News & Updates

In recognition of the valuable and important work of Miami-Dade Public Library employees, the Friends are pleased to announce the Friends of the Miami-Dade Public Library Employee Recognition Awards. The awards honor exceptional achievement in innovation, teamwork, leadership, service, and impact. Forty-six nominations were received for employees across 5 categories. Seven award recipients were selected, and each received a $200 award and an engraved plaque in a ceremony that took place on February 6, 2025.

Please join us in congratulating our 2024 Friends of the Library Employee Awards recipients:

• Eleanor Guldbeck Impact Award Winners: Cynthia Saavedra and David Hildenbrand
• Julio Castro Innovation Award Winner: Shiham Colegial-Lorenzo
• Leadership Award Winner: Milena Gonzalez
• Service Award Winners: Adriana (Anna) Blake and Daymi Roman
• Teamwork Award Winner: Qiana Robinson

Eleanor Guldbeck Impact Award: 

Eleanor Guldbeck was a well-respected librarian with the Miami-Dade Public Library System who spent her 22-year career, until her passing in 2023, championing her community. She worked tirelessly with children and families and was involved in various projects with at-risk youth, including PATH: Preserving, Archiving & Teaching Hip Hop, The Miami-Dade Police Department Summer Camp, and the Great Stories Reading Club, which included participants from juvenile detention. Her work with these organizations brought her closer to underserved populations where she made lasting connections and instilled a love of reading. In 2020, Eleanor was nominated for the American Library Association’s “I Love My Librarian Award,” which honors librarians across the country for their impact in their community. Eleanor was also instrumental in advancements in programming and outreach via her participation in committee leadership roles, including the AOS Teen Zone, establishment of YOUmedia North Dade, and the College and Vocational Career Fair. The Eleanor Guldbeck Impact Award stands as a tribute to the distinguished career of a librarian who made a significant and relevant impact on her community.

This award is given in honor of Eleanor Guldbeck and recognizes the employee whose dedication to their work extends throughout the library system and into the community the library serves. The recipient of this award takes the initiative to improve library programs and services, proactively engages with both served and underserved members of the community, and displays commitment to the mission and vision of MDPLS, promoting lifelong learning and opportunities. 

Award Winner: Cynthia Saavedra, Youth Services Specialist, Kendale Lakes Branch Library

Cynthia demonstrates exceptional dedication and innovation in her role as Youth Services Specialist. Her commitment to prioritizing the needs of her children and teen clients while balancing the other demands of her position has been unwavering. Cynthia has played an active role on a variety of committees: Young Adult, Children’s Services, and STEAM. Cynthia also significantly contributed to our Sensory Friendly programs. Her facilitation of Sensory Friendly story-times at her branch, and her support at the Story Extravaganza Event at North Dade in 2023, highlights her dedication to inclusivity and community engagement. Cynthia’s empathy and compassion in resolving patron issues exemplifies her outstanding customer service and make her a shining example of excellence in our Library.

Award Winner: David Hildenbrand, Adult Services Librarian, Naranja Branch Library

David’s dedication to public service, his curiosity and eagerness to learn, and his determination to positively impact those around him are evident in the programs and projects he established. David developed the “Let’s Get Down to Business” program that supported entrepreneurs and job seekers by providing workshops on resume building, interview techniques, and job-searching skills. He also organized entrepreneurial development events in collaboration with organizations such as the Miami Bayside Foundation, Brickell Capital Finance, the Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust, and Legal Services of Miami. The Behind the Walls program supports the informational needs of individuals in prisons, correctional facilities, and jails. The program includes responding to letters from inmates, providing professional support to correctional staff, and presenting at various events. David also created a Community Resource Guide for inmates preparing for release that provides verified information on housing, food assistance, health care, legal aid, resources for children and families, veteran support, and more. David’s efforts have brought crucial programming to the most needed members of our community. 

Julio Castro Innovation Award:

From 1989 through 2021, Julio Castro had a transformational impact on the Miami-Dade Public Library System. His accomplishments included the automation, construction, and expansion of our library system, the establishment of the YOUmake and YOUmedia technology spaces and the Technobus, and the bringing of our Bookmobile fleet into a new era. Julio exemplified a willingness to try out innovative new services and programs, which helped the Miami-Dade Public Library System become and remain a leader in library technology and innovation. Several of the programs he was involved in received state and national recognition and serve as templates for other libraries throughout the country.

In honor of Julio and his contributions to MDPLS, The Julio Castro Innovation Award is awarded annually to the employee who leads the creation, development, and implementation of an innovative program, activity, or service that has the potential to benefit library patrons, library services and operations, and the community at large. The recipient of this award brings in new perspectives, streamlines processes, and is instrumental in helping MDPLS grow and develop to be an industry leader that meets the present and future needs of library patrons and staff. 

