Season Greetings to my patrons and wonderful community. I hope it has been a good year for you. Now, for my 2025 recap.
I do have some wonderful and exciting news to share with everyone. In October, my director received news that I, the Wessington Springs Carnegie Library, am 1 of the 1280 Carnegie Libraries throughout the nation receiving a generous gift of $10,000 from the Andrew Carnegie Corporation of New York in January of 2026. This award is part of Carnegie Libraries 250, a special initiative celebrating the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and honoring all the Carnegie Libraries still serving their communities across the United States. The funds may be used however we wish. What an impressive gift!
I would also like to recognize other great gifts like the $500 donation from the WS Frontier Mason’s Lodge #87 from a grant that they applied for. Representatives came to the library to present my staff with a check. Pictures were taken and an article was shared in our local paper. I am also fortunate to have received a few generous donations from not only our community members, but individuals that have ties to the area. Wow, I am so honored to have such great friends.
My library board added two members, Eva Vorhees, and my new city council representative is Cherie Maxwell. Other members include President Eileen Thomas, Mike Easter, Johnny Kruse, and Sara Schaller. This past year, my board and director updated and adopted various library policies so that we are following new required SD state laws. They are SD House Bill 1239 (Collection & Reconsideration Policy/ Appeal Process) and SD Senate Bill 74 (Open Meeting Laws Annual Review). Updates will be published on the city and library websites and copies will be available within the library to view. In 2026, we plan to update other policies and our patron registration forms.
Over the past few months, my director and staff have been busy. Grow SD, a nonprofit from Sisseton, came to our community promoting digital literacy awareness. I was glad to host an “Identify the Fraud Class,” held in June at the Senior Center with fifteen people attending. Also, with Wessington Springs recently being awarded a tourism grant, a small tourism group from Pierre and out of state came to visit the Carnegie Library and learn about my history.
There was no SDLA conference this past year instead we were part of a tristate conference held in North Dakota, so my director did not attend. Every three years my director must complete the State’s Continuing Education requirements for recertification, and this was her year. After submitting the paperwork, she received a visit from the South Dakota State Library Director George Seamon, who presented her with her State Library Grade 2 Library Director renewal recertification certificate.
My director attended the 2025’s “Color Our World” Summer Reading Program Jumpstart training session in Chamberlain and in May, she attended the WS Elementary AR awards ceremony where she promoted the program. Our program, held on a Wednesday and Thursday for two weeks in July, celebrated color or lack of in many different creative forms. Our attendance was small, but fun was had doing all the crafts. We have such artistic kids in our area. 2026’s theme will be “Unearth a Story”.
I am excited to share that my shelves are full of a great assortment of items for you to check out and enjoy. Over this past year, many new purchases were made, items were found and processed from the basement, and various book donations were received from my community and other area resources. My director is already looking into what is available for purchase to add to my shelves for 2026.
In honor of the WSHS All School Reunion held in September, I received some refreshing and reorganizing both inside and outside, from my staff, volunteers, and the WS FFA. The bushes in front of my building received a trim, my basement was prepared for a book sale, and my staff rearranged the library shelving to promote our non-fiction items. My shelves were also arranged to acknowledge, emphasize, and display my South Dakota, Jerauld County, and Wessington Springs collections, my yearbooks and me, the Carnegie Library. Staff also put together a folder of newspaper clippings that reflect the history of the library. I was open on the morning of September 27th for touring during the reunion and for the book sale which ran from the end of September through October. Through the charitable generosity and support from our friends, we raised over $600 which will be used for the purchase of new items for the library. A heartfelt “THANK YOU” goes out to all of you for your support.
I have a wide range of services and programs available for you. I received a 2025 SD State Park pass that is available until May 2026, I am part of the SD Share-It program where if I do not have it, my director may be able to get it for you from another library, I have two Braille Talking Machines for your use or my staff can assist you with getting your own, I am a part of Libby” or SD Titles to Go, you can find details about me on my website (https://wessingtonsprings. yoursdlibrary.org), and I am on Facebook. I provide free WI-FI usage inside and outside my building, provide copy, print, and fax services, I have four free CIPA (Child Internet Protection Act) compliant computers for our patrons to use, provide drop-off and pickup service for those unable to visit the library, and I am a valuable reference and information service provider for you, my community.
Future library ideas and projects include working on various building maintenance projects both inside and outside the building, updating library policies and my patron list, working on the 2025 State Library Annual Report, possibly purchasing three or four new computer chairs, book bins, kid’s cart, storage and file cabinets, and looking at new staff desks and a library circulation desk.
Take a moment and visit us. You never know what you may find. On behalf of my Library Board, staff, and myself, we wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
“YOUR” WS Carnegie Library