We are proud to announce that our Youth Services Manager, Sarah Beth Lesko, was the recipient of the 2019 Rising Star Award at the Arkansas Library Association Conference! 

The Rising Star Award was first awarded in 2017 and is used to recognize a library worker who has worked in libraries for less than 5 years and has provided exceptional service for their library community. 

Sarah Beth was nominated not only for her outstanding work as a manager and librarian, but also because of her work in creating the Library of Love. Over the past year, she has formed partnerships with local child advocacy centers to create this spin on Little Free Libraries. The Library of Love provides a book box and books to child advocacy centers. She seeks to give them an escape when their lives may be flipped upside down because of tough situations. 

Sarah Beth has been with the Saline County Library for three years and she has been the Youth Services manager for one year. The Saline County Library and our community have benefited greatly by having her on our team! 

To view a full list of winners, visit ArLA’s website.