Summit between West Chester University, Pennsylvania, USA and Universidad Nacional, Heredia Costa Rica. Global Library Literacy Initiative: An Intercultural Learning Experience

 This document describes the experience of academic cooperation between professionals in the field of library science, both from West Chester University (WCU), and the National University (UNA) of Costa Rica. The event took place at West Chester University during the week May 4th to May 8th, 2009. The objectives of this revolved around the exchange of ideas and interests in the academic and cultural relations between the two universities. In addition, it unveiled several services and procedures in the handling of information and highlighted the importance of promoting the exchange of students from both institutions. Finally, this article highlights the schedule of activities to integrate international and intercultural perspective in various areas related to the teaching-learning process, the contribution of university libraries on student success and techniques of information dissemination.

Towards modern municipal sports and recreation management in Costa Rica

Sports and recreation management is addressed here using a model that combines the policies and methodologies applied in the Costa Rican context as a result of a concern to identify the real needs in the sports, recreation, and health promotion fields through the different manifestations of human movement.  This approach has been developed during eight years of work in the Costa Rican Sports and Recreation Institute (Instituto Costarricense del Deporte y la Recreación-ICODER) together with different Costa Rican communities, both rural and urban, and local organizations, such as Comprehensive Development Community Associations, Sports and Recreation Community Boards (CCDR), Municipal Mayorships, and NGOs, among others.  This article particularly takes into consideration the experience of the CCDRs as entities that have been given the responsibility by the Costa Rican Government to promote and manage municipal sports and recreation services with a convenient offering that would meet the needs of users or customers.  In this way, this article is aimed at answering the question on how Boards should conduct an efficient management in a way that they also meet the needs of public users or customers in the municipalities of the country, by proposing a management model that serves as an additional instrument to improving the already existing services managed by the aforementioned entities.  This study presents a model of Costa Rican management structured with the theoretical elements that currently define the organization and planning of sports and recreation as a service.

CARACTERIZACIÓN GEOMORFOLÓGICA, AMENAZAS NATURALES Y RESTRICCIONES DE USO DE LA TIERRA EN ESPARZA, COSTA RICA: UN ENFOQUE DE ORDENAMIENTO TERRITORIAL PARA EL PLAN REGULADOR DEL CANTÓN

Resumen: Este artículo constituye parte del diagnóstico físico-ambiental que se redactó como uno de  los componentes del Plan Regulador de Esparza.   Mediante el acopio de informes  técnicos, mapas  temáticos,  fotos  aéreas  y  trabajo de  campo,  se  caracteriza,geológica  y  geomorfológicamente  el  sector.    En  este  último  apartado  se  identifican veintiséis geoformas   que   son objeto de un cuidadoso análisis para identificar no solo los  tipos de amenazas naturales que hacen vulnerable cada uno de esos territorios, sino que se formulan restricciones de uso y propuestas de uso apropiado.  Abstract: This article  is a part of a physic environmental diagnosis that was composed as  a  section  of  Esparza  Urban  Planning.  In  order  to  characterize  geological  and geomorphological aspects,  it  was  necessary  to  use  technical  reports, thematic  maps, aerial photographs and  fieldwork. As a part of a geomorphologic  research we  identify twenty six landforms. Each one of them has not only a technical name but also a kind of natural  hazard.  At  the  same  time  we  analyze  their  vulnerability  and  propose  use restrictions and made recommendations  about their suitability.