever since. I did receive grants for my MLS, but I found more advantages too. I chose to not just be a paying member, but to get involved. I volunteered for committees. I served as a paid staff member of SDLA. I ran for different offices for MPLA. Through my involvement, I made connections and I have found over the years that those connections are invaluable. I have library friends from many different states that I can call upon for advice or a cup of coffee if I am in their area. Conferences also became an important event to connect and to learn. Sometimes I had to pay my own way, especially if the conference was out-of-state.

Getting involved is the key to making your membership dues more than just an obligation. Associations also need to evolve. Aside from a conference, what else do they offer? Grants, scholarships, leadership opportunities, professional development, membership chats? Do your research, but do think seriously about joining. When my dues notice comes, sometimes I cringe, but then I remind myself that I often spend $10 or more a week on Starbucks or Scooters and that puts things in perspective for me.

Welcome New SDSL Staff Member

The SD State Library is pleased to introduce our new School Library Technology Coordinator, Scottie Bruch.  Scottie joined the SD State Library in mid-July.

Scottie was raised on a ranch in the Black Hills and still lives there today with her husband and their two teenage boys.  She always knew that she would work in education, and she always has - in a variety of capacities.  She began coaching high school and middle school sports as a freshman in college and received her first teaching job as a 7th grade reading and geography teacher in Sturgis.  After several years of teaching and coaching, Scottie took a position as the Assistant Director and Teen Services Coordinator at the Sturgis Public Library.  During that time, she also became a certified yoga teacher, offering classes to children, teens, and adults.  In 2013, she went back into the schools teaching one year of 6th grade social studies before becoming the middle school and high school librarian (2 middle schools & 1 high school) and middle school track and cross country coach in Sturgis - a job that she loved for 7 years.

Scottie is now excited to take on the role of School Library Technology Coordinator!  She and her family love to travel the world and be together in nature.  She also loves reading, cats (& some dogs), puzzles, visiting libraries when she travels, running, organizing and planning, camping, and stand up paddle boarding.