A community cornerstone, the Miami-Dade Public Library System provides a vast range of essential resources to 305 residents of all ages, interests and needs.
In addition to providing free access to traditional materials like books, MDPLS has made large strides in bridging the digital divide, the socioeconomic gap between those with access to computers and the internet and those without. It’s free Wi-Fi, computer labs and technology workshops help Miami’s underserved populations excel in school and the workforce. “Makerspaces,” areas outfitted with 3D printers, coding kits, and art supplies foster creativity free of economic barriers.
MDPLS also prides itself in community engagement, stacking its calendar with events such as cultural festivals, STEM workshops, author talks, meditation classes and more. It curates its programming to locals needs, offering ESL classes to Miami’s immigrant population and hosting support groups for parents and seniors.
“What I think people like at the library is the up-to-date technology that we have available,” said Shirley Porter, a library assistant. “I think that’s the most important thing that the people are interested in.”
As an avid lover of music, Alexander Lasa has dreamed of becoming a sound engineer since he was five years old. His love of music started at an early age, having grown up in a family that consisted of his mom, dad, and two siblings who also loved music. When he was eight years old, he built his first recording studio behind his grandmother's couch, where he could often be found listening to classical music. Some years later his grandmother gave him a tape recorder and that was the beginning of his lifelong pursuit of working in the audio industry.
Alexander attended Southwest Miami Senior High School, where he graduated with a 3.0 GPA. During his time in high school, he pursued the performing arts. He had a natural ear for music and played several instruments in the school orchestra. He easily jumped from the woodwind section to brass, percussion, and eventually to the piano. Later throughout the 80's and 90's his interest in contemporary music inspired him to experiment with synthesizers, sequencers, drum machines, guitars, and vocals. He even took a stab at acting in his high school's rendition of Luigi Pirandello's, Six Characters in Search of an Author. Additionally, he took courses at his local community college which allowed him to get a head start on his college work. He is currently a junior at Florida International University, where he is pursuing a BS degree in Multimedia Productions. He currently has a 3.670 GPA and works for the Miami-Dade Public
Valentina Pais was raised in Miami, Florida by Argentine parents. Listening to the sound of her father's blues guitar, she developed an eclectic variety of interests in arts and culture, which culminated in an interest in film while studying first at Miami-Dade College and then at Florida International University. Valentina is currently completing her bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies and plans to pursue a master's degree.
Samuel Valbuena is a graphic designer currently residing in Miami Florida. At the age of 18 he knew that he wanted to pursue an art degree. He began working on personal projects growing his skills and expanding his creativity to another level. He began his major as a Graphic Design Technologies in which he learned about different styles and ways of graphic design. Some of the best things that he does is branding and illustration. He is really excited of what is to come and what other things he can learn from it.
