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state library offers grants for the purchase of new equipment, and Library Coordinating Council offers grants particularly targeted toward rural libraries.
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• A role for the foreseeable future
• Overall, rural libraries in the Dakotas are holding their own or thriving--but there are some that are struggling. Brunskill said the difference is sometimes related to declining population, but the effort of the people involved matters more to how the library is doing than numbers do.
• "If you've got people who really, really think highly of their library, it doesn't matter whether it's a small town or medium-sized town, that library going to get a lot of support from that community," Brunskill said.
• Peterson said the leadership of library personnel can help a rural library succeed. "A lot of it also depends on what the vision is of the library and what the vision is of the director," he said. "Some are a little more active with promoting new activities and technology. But overall, the state of libraries in North Dakota is pretty good."
• Pretty good--or even great. Many rural libraries are serving an important niche in their communities, as a social gathering space as well as a place to gather information. The librarians in Faulkton, Clark and Britton all say their libraries are thriving.
• "We've had a lot of good comments from people coming through that we kind of shine when it comes to our library," Satrang said. "We have the community to thank for that."