NSU Newsroom
SharkBytes
Horizons
This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.
This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.
NSU Health Professions Division Library Wins Springshare Innovation in Academic Libraries Award
The Academic Division of the Special Libraries Association (SLA) announced that NSU’s Health Professions Division (HPD) Library is the winner of the 2014 Springshare Innovation in Academic Libraries Award for its innovative lending program of iOS applications to enhance student learning. The Springshare Innovation in Academic Libraries Award recognizes a new program or service that demonstrates an innovative approach to academic librarianship.
Building on the success of the NSU’s iPad initiative, four of our seven colleges at the university now require incoming students to have iPads. The Library then determined the need to circulate paid iOS apps for download onto users’ iPads and iPhones. Program-specific apps were purchased in various quantities, in collaboration with the Apple company, depending on the perceived need to accommodate specific classes. Circulation began in August 2013.
The program showed immediate success with more than 300 loans in seven months and 98 renewals. Some more unexpected results included the fact that students from all seven HPD colleges participated, not just from the four colleges requiring iPads. Additional copies were needed of the most popular apps to meet the demand. Future development may include the use of mobile device management software to circulate apps to remote users as well. Faculty members are now recommending the apps on syllabi, effectively integrating them into the curriculum.
The Academic Division of SLA felt this project showed responsiveness from the HPD Library to its environment. Seeing that some students were now required to have iPads, that these tools were to be used to study and learn, the Library realized it had a prime opportunity in lending new resources in an innovative manner. The HPD Library illustrated a core value of SLA with this project, which is responsiveness to change.
Click here for more information on the lending program.