Evelyn Lang Public Library

10/14/2026

Want to know if your information may be compromised?
Here is a resource you can use to see if your email has been involved in a data breach. https://haveibeenpwned.com/
You can also type in a password to see how strong it may or may not be.
In the screenshot below, I have typed in a common password - Password123 - look how many times this password has been seen in data breeches!

10/14/2026

Monday marked five years since I stepped into the position as your librarian. ALOT has happened since then:
- most of the collections have experienced a thorough weeding and rejuvenation
- federal recognition has been reinstated after operating as a reading room for decades, enabling the library to:
- subscribe to SD Titles to Go through the state library system (audiobooks & ebooks)
- receive over $5000 in monetary and in-kind awards to refresh our juvenile collections allowing our library budget to focus on updating general collections
- participate in the Collaborative Summer Library Program that is supported by the South Dakota State Library so we can offer fun and engaging summer reading programs
Not only is the library federally recognized in the state of SD, but your librarian is certified as a Library Director - she learns, collaborates, and grows so the library can grow as well.

But none of this matters if the community is not engaged with the library, and if all that's been accomplished cannot sustain itself, all the resouceswe now have available could disappear.

Books on shelves do not sustain libraries - communities sustain libraries. So help me celebrate my milestone by completing the Board's Community Survey so that we can make the library all it can be!

Here's to the next five years (and hopefully more)!

10/13/2026

I'll be the first to say passwords are a pain - gone are the days of getting to use the same one, or keep the same one for any length of time. Your passwords should be at least 16 characters long - using a mix of letters, numbers and characters.

The example below was from a slide shared at our cybersecurity training, and it was the one that compelled me to share some tips with all of you. Back when it was just a human trying to guess your password, it would take them a while, but now with computers doing much of the work, that time has trickled down to less than a second if your password is short to several hours or a few days if you use a good one. Having a difficult password to crack may give you time to get a password reset if you know a site has been compromised.

Our brains can't hold all of our passwords if we are working hard to make them hard to crack, so make them tough and use a password manager to help clear your mind.

10/09/2026

The Evelyn Lang Public Library Board of Trustees needs your help!
The Board is conducting a Community Survey to help them formulate a strategic plan for the library.

Your input, whether you are a library user or not, is important to help the Board set goals and expectations for the library's future.
You can download and print a copy of the survey by following the link below, going to our website pages (links in About), or grabbing a copy outside the library in the Community Center or at the Post Office. Please return your completed survey to the boxes located at the Community Center or the Post Office by October 31st.

We want a bright and vibrant future for the library, and your input is valuable.

Thank you for your support!

Community Survey – Evelyn Lang Public Library Please take a few minutes to complete this important survey from the Evelyn Lang Public Library. Your responses will assist the development of the Library’s strategic plan, as well as guide future programs and services. Please leave your completed su...

10/06/2026

If your inbox is like mine, it's probably overloaded with unread emails - some undoubtedly are a scam.

But on the occasion that you actually get one that you need, make sure you thoroughly review where it comes from and what it wants you to do. If something looks suspicious, don't click on it and hope for the best. If it is local business, call the source directly from your trusted contact information to see if the message is legitimate, or inform the sender that they may have been compromised.

Nothing is so urgent that it must be done immediately. Take some time to look over the information and evaluate before you take action.

10/02/2026

On Wednesday morning, I attended cybersecurity training in Wagner.
What stood out to me was many of us KNOW much of the information that was shared, but we don't always take the time to DO the things we need to do to keep our information as secure as possible.
Below I have listed the Core Four - four things that everyone can do to help keep their information as secure as possible.
I will be posting some random facts, stats and tips throughout the month of October to help you manage the Core Four as well as some info about AI.
As always, if you have questions or need help, please reach out to me - your library and your librarian will help you find the answers you need.

10/01/2026

It's official - my favorite month of the year is here!!!
With it comes a new challenge - there are plenty of books on the shelves to give you whatever level of thrills and chills your fearful heart desires and what better region to read from than the Northeast - the destination to see some spectacular fall color, and feel the chill of eerie tales of the headless horsemen and wicked witches.

From Salem, Massachusetts to Maine - the home of the reigning King of things that makes our skin crawl - Let's get our spooky on!!!👻

I'm not finished with the displays yet - I will post them soon.