State Recognizes Excellence in St. Joseph’s Indian School Library

St. Joseph’s Indian School has been awarded the School Achievement Through Libraries (SATL) Award for 2025-2028 by the South Dakota State Library, a division of the Department of Education. The award honors the outstanding work of school librarian Claire Nehring, with strong support from the Director of Education at St. Joseph’s Indian School, Sharmel Olson

The SATL Award recognizes school libraries that make a significant impact on student learning and school culture. Highly effective school libraries support the whole child: encouraging reading for academic and personal growth, fostering the development of research and information literacy skills, teaching ethical digital participation, and cultivating a lifelong love of learning.

“Claire has worked hard to make our library a place where our students want to go for fun and to learn,” said Olson. “Her influence and enthusiasm for reading inspires the students and helps them develop reading habits.”

Each year, the South Dakota State Library selects awardees who demonstrate exemplary performance in all three pillars of school librarianship: Program, Place, and Professional. Through a rigorous application process, librarians submit evidence showing how their libraries meet and exceed South Dakota’s school library guidelines.

For more information about the SATL Award and South Dakota’s school library programs, visit the South Dakota State Library website at library.sd.gov