Florida: Gia Arbogast Appointed as New Director for the Miami‑Dade Public Library System

From the Miami-Dade Public Library System (MDPLS)

The Miami‑Dade Public Library System is proud to announce that Gia Arbogast has been appointed as the new Director for the Library Department. Ms. Arbogast brings to this position more than 20 years of administrative and operational experience.
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As Director she will be responsible for a County department with more than 400 employees, and 49 branches serving more than 8 million visitors and a budget of $54 million. Ms. Arbogast is currently leading renovation projects for numerous libraries, the grand opening of the Northeast Dade‑Aventura Branch Library and the reopening of the California Club Branch Library.
Most recently, as Interim Director for the Library, Ms. Arbogast spearheaded the development and execution of system‑wide community programs. Ms. Arbogast also manages all outreach services which include mobile libraries, Talking Books, Connections—Library Service for the Homebound, Jump Start and Project L.E.A.D. (Literacy for Every Adult in Dade).
Ms. Arbogast’s previous experience includes management of front‑line service, coordination of training and programming services and overall management of the Library System. As the Assistant Director in charge of Programming and Community Engagement, Ms. Arbogast developed and implemented successful and innovative programs such as YOUmedia Miami — a program which builds on the role libraries play as places of innovation and exploration and teaches teens to use technology as a way to tell their stories and engage with the world around them in powerful and new ways. Ms. Arbogast created the first ever Writer in Residence Program for Young Adults and was instrumental in creating the Library’s Reading Ready literacy initiative for children 0‑5 years of age.
Ms. Arbogast is a University of Miami Graduate and received a Master’s Degree in Library Science from Florida State University in 1986. She is an active member of the American Library Association, the Public Library Association and the Association for Library Service to Children. She is currently an At Large Board Committee member of the Southeast Florida Library Information Network and previously served in the organization’s Legislative Advocacy Committee.

Additional Coverage From the Miami Herald:

MDPLS has 49 library branches, a budget of $54 million, and more than 8 million visitors per year, according to the county. Nationally, the system is ranked as the seventh largest, according to a 2012 American Library Association study.
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Raymond Santiago, the library system’s former director, retired in the summer of 2014. Arbogast served as interim director up until filling the permanent slot on July 20. Along with her promotion to permanent director, she received a five percent raise to $155,634 a year.

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See Also: Raymond Santiago, Director of Miami-Dade Public Library System, Announces Retirement Effective August 1, 2014 (June 4, 2014)

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