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Accordion Section Title
General FAQs

Contact Information

Patrons (library account, InterLibrary Loan, reference request) 
Phone: (701) 328-4622 or 800-472-2104 
Email: statelib@nd.gov

Administration (Libraries, State Agencies, general inquiries) 
Phone: (701) 328-2492 
Fax: (701) 328-2040 
Email: ndsladmn@nd.gov

Media 
Email: ndslpa@nd.gov


Hours

Department offices are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.


Location

The State Library is located in the Liberty Memorial Building (the building with the large pillars) at 604 East Boulevard Avenueon the Capitol Grounds in Bismarck, North Dakota.


Mailing Address

North Dakota State Library 
604 E Boulevard Ave Dept 250 
Bismarck ND 58505-0800


For more information, please visit our general information page.

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Kit FAQs

All STEM and book club kits will be available to request through our online catalog in the Library Catalog .

If you know the name of the kit you would like to request, you can search by title.

If you do not know the name or want to see all the available kits, use one of the following two search terms: ndsl stem or ndsl book club. Either upper or lower case works, but make sure you put a space between book and club.

How do I place a request?

After you have found the item you want to request, click on the item to bring up the whole item record. On the right side of the screen click PLACE REQUEST. Enter your barcode information to log in, if you have not done so already. Click Submit Request in the blue box at the bottom. That's it!

When will I receive my kit?

Kits are checked out and sent in the mail on the activation date you put when you reserved the kit. If you need the kit by a certain date, please set your activation date a week earlier than when you want the kit. Example, if you want it on the 15th then set your activation date as the 7th or 8th. This will ensure your kit will be sent in the mail before you wish to start using it.

Can I put things on hold months in advance?

The answer is YES, you can! In the Submit Request screen, there is a category for Activation Date, followed by a box. The system defaults to today's date. However, if you make a change, the new activation date is when the kit will be pulled and shipped, if the kit is available, not the date you will receive it.

How do I change the hold activation date?

Go to the Requests tab in your account. Tick the box for the item and then click Suspend/Reactivate Selected. Enter the date you would like the hold to activate and click Submit.

Please be aware that just like any other library item placed on hold, a delayed request does not guarantee the item will be available on that date. We have multiple copies of many of the STEM kits but only have singles of the Book Club kits. To help lessen potential delays, please return kits promptly when you are done using them.

What else do I need to know?

The State Library pays for shipping one way, which means the borrower pays the cost for return shipping. The cost to ship a kit depends on weight. Each kit has been weighed, and that information is in the Notes field in the catalog record. Currently, shipping through USPS costs about $1.00 per pound, so please plan accordingly before you request a kit. If you live outside of the Bismarck/Mandan area, we will automatically mail the kit to the address on your account. If you wish to have the kit sent elsewhere, like your local library, please call us so we can put notes in your account.

Who can check out book club kits?

Anyone with a North Dakota State Library card or through your local library.

Who can check out STEM kits?

STEM kits can be checked out to individuals, libraries, and organizations.  Patrons will need to have an up-to-date NDSL account; additionally, libraries and organizations are required to have a designated contact person.

How long can I keep a kit?

All kits will have an 8-week circulation period.  There is a limit of one kit at a time for individuals and organizations without prior approval from the Patron Services Director.  There is a limit of three kits at a time for libraries and schools without prior approval from the Patron Services Director.

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ListServ FAQs

Below is a list of the different listservs that you can join.

NDSL-ACADEMIC

NDSL-ACADEMIC is a listserv for academic librarians and State Library professionals. This listserv allows the ability to communicate with one another, share information, and discuss issues.  The State library will use it to post information relevant to academic librarians.

Subscribe to NDSL-ACADEMIC

Subscription has to be approved


NDSL-LIBYAC

NDSL-LIBYAC is a listserv for young adults and children.

Subscribe to NDSL-LIBYAC

Subscription has to be approved


NDSL-NDPUBLICLIB

NDSL-NDPUBLICLIB is a listserv for public library directors. This list allows public library directors and State Library professionals the ability to communicate with one another, share information, and discuss issues. The State Library will use it to provide updates as well as post other information relevant to public library directors. If you are a public library director, you should have been added to this list.

Subscribe to NDSL-NDPUBLICLIB

Subscription has to be approved


NDSL-STATECAT

NDSL-STATECAT is a listserv for the libraries for which the State Library catalogs.  We will use it to disseminate information to you, but something to understand is that while all the libraries that are on this list are ones that have their cataloging done by the Statewide Catalog Development dept., the details of each library vary.  Some libraries are members of ODIN.  Some use stand-alone products like Atriuum or LibraryWorld as their circulation system.  All have their holdings added to WorldCat (aka OCLC).

Subscribe to NDSL-STATECAT

Subscription has to be approved


NDSL-TRIBAL

NDSL-TRIBAL is a listserv for tribal librarians and State Library professionals. This listserv allows the ability to communicate with one another, share information, and discuss issues.  The State library will use it to post information relevant to tribal librarians.

Subscribe to NDSL-TRIBAL

Subscription has to be approved


SCHLIBTALK

SCHLIBTALK is a listserv especially for school librarians, especially those in North Dakota. If you want to discuss current issues in school libraries, or just want to ask other librarians for ideas, please join!

Subscribe or Unsubscribe to SCHLIBTALK

Read the SCHLIBTALK archives