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.

Sturgis Public Library Awarded $18,000 in Disaster Fund Grants

The Sturgis Public Library is pleased to announce that the Black Hills Area Community Foundation, John T. Vucurevich Foundation, and the United Way of the Black Hills have each awarded $6,000 to the Sturgis Public Library in the form of Disaster Fund Grants. Totaling $18,000, the grants will be used to support the library's efforts to assist those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. 

The Public Library worked with the Meade 46-1 School Librarians, Scottie Bruch (Middle & High Schools) and Heidi Kruse (Elementary Schools) to identify areas of need. The result of that collaborative effort is portable Wi-Fi hotspots and the expansion of the public library's digital eBook and audiobook Overdrive collections for school-age students. 

"As our schools moved to remote learning last spring, it became apparent that a segment of our students did not have access to the internet at home. The school district worked to connect those students, but it remains a struggle for many in our community. These hot spots will allow families to connect should we move to distance learning again in the coming year," said Kruse. "Additionally, many students and families did not have adequate access to level appropriate books. This new collection will help to fill that gap." 

"We know that there is the probability of some students being homeschooled this fall and also the possibility that all of our students could be moved to a hybrid or virtual learning environment at some point during the school year," said Bruch. "We are grateful they will have access to quality content even when they can't physically access our school libraries." 

These resources will be available to the whole community, not just students. "Like the schools, our public library services continue to be limited because of the pandemic. We know there are many in our community that will benefit from these hot spots beyond the students," explained Julie Moore Peterson, Head Librarian of the Sturgis Public Library. "We are thrilled to offer this new opportunity in a time of such need." The public library is in the process of purchasing 10 Wifi Hotspots for patron use, and new digital content is already available.

Christmas pests (not pets)!

Ah, the Christmas tree! Symbol of every holiday season. Some trees go up in early November and stay up until mid-January or later.

Those trees are probably artificial, but for many there is nothing like the smell of a real Christmas tree. However, your real tree, wreath, or garland greenery may bring more than Christmas cheer to your house. It may also, unfortunately, bring pests.

Your local Federal Documents Depository Library may have a copy of the Christmas Tree Pest Manual. If not, you can access it online at access.gpo.gov

In 2019, a new insect pest was detected on Christmas greenery sold in South Dakota. This was covered in the news on both KOTA TV and www.blackhillsfox.com.

If you have questions about greenery or trees in South Dakota, you can contact the SD Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry.

If you want a Christmas tree from the Black Hills next year, look for the federal publication Cutting a Christmas tree on the Black Hills National Forest.

The SD State Library is a federal depository library and provides access to print and electronic federal government publications. Print publications are available via interlibrary loan. Electronic publications are linked from the state library online catalog.