BROWARD COUNTY, FL - Makiba Foster has been named the new Library Regional Manager for the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center (AARLCC), 2650 Sistrunk Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311.
Foster comes to the Broward County Libraries Division from the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a research division of the New York Public Library located in Harlem, where she served as the assistant chief librarian. She will be welcomed with a public reception at AARLCC from 6 to 7:30PM on June 5th, sponsored by the Friends of the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center.
Foster holds two Master's Degrees, one in Library and Information Studies and a second in American Studies, with a concentration in African-American Popular Culture. Her accomplishments include devising and securing funding for innovative, digital humanities projects such as Mapping LGBTQ St. Louis as well as establishing a groundbreaking web archiving program for the Schomburg Center. Foster has spoken on wide variety of topics, including social justice, historical literacy, digital collections, and adult learning. She is a contributor to top industry publications such as Library Management and Library Journal.
“Ms. Foster is a welcome addition to public service leadership at Broward County Libraries,” said Kelvin Watson, Broward County Libraries Division Director. “Her depth of knowledge, creative approach to making the academic accessible in African-American research, and her talent to communicate with the public make her a great asset.”
Foster will manage the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center, one of only three libraries in the United States with specialized archival collections dedicated to the study of the culture and history of African Americans and others of African descent. The two other institutions with this focus are the aforementioned Schomburg Center and the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History, a special library within the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System.
A high-resolution image of Ms. Foster suitable for publication is attached.
About Broward County Libraries Division
Broward County Libraries Division, named 2015 Library of the Year by the Florida Library Association, was founded in 1974 and is the largest library system in Florida by square footage and one of the busiest, with more than 7.5 million walk-in customers visiting its 38 locations annually. Broward County Libraries Division provides convenient access to a full range of innovative and cost-effective services that satisfy the changing needs of the people of Broward County for information, education and recreation. Visit our website, Broward.org/Library, or follow Libraries on Facebook and Twitter
DATE: May 6, 2019
MEDIA CONTACT: Catherine McElrath
Libraries Division
PHONE: 954-357-7402
EMAIL: cmcelrath@Broward.org