Rapid City Public Library Trailblazes on the Information Frontier

By Marsha Ahrenkiel, Publications & Publicity

It’s 1:00 p.m. on a Saturday at the Rapid City Public Library downtown and there’s not a sign anywhere of that solemn hush we associated with libraries in the past. RCPL hums with activity.

On the main floor, patrons are gathered at the public computers. Their library card gets them an hour of time on PCs with internet access and popular software. For patrons without a computer at home, this is an essential service – allowing them to apply for jobs online, research products or services, e-mail family or friends, or simply acquaint themselves with the world of information online. Nearby, a tourist uses a 30 minute quick-access computer to check airline reservations and print e-tickets, then asks staff for help finding local hiking trails.

Throughout the library, patrons are reading books, leafing through magazines, or using computers, and many are enjoying coffee from the Perk It Up Coffee Shop. The scent of fresh baked cookies pervades the area where new books, books on CD, and DVDs are located. A woman works on her family history using a library computer and microfilm and genealogy resources, as well as books on local history. Before she leaves, she’ll sign up for next week’s ‘Lunch & Learn’ program on Women’s History Month. A man with a laptop in the reference area connects to the wireless network and gets Morningstar mutual fund reports from the library website, keeping tabs on his financial portfolio. Later on he’ll switch topics and find wiring diagrams for his 2006 Ford Taurus.

A dad with some free weekend time brings in his three kids and they head upstairs to the Youth Services area, pausing to admire a stairwell display featuring fossil castings of ancient mammals and arranged by the SDSM&T Museum of Geology and Paleontology Club. His youngest heads straight for the aviary; he loves the library’s colorful birds. The oldest gravitates to the young adult area searching for a favorite graphic novel series. And the middle daughter settles happily at the library listening station to hear songs and stories. She was here with Mom for Book Buddies Story Time earlier in the week, a program they rarely miss. It’s a timeless scene that has repeated generation after generation, parents introducing their children to reading and knowledge through the library.

In the Young Adult area there’s a popular feature known as the Homework Station. Laptop computers are available for students (of any age) to work on school projects. They can access a variety of academic and research resources available from the library’s website and, from 3 to 10 pm, even chat online with a live tutor. On a Saturday afternoon, there are a couple of students focusing on their homework. That number will grow as Monday assignment deadlines loom closer.
The picture at Rapid City Public Library North, located in the General Beadle Elementary School, is much the same – families using the library together for a variety of resources, whether those are magazines, computers, books, DVDs, or the programs and events.

Rapid City patrons are used to these libraries – their busy atmosphere, variety of programs and resources, and mix of community residents. So used to it, in fact, that they are not surprised that USA Today gave a nod to the Rapid City Public Library and featured it last March as one of the “ten great places to find a nook and read a book”. Other public libraries have modeled their efforts on some of the things being done in Rapid City; it’s a fact that while many libraries have struggled to remain relevant in the communities they serve, the Rapid City Public Library has forged ahead to meet 21st century challenges. It does this by a blend of vision and multi-tasking; moving forward on many fronts at once, at the same time keeping a constant eye on new trends or resources that might need to become part of the mix.

Look for the library to continue its growth trend – adding new patrons, increasing its reach to patrons who use the library almost exclusively online, and perhaps even adding facilities - as in 2008 when the library opened Rapid City Public Library North operating out of General Beadle Elementary School. Where there is a need to be met in the community, the library will look for a strategy to meet it.