Virginia Western Community College’s Brown Library is launching the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf with the support of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Bridging Cultures initiative. As the only Virginia community college to earn this grant, and one of just 842 grantees nationwide, Virginia Western will promote knowledge and understanding of Muslim beliefs and practices and the cultural heritage associated with Islamic civilizations.
The NEH has provided 25 books, three films and digital resources as part of the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf. In addition to sharing these resources with students and members of the public, Brown Library will host a kickoff event, a film series and a scholar-led book discussion during the Fall Semester. The film and book discussions are free and open to the public.
Scheduled events:
Date and time Event Location
Monday, 10 a.m.: Bridging Cultures Kickoff and Reception Brown Library
- Free book giveaway to the first 200 students (current VWCC) of the following titles: Dreams of Trespass, Persepolis, House of Stone, and In the Country of Men
- Presentation of the entire new collection and promotional materials (bookmarks, posters, etc.)
- Catered event, open to campus community and invited guests
Tuesday, 2 p.m. Film Series–Prince Among Slaves Whitman Theater
Oct. 8, 2p.m. Film Series–Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World Whitman Theater
Oct. 14, 6:30 p.m. Book Discussion–In the Country of Men Natural Science Center
- Led by Steven Salaita, Associate Professor of English at Virginia Tech
Oct. 22, 2 p.m. Film Series–Persepolis Whitman Theater
Nov. 5, 2 p.m. Film Series–Koran by Heart: Once Chance to Remember Whitman Theater
“The Muslim Journeys Bookshelf adds high-quality resources to our collection for our students to use in their research,” said the project director, Kalyca Schultz. “But not only this–it’s also a wonderful opportunity for our campus and for the Roanoke community at large to engage in thoughtful conversations about the literature, history, art, politics and religion of Islamic culture in the United States and around the world.”
As part of the kickoff to the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf, Brown Library will be providing 200 free books (four featured titles from the collection – Dreams of Trespass, House of Stone, In the Country of Men and Persepolis) to Virginia Western students. An academic expert will serve as a presenter and facilitator for discussions regarding one of the books from the collection. Also throughout the Fall Semester, Virginia Western will host the Bridging Cultures film series to allow students and the public to view the collection films on the big screen at Whitman Theater.
