NSU Horizons Winter 2008 - 2009

F or educators, there’s more than meets the eye at Nova Southeastern University’s Alvin Sherman Library, Research, and Information Technology Center. The joint-use Broward County-NSU facility offers school administrators and teachers unique, online resources they can tap into simply by having a free Alvin Sherman Library card. Library staff members regularly host training sessions that focus on the facility’s more than 290 databases, which include curriculum guides, research guides, special topic summaries, and plenty of teaching aids. “The Alvin Sherman Library bridges the gap between academic research and traditional public library resources for educators,” said Lydia Acosta, vice president for information services and university librarian. “This vital service helps to enhance lesson plans and provides the latest techniques to fuel the academic experience for students and educators alike.” Recently, the Alvin Sherman Library hosted more than 180 Broward County elementary school principals and area superintendents for informa- tional training on the library’s electronic resources in a customized, interactive computer lab session. This event resulted in the scheduling of ongoing database training for their teachers, media specialists, and students. Individual schools are now organizing their own training. More than 60 teachers from Cooper City Elementary School kicked off this school year by participating in person- alized training by Alvin Sherman Library staff members. Helping teachers and students access the most contemporary knowledge is just one more way NSU and its Alvin Sherman Library help the educa- tional process in Broward County. ■ alvin Sherman Library Offers Educators Interactive Toolkit W hen NSU’s University School embarked upon the largest expansion project in its 35-year history in 2007, the University School family dove into unfa- miliar waters in more ways than one. The plan was to construct a unique, contiguous campus environment by joining the lower, middle, and upper schools with covered walkways, green spaces, and world-class amenities common to students of all ages. One of those amenities is the new, $5 million Aquatic Center, which includes an Olympic-sized pool and diving well, the largest water volume pool in Florida. This is the new home to University School’s Suns swimming and diving teams and numerous school recre- ational activities. In addition to University School meets, it is planned that the complex will host regional and state competitive swim- ming, diving, and water polo events. The 50-meter competition swimming pool includes a moveable bulkhead capable of dividing the pool in half for competitions and multiple practices. The attached diving well has three springboards. “The new aquatic complex will give us the opportunity to build a highly competitive, year-round swimming program,” said Head Swimming Coach Pam Hickson. “Additionally, we will be able to host larger meets, which could attract additional swimmers to our school.” Currently, the Suns varsity and middle school swim teams have almost 100 members. Both groups have competed in state cham- pionships and have included nine students who made it onto the Academic All-American Swim Team in the last three years. The construction of the aquatic center is part of a wider effort to boost the athletics program at University School and is one of the projects in a multiphase, $50 million construction plan. ■ New, 50-meter Pool Makes Waves At University School 11 horizons