The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has announced that the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library is one of 842 libraries nationwide, and one of only three chosen in the state of Mississippi, to be awarded the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf, a collection of books, films and other resources that will introduce the American public to the complex history and culture of Muslims in the United States and around the world.
Developed by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association based on the advice of scholars, librarians and other public programming experts, the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf is intended to address both the need and desire of the American public for trustworthy and accessible resources about Muslim beliefs and practices and the cultural heritage associated with Islamic civilizations. Each participating library will receive 25 books, three films, and access for one year to Oxford Islamic Studies Online.
The resources included in the bookshelf touch on various aspects of Islamic and Middle Eastern culture such as art, poetry, literature, history and faith. Examples of the books included are “Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood” by Marjane Satrapi, “The House of Wisdom: How Arabic Science Saved Ancient Knowledge and Gave Us the Renaissance” by Jim Al-Khalili, “The Arabian Nights” edited by Mushin Mahdi, and “The Children of Abraham: Judaism, Christianity, Islam” by F.E. Peters.
Library Interim Director Erin Stringer said, “Receiving the Muslim Journey’s bookshelf is just one more way in which the library strives to provide our community with access to a variety of enriching and engaging resources.”
The Columbus-Lowndes Public Library will also host a series of events and presentations in conjunction with the Muslim Journey’s Bookshelf resources. More information on these events will be released soon.
Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the NEH supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the NEH and its grant programs is available at neh.gov.
For more information about the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf and associated upcoming programs at the library, contact Vance at 662-329-5304 or email [email protected].
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