Long Returns To Community, Non-Profit Organization Roots With New Job As Library Director

While running a library is new for Shawn Long, the new Ste. Genevieve County Library director is in familiar territory managing a non-profit entity and working with the Ste. Genevieve community.

He served as director of Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital’s Friends Foundation from 2013 until 2018, when he went to work for a plastics company in Park Hills.

Long, a Ste. Genevieve native and a 2001 Ste. Genevieve High School graduate, this spring was named the successor to Elizabeth Rudloff as director of the county library.

“In high school, they always tell you to do what you love,” Long said. “Well, I was very passionate about the Boy Scouts.”

After attending Jefferson College, he got a degree from Lindenwood University in human service agency management, which was rebranded the year after he graduated as “non-profit marketing.”

“We learned everything from grant-writing to donor cultivation and donor management,” he said.

Board oversight and leadership also were taught. …

Long wants to be pro-active in giving patrons a reason to visit the library.

“I’d like to do more outreach, a lot more events within these four walls that bring people in, not only for books, but programs,” he said. “I want people to think of the library as an extension of the community, where they can come and have fun and not worry about cost.

“I want to have programs in here all the time. I’m doing my best to get the word out. I’d like people to  know — especially if they’re in book clubs, if they’d like to use our facility to meet, by all means, come. Do the book club here.”

See complete story in the May 22 edition.

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