Rawlins Municipal Library and its Board of Trustees recently had its Exemplary Level accreditation renewed. It’s the highest level of recognition a Library can achieve in South Dakota.
Accreditation standards are established through the South Dakota State Library in conjunction with national public library standards. Exemplary Level accreditation requires libraries to meet more than 80 criteria in the areas of governance, administration, access, collections and resources, funding, staffing, technology, and public relations. Accreditation is valid for three years, and Rawlins Library first received Exemplary Level recognition in 2018.
Robin Schrupp, Rawlins Municipal Library Director, says that it’s a big commitment but one that serves the public well.
“A big component of the accreditation is continuing education,” said Schrupp. “That means both staff members and our volunteer board members must have a firm commitment to keeping their knowledge updated and our program vigorous.”
There are 106 public libraries in South Dakota. Of those, less than a dozen have Exemplary accreditation.
Pierre Mayor Steve Harding says that he’s very proud of the Library team.
“On the average day, more than 430 people visit Rawlins Library,” said Pierre Mayor Steve Harding. “That doesn’t happen without dedicated, professional staff who continue to evolve the role of the library to meet the needs of the community.”
Rawlins Library offers more than 125,000 books, ebooks, digital magazines and other materials for research and entertainment. It also offers online continuing education programs, as well as programming for people of all ages -including outreach for the homebound and reading activities for young children.
For more information about library programs and activities visit, rawlinslibrary.org.