College of Wooster Libraries Celebrate Cultural Enrichment Grant

Opening event and reception to be held April 3 in Collaborative Research Environment of Andrews Library

WOOSTER, Ohio — The College of Wooster Libraries will celebrate a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) with a reception and lecture on Wednesday, April, 3, in the “Cube” of Wooster’s Collaborative Research Environment (CoRE) in Andrews Library (1140 Beall Ave.). The event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 7 p.m.

The grant, titled “Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys,” includes a gift to the libraries of 25 books and four films organized by theme (American Stories, Pathways of Faith, Connected Histories, Points of View, Literary Reflections, and Art, Architecture, and Film), as well as a subscription to the Oxford Islamic Studies Online full text and searchable database. All of the books and films can be borrowed, both locally and through interlibrary borrowing systems (e.g., OhioLINK, SearchOhio, and traditional interlibrary loan).

Sarah Mirza, assistant professor of religious studies at Wooster, will present “The New Islamic Veil and Muslim Activists,” a reflection on Leila Ahmed’s award-winning book, A Quiet Revolution: The Veil’s Resurgence, from the Middle East to America at the opening reception. In her talk, Mirza will address the practice of Islamic veiling and whether Muslims are able to perform feminist critiques of Islam. There will also be two film talks, screening, and discussions next fall to highlight the films in the collection. The sessions will be led by College of Wooster faculty members Ibra Sene (assistant professor of history and international relations) and Kara Morrow (assistant professor of art).

The grant was awarded by the NEH in cooperation with the American Library Association Public Programs Office and the Ali Vural Ak Center for Global Islamic Studies at George Mason University. The program was provided by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York. Additional support for the arts and media components was provided by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.

The Wooster Libraries have partnered with the Office of Interfaith Campus Ministries, the Center for Diversity and Global Engagement, and the Department of Religious Studies to bring the grant and related materials to campus.

For additional information, visit the library website or contact Julia Gustafson by phone (330-263-2315) or e-mail.