Sarah A. Long, Director of the North Suburban Library System has a rich experiential background in librarianship and library management. She has been characterized as an eloquent, motivational speaker with a strong passion for the value that libraries bring to their communities.

Sarah can speak on a variety of topics in a variety of venues including as a conference keynote, luncheon or meeting speaker. Following you will find an overview of topics that have become some of Sarah's specialties.

A Look Into the Library Crystal Ball: The Future, Growth and Challenges
It can be said that libraries mirror that which is taking place in society and more locally in the community. What is in the future for libraries? For example, librarians and libraries have been on the cutting edge of technology as our society has become more involved and dependent upon technology. Sarah will take a look at what the future holds and how the growth, changes, and challenges in our society will be reflected in our libraries.

Creating a Work Environment Where Staff Can Experiment, Succeed and Maybe Even Fail!
The North Suburban Library System, NSLS, has been characterized as the ‘Cadillac of Library Systems.’ Located in Wheeling, Illinois, it was voted one of Chicago's 101 Best & Brightest Companies to Work For" in 2005 by the National Association for Business Resources. The award was given, in large part, due to the work of the system in transitioning from a traditional top down management model to that of becoming a Learning Organization where staff is empowered to make decisions and become leaders. It is a culture that works for the 21st century library organization. Sarah will share how NSLS transitioned to a Learning Organization, ultimately achieved this distinction, its plans for the future, and how your organization can become one of the best and brightest, too!

Going Digital
Interested in preserving your local history? Want to be able to access local documents at your fingertips? Looking for genealogy information? You might be surprised at how easy it is to harness the power of your computer. Learn about Digital Past, www.digitalpast.org, a local history digitization project, and how libraries, museums, and organizations can preserve history and make it accessible to all.

School Libraries Make A Difference
Recently the Illinois Study commissioned by the Illinois School Library Media Association indicated that students in schools that have an effective library score higher on standardized tests and generally do better in school. Sarah will provide an overview of the study and how it can apply to your school library, provide specific examples of schools that make a difference, and offer reasons why and how school libraries need to be supported.

Libraries Have a Rich History, Too!
Did you know that libraries have a rich and powerful history? From the days of Andrew Carnegie, and even before, libraries are part of our nation's rich history and texture. Not only the buildings, but the development of libraries and the roles that libraries play in our communities provide gems of information. Sarah will provide an overview of how libraries have become institutions of great respect.

How Libraries Can Build Community?
We often hear people mention that the library is the heart of their community. Is your library the heart of your community? Learn from Sarah what it means to build community, why it is so important for your library to become a vocal point in your community and how you can do so. You will also learn how libraries around the country have been successful at building community.