LAKE PLACID - Lake Placid Middle/High School Librarian Sara Johns received a Lifetime Achievement Award on Nov. 3 at the fall conference of the New York Library Association in Saratoga Springs.
"(It's) the second one that group has given out, so she's in some pretty elite company there," said Lake Placid Central School District Superintendent Randy Richards at the Nov. 16 Board of Education meeting.
He said he believed "stunned were her words" upon learning that she was receiving the award.
According to a press release, during the award ceremony, Marcia Eggleston, president of the New York Library Association, commented on Johns' character and work ethic.
"Sara Kelly Johns has been an effective, enthusiastic, experienced and energetic leader within the library profession for over 30 years at the local, state and national level," she said. "Sara unhesitatingly gives of herself, bringing her energy and experience to work for libraries and librarians as a teacher, school librarian, trustee and library school faculty member as well as within library professional organizations locally and within NYLA."
In response to the award, Johns said in a press release: "I am enthusiastic about working with librarians and legislators from around the country to effectively write the next chapter in our library story. When I travel, I represent the Lake Placid Central School District."
Johns has had a 30-plus year career as a librarian, with the past 12 years working as the middle/high school librarian. She is currently the educational leadership chair of the New York Library Association/Section of School Librarians and coordinates the educational leadership retreat to Cornell University.
Her additional accomplishments include: president of the American Associate of School Librarians, president of the school library media section of NYLA, AASL knowledge quest associate editor, AASL regional director, AASL learning for life state coordinator, SLMS educational leadership chair adjunct faculty at SUNY Plattsburgh and Mansfield University in their school library and information technologies master's degree program, and president of the Saranac Lake Free Library's board of trustees.