Your weekend, simplified: Aug. 23, 2024
Happy Friday! Megan here.
Weather check: Heat and humidity on deck for the weekend
Status check: How'd the first day/week of school go for those of you for whom that's relevant? My oldest is starting her second year of preschool today, and now I'm already thinking about where she'll start kindergarten next year. She was six months old when I started Sioux Falls Simplified – literally where does the time go?
This week, learn how growing demand for ebooks is affecting the library's budget. Plus, in the spirit of back-to-school season, you'll hear from our friends at the Sioux Falls Zoo and Aquarium about how they're helping kids learn through a new program in partnership with Promising Futures Fund.
And now, news:
CITY
What increasing demand for ebooks is costing libraries
Simplified: More people than ever are taking advantage of digital resources from Siouxland Libraries, including ebooks and audiobooks. That means higher costs and a delicate balancing act for the library system's budget.
Why it matters
- The amount of digital materials – books, music, magazines, audiobooks and more – checked out by Siouxland Libraries users increased by 40% so far this year compared to the same time last year, according to data shared by Director Jodi Fick.
- That's adding up to a significant financial impact, Fick said, especially because digital licensing fees are often more expensive than physical books. In some cases, the library pays a $2 fee for every use of a digital resource. In others, the cost per use can be $7.50 or more.
- Meanwhile, the library is also seeing a 5% increase in in-person visits to the library as well as use of physical library materials.
- The takeaway shouldn't be to stop using digital library resources, though, Fick said. Rather, the hope is that if you're going to check out an ebook, read it and be mindful of others who might be waiting for the same book – just like you would for a physical book.
"This is a resource that we all share," Fick said. "Don't waste it."
Why do ebooks cost more?
SIMPLIFIED PRESENTS
How the zoo helps kids learn
This is a paid piece from the Sioux Falls Zoo and Aquarium.
Simplified: A new effort from the zoo and the Promising Futures Fund will bring more learning opportunities to historically underserved kids. It's just one of many ways the Sioux Falls Zoo and Aquarium emphasizes the importance of literacy and learning.
Why it matters
- The Great Plains Zoo (GPZ) and Promising Futures Fund have worked together for several years to give kids opportunities to experience the zoo through field trips and scholarships for zoo camps.
- That partnership will take a more focused look at improving literacy through a new initiative funded by a grant from the Mary Chilton Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Foundation.
- The program – which will be piloted this year at Garfield Elementary School – will help tie what kids are learning in their classroom to what they experience on field trips to the zoo and the Butterfly House and Aquarium (BHA).
"This really opens up the door for us to not just inspire kids to be more excited about reading, but also to get more excited about animals, nature and conservation, as well," GPZ/BHA Director of Education Leigh Spencer said.
Tell me more about the new program
TL;DR
Super Simplified Stories
- Remember back-to-school safety on the road. Buses are out, kids are walking/biking to class, and there's just going to be more cars on the road in the mornings as everyone adjusts to back-to-school season. Here's a little refresher on the rules of the road for driving around school buses:
- Meet Sioux Falls longest-tenured teacher. The Sioux Falls Education Foundation this week recognized Jane Eilertson, who's been teaching for 42 years, 40 of which have been at Garfield Elementary School. Here's a picture from the Sioux Falls School District of Eilertson getting a surprise recognition during a staff breakfast Wednesday morning:
THIS AND THAT
What I'm falling for this week:
ICYMI
More Simplified Stories
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Thank you
Thank you to Sioux Falls Simplified sponsors, including Dakota Adventure Supply, the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation, Panther Premier Print Solutions, Barre3 Sioux Falls, the Great Plains Zoo, and the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance. When you support them, you're also supporting Sioux Falls Simplified.