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Dearborn Public Library Awarded Grant from NEH and ALA to Host
Dearborn Public Library received a $3,500 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the American Library Association (ALA) to host a five-part reading and discussion series titled Let’s Talk About It: Muslim Journeys, Connected Histories. Dearborn Public Library is one of 125 libraries and state humanities councils across the country selected to participate in the project, which seeks to familiarize public audiences in the United States with the people, places, history, faith and cultures of Muslims in the United States and around the world.
“We are excited for the opportunity to offer our patrons this unique scholarly experience right here at their local library,” said Isabella Rowan, project director and librarian at Henry Ford Centennial Library. “The ‘Let’s Talk About It’ series is the equivalent of a college-level class, except it’s free and there are no exams.”
The aim of “Let’s Talk About It’ (LTAI) programming is to bring humanities programs on a variety of themes to the local library where participants can meet other readers, engage in the thoughtful exchange of ideas, and interact with scholars as informed guides and discussion facilitators. At Dearborn Public Library, the LTAI theme is Muslim Journeys, Connected Histories, which explores the interconnectedness of faiths and peoples before the dawn of the modern age.
“The Muslim journey through time has impacted our global humanity in profound and inspiring ways,” Rowan said. “Reading these books and joining these discussions may challenge some of your ideas about the past, but, hey, let’s talk about it.”
Books and discussion materials are available on a first-registered, first-served basis. To receive the books, a participant must register in person at the Adult Reference Desk at Henry Ford Centennial Library. However, each scholar-led discussion group is open to anyone on a drop-in basis whether he or she has read the book or not. All of the programs are free and will be held at Henry Ford Centennial Library, 16301 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn. They are scheduled three weeks apart to allow participants time to read each book before the next discussion.
The first program will explore When Asia was the World: Traveling Merchants, Scholars, Warriors, and Monks Who Created the ‘Riches of the East’ by Stewart Gordon and will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 17 at Henry Ford Centennial Library. Dr. Gordon, author of the book and senior research scholar at the Center for South Asian Studies at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, will speak and facilitate the discussion. Registration for this discussion program begins Monday, August 26.
Additional books will be discussed once every three weeks at the library as follows:
– The House of Wisdom: How Arabic Sciences Saved Ancient Knowledge and Gave Us the Renaissance by Jim al-Khalili. Dr. Rayne Allinson, assistant professor of history at the University of Michigan-Dearborn will speak and facilitate the discussion at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 8.
– Ornament of the World by Maria Rosa Menocal. Dr. Imran Aijaz, assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Michigan-Dearborn will speak and facilitate the discussion at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 29.
– Leo Africanus by Amin Maalouf. Dr. Camron Amin, professor of history at the University of Michigan-Dearborn will speak and facilitate the discussion at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 19.
– In an Antique Land: History in the Guise of a Traveler’s Tale by Amitav Ghosh. Dr. Andrew Shryock, professor of anthropology at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor will speak and facilitate the discussion at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, December 10.
All of the books to be discussed in this series are part of the Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys. The books and films comprising the Bookshelf were selected with the advice of librarians and cultural programming experts, as well as distinguished scholars in the fields of anthropology, world history, religious studies, interfaith dialogue, the history of art and architecture, world literature, Middle East studies, Southeast Asian studies, African studies, and Islamic studies.
Supplemental programming for Dearborn’s LTAI series will include a free public screening of the film Koran by Heart at 7 p.m. on Monday, October 14. Directed by Greg Barker, the film documents the intense preparation and rigorous rounds of competition of three young people who have traveled to Cairo, Egypt to participate in the annual, world-renowned Koran-recitation competition.
For more information about the “Let’s Talk About It: Muslim Journeys, Connected Histories” program at Dearborn Public Library, please call 313-943-2330 or visit the library’s <a href=”www.dearbornlibrary.org”>website</a>. For information about registering or receiving program materials, please contact Isabella Rowan, project director, at 313-943-2816.
The Bridging Cultures Bookshelf is a project of NEH, conducted in cooperation with the ALA Public Programs Office, with support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Additional support for the arts and media components was provided by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Arts. Additional funding for the LTAI program at Dearborn Public Library was provided by the Michigan Humanities Council.
The Dearborn Public Library has been proudly serving the citizens of Dearborn since 1924. Its four major functions are lending, information, outreach, and public programming. Its mission is to provide a broad range of effective, courteous, quality services and a balanced collection of materials for the educational, informational and recreational needs of the community. Its vision is to foster the spirit of exploration, the joy of reading, and the pursuit of knowledge for all ages and cultures starting with the very young. For more information, please <a href=”www.dearbornlibrary.org”>click here</a>.
Dearborn Public Library