This year’s Fall For the Book will feature a special workshop, hosted by the Ali Vural Ak Center for Global Islamic Studies on September 27, to introduce area librarians to the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf project, part of the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Bridging Cultures initiative.
The Muslim Journeys Bookshelf is a set of over 20 books, selected by a national group of scholars, to be distributed nationwide to over 1,000 libraries as an effort to familiarize the public with the diverse people, places, history, faith, and cultures of Muslims both in America and around the world.
Following a brief introduction to the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf and a preview of its website, Kambiz Ghanae-Bassiri, author of A History of Islam in America and NEH National Scholar for the project, will present books and multimedia resources from the project’s “American Stories” theme. Dr. Peter Mandaville, Director of the Ali Vural Ak Center and Associate Professor in the Department of Public and International Affairs, will then highlight books and resources from the contemporary “Points of View” theme to focus on current events in the Arab world and South Asia.
Librarians will learn about the project and how to apply for a set of the books for their respective libraries, and then will work with their colleagues in breakout sessions to generate ideas for engaging their publics with the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf.
The Ali Vural Ak Center has been involved with the Bookshelf project since its inception. Director Peter Mandaville is the project’s Principal Investigator, and Senior Research Associate Susan Douglass has consulted with the NEH team selecting titles for the Bookshelf, as well as developing resources for the project’s companion website. Mason’s Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media is the center’s partner in the project, developing innovative design and functionality for of the website.
August 31, 2012
