Hi there. Nice to meet you.

Heidi Mayer Kruse - Elementary Librarian and Media Specialist

Schools: Sturgis Elementary, Piedmont Valley Elementary, and Whitewood Elementary

Hobbies: Reading, writing, puzzles, Vikings football, Twins baseball, podcasts, and gardening

Mantra: "It's chaos. Be Kind." - Michelle MacNamara

Favorite Kid or YA books: The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare and The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. Heidi is also a proud Harry Potter nerd. (She's in Ravenclaw with Hufflepuff tendencies.)

Education Goals for her Students: Fostering a love of books and great content in any (comics, podcasts, websites, etc.) form. Nurturing in students an ability to navigate the confusing online world of misinformation, bullying, and bias.

Biography: Heidi grew up riding horses and taming barn cats on a farm in eastern South Dakota between Doland and Frankfort. Her parents and much of her family still live there. She found her way home (to books and academia) - joining the Meade School District in 2016 after an early career in marketing and non-profits. She is a freelance writer and has articles and poetry published in everything from business magazines to literary journals across SD and the Midwest.

She has served on a number of community volunteer boards including the SD Festival of Books, Sturgis Big Read, Black Hills Business Council, Black Hills Badlands and Lakes Tourism, and others.

In November 2018, she was humbled and honored to join the Board of the South Dakota Humanities Council. The South Dakota Humanities Council "celebrates literature, promotes civil conversation, and tells the stories that define our state."

Heidi lives on a densely wooded mountain near Sturgis with her husband, Troy, and their two children Miriam (Mira) and Seth. They have an elderly Alaskan Malamute named Cheyenne and an ancient cat, Hades.

Heidi is a certified professional teacher with both elementary and secondary library endorsements.

She holds a Master of Arts in communication specializing in rhetorical criticism from NDSU. At SDSU, she earned a Bachelor of Science in liberal studies with a focus in English & world literature and a Bachelor of Science in mass communication with an advertising emphasis. Her minors are in sociology and political science. ... Yeah. We know - she's a total nerd when it comes to books and media. That just means she really cares how kids interact with both. Be safe out there.

Her first job was at 14 as the only employee of the Sherwood Memorial Library in Doland, SD. She's been working amongst the stacks off and on ever since. It's home.

Joan Wilson - Library Para-Professional

Schools: Piedmont Valley Elementary

Hobbies: Golf, Vikings football, and spending time with her children and grandchildren

Mantra: "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is never wasted." - Aesop

Favorite Kid or YA books: Hardy Boys series by Franklin W. Dixon and the Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene.

Education Goals for her Students: Show kindness always - both in the real world and virtual world.

Biography: A Minnesota native, Joan is a certified professional teacher with a degree in Biology. She loves science and helping students navigate the non-fiction section to their next big discovery.

Ginger Smith - Library Para-Professional

Schools: Sturgis Elementary

Hobbies: Coaching softball, gardening, spending time with her children and supporting them in their many academic and athletic pursuits

Mantra: "I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do. - Helen Keller

Favorite Kid or YA books: Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Education Goals for her Students: Enjoy being a kid and all the amazing books our library has. Don't be afraid to explore something new.

Biography: Born and raised in Whitewood, Ginger is a certified professional teacher with a great deal of experience teaching tiny ones. She loves helping kids find the perfect fit book to stretch their ability and their imaginations.