Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys


Another amazing cultural and educational opportunity has come to the library.  Through a grant funded by Carnegie Corporation and the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art and presented by the NEH together with the ALA and the Ali Virual Ak Center for Global Islamic Studies, we have received an impressive collection of 25 books and films demonstrating the riches of Muslim history, art, and science. The items are set up as a browsing collection just inside the library entry.  Here are a few of the titles: The Art of Hajj, a beautifully illustrated homage to the importance of the pilgrimage to Mecca; Muhammad:  A Very Short Introduction, a profile of one of the most influential figures in world history; Ornament of the World:  How Muslims, Jews and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain, a history of a golden age which might have lessons for today; Dear Zari:  The Secret Lives of the Women of Afghanistan, true life experiences in that war-torn country; In the Country of Men, a coming of age story in Libya; Persepolis, a graphic novel of an Iranian childhood. As you can tell, this exciting collection is both broad and deep. For a full list of books, go to this page.

Besides the books, the grant gave GPC access to the Oxford Islamic Studies Online database.  This will be very important in the fall because several classes will have a Bridging Cultures emphasis, and students will be looking for resources.

In addition to the books and database, the GPC committee charged with this project is planning special programs.  Lora Mirza is on that committee, so you can look forward to  interesting and wonderful events on campus in the fall.


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