On March 10, the Alvin Sherman Library will host the 7th annual StoryFest event at NSU from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is free to the public and encourages families and children from Broward County to enjoy an educational day of literacy and fun.
This year, the theme of the event is inspired by the vibrant cultures of South Florida. The theme, Island Tales, will promote early childhood literacy through storytelling, crafts and music.
Anne Leon, the executive director for public library services at the Alvin Sherman Library said, “The primary purpose for StoryFest is to encourage early childhood literacy and family literacy by building opportunities for language enrichment through stories, music, crafts that stimulate growth of vocabulary and opportunities for the children to interact with one another and also with program providers at the the event.”
The event will feature activities inspired by different cultures including Jamaica, Haiti, Hawaii and Cuba. “We have a lot of cultural experiences going on this year, and we want to always reflect our very diverse south florida community,” said Leon.
Additionally, every child who attends the event will receive a free book that has been hand picked to be age appropriate by a team of professional children’s librarians at the Alvin Sherman Library. The event also encourages anyone who lives, works or goes to school in Broward County to sign up for a public library card. The card grants access all the materials and resources available through the Alvin Sherman Library.
Students are also encouraged to attend the event as volunteers and can earn community service hours that are verified through the Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement. Sarah Divine, an adult services librarian at the Alvin Sherman Library and the volunteer coordinator for the event, said, “Volunteers can come for the whole day or volunteer for any section of time. Different positions include helping with welcome and check in, greeting families, giving the free books to kids, being part of an entourage for costume characters, helping families get registered and also managing different event area. We would love to have volunteers from the NSU community.”
Students interested in volunteering can sign up online at http://lib.nova.edu/volunteers or contact Sarah Divine at sf787@nova.edu for more information.