Award Winner: Shiham Colegial-Lorenzo, Construction Manager 3

Shiham’s exceptional creativity and positivity helped to improve the delivery of library services through our physical spaces. Shiham was instrumental in leading the effort to create a new way for the library to procure furniture design and furnishing services. Shiham worked with County stakeholders to organize these new solicitations in a prioritized fashion so that the elimination of these contracts would not delay ongoing design and construction work at our major capital projects, including the upcoming new Key Biscayne, new Doral, and Lemon City branch renovation. Shiham was also responsible for recommending and acquiring software that allows the entire capital team to propose changes quickly and professionally to architectural drawings to effectively communicate with multiple stakeholders such as architects, engineers, contractors, and developers. Additionally, Shiham’s ability to quickly assess situations that come up in the field and understand who needs to be at the table continues to facilitate resolution of issues and keeping our capital projects moving. This was particularly notable with the new lighting system at the Coral Gables Library Branch during its renovation. 

Leadership Award

The Leadership Award recognizes an employee in a leadership or supervisory position whose dedication to the mission of MDPLS serves as an example to their team. The recipient of this award has demonstrated experience in motivating their team to work individually and collaboratively to find solutions and to promote productivity. In daily interactions, the recipient fosters a positive work environment by: (1) promoting a sense of value among team members; (2) encouraging creativity and open communication; (3) providing mentorship and guidance where needed; (4) and providing opportunities for the entire team to participate in the work of the department. 

Award Winner: Milena Gonzalez, Branch Manager, Naranja Branch Library

Milena inspires her staff, leading to exceptional participation in committees, working groups, and award submissions across the Library. Milena understands that leadership is about enhancing those around you and creating opportunities for their growth. She has consistently prioritized staff development over personal recognition, resulting in a Library that benefits from her direct work as well as the new leaders she has mentored. Milena’s direction and guidance have led to new audiences at the Naranja Branch Library, contributing to higher usage statistics, such as in computer sessions, door counts (compared to other similar-sized libraries), and new patron registrations. Milena fosters a supportive environment and embodies the qualities of an exemplary leader: dedication, empathy, charisma, adaptability, and respect. 

Service Award:

The Service Award recognizes the employee who has demonstrated exceptional service to the MDPLS community - library patrons and employees alike. The recipient of this award is an effective communicator and problem-solver who strives to understand the needs of their department and/or library patrons and who works efficiently to respond in a timely manner to those needs. The recipient is conscientious, dedicated to customer service, and displays a professional attitude even during challenging moments. 

Award Winner: Adriana (Anna) Blake, Collection Development Manager

Anna is responsible for selecting and purchasing materials (physical and digital), managing the digital materials budget, maintaining branch collections through weeding tools, and training branch material selectors throughout our libraries. Anna’s dedication to excellence, attention to detail, technical skills, responsiveness to both colleagues and patrons, fiscal responsibility, and creativity are some of the attributes that contributed to her receiving this recognition. Anna is responsible for overseeing a budget of over $2.8M for digital content purchases within Overdrive/Libby, and her approach to managing digital content availability has significantly decreased wait times for our patrons from 62 days to only 20 days. Anna has also reduced the number days for completing Suggestions for Purchase requests from our patrons to a one-day turnaround! 

Award Winner: Daymi Roman, Social Worker 2

Daymi’s strong worth ethic and dedication to customer service shine through in her interactions with patrons and colleagues alike. Daymi has been instrumental in helping those in need secure housing stability through partnerships with the Homeless Trust. One memorable instance involved her collaboration with outreach teams and the City of Miami to assist individuals replaced from their encampments. Daymi effectively trained the team to connect undocumented individuals with USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services), facilitating online appointment for them, as well as conducting assessments to guide these individuals to vital resources. Another instance when Daymi went above and beyond was to help an individual who lost his Social Security benefits and was struggling to renew his ID due to financial constraints. After receiving limited help from legal services, the individual turned to Daymi. She swiftly stepped in to assist by becoming as knowledgeable as possible about the services that the individual needed so she can pass on that information to the individual. She helped him complete all the necessary forms to submit (and track) his application to get a replacement green card. This enable him to regain his Social Security benefits, restoring both his financial stability and dignity. These are just a couple of examples of success stories for the over 3,000 social work clients assisted by our Social Worker team last year.

Teamwork:

The Teamwork Award recognizes an individual or team who has demonstrated effective and successful collaborative work within or across departments that enhances the mission of MDPLS. The recipient(s) of The Teamwork Award display(s) the qualities of an exceptional team player, encouraging input from diverse sources, accommodating, assisting, and facilitating the work styles of others, providing support across teams, and putting aside individual achievements in favor of team/departmental performance. 

Award Winner: Qiana Robinson, Library Services Specialist (Customer Care)

Qiana supervises 20 Circulation Supervisors and Customer Care Team members to ensure that patrons can easily access the Library’s vast resources. She is considered the go-to person for challenging questions from our patrons. Qiana excels as a responsive online mediator on the multitude of Customer Care emails the Library receives. She is a responsive online mediator, adeptly handling all types of interactions – from positive feedback to challenging and even bizarre inquiries. If staff are unable to meet certain customer demands, she steps up to offer well-considered compromises while providing polite explanations of how the rules apply to everyone. She expertly handles confrontational patrons with respect and top-notch etiquette, helping them adopt a more reasonable attitude. She trains her Customer Care team to emulate her balanced expertise, scheduling and preparing them to handle incoming requests throughout the week and after operating hours.