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Summer exhibits focus on science fiction, travel
The Marvin Foyer on the north end of Booth Library is home to four new exhibits this summer.
The north side of the foyer takes a look at "Get Your Kicks on Route 66" and "Celebrating the National Park Services." The exhibit includes a large map of Route 66, which stretches from Chicago to Los Angeles, and examines the 97-year history of the National Park Service, with a look at national parks such as Yellowstone, Olympic and the Great Smoky Mountains.
The south side of the foyer hosts exhibits about "Jules Verne: Father of Science Fiction" and "Steampunk World." Verne is a French novelist, poet and playwright best known for his adventure novels and for the genre of science fiction. Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction that typically features steam-powered machinery.
These Booth Library exhibits were curated by Booth Library support staff members Jeanne Goble, Joseph Hall-Ingram, Michele McDaniel and Sally van der Graaff.
Exhibit focuses on Jan Spivey Gilchrist
A new exhibit at Booth Library focuses on the works of award-winning writer and book illustrator Jan Spivey Gilchrist. Gilchrist, an alumna of Eastern Illinois University, was recently appointed to serve on the EIU Board of Trustees.
The exhibit, on display in the third-floor reference hallway, presents some of the many books and illustrations composed by Gilchrist. She has won numerous awards and commissions, including the Coretta Scott King Award. She has illustrated many of Eloise Greenfield's books and has written and illustrated picture books, including "Obama: The Day the World Danced."
Gilchrist has exhibited extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and the Caribbean. Her works have appeared on national television, and her illustrations have been featured or reviewed in many national newspapers and magazines.
Gilchrist earned a bachelor's degree in art education at EIU in 1973 and was named a Distinguished Alumna in 1992. She was inducted into the International Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent and the Society of Illustrators. She and her husband, Kelvin Gilchrist, live in Olympia Fields and have two children.
The Booth Library exhibit was curated by Jeanne Goble, senior library specialist.
815 New Items Added to Booth Library Collections
During the month of May, Booth Library acquired and cataloged 815 new titles. The list can be viewed at http://www.library.eiu.edu/newtitles. The list is arranged by location: Ballenger Teachers' Center, Books, Electronic Resources, Illinois and Federal Documents, Maps, Media, Reference Collection, Special Collections and University Archives. The titles are listed by call number within each location. Please contact Karen Whisler, head of Collection Development, at 581-7551 or klwhisler@eiu.edu if you have any questions.Library awarded grant to present 'Muslim Journeys'
Booth Library has received a $4,500 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association to host a five-part reading and discussion series titled "Let's Talk About It: Muslim Journeys."
Booth Library is one of 125 libraries and state humanities councils across the country selected to participate in the project, which seeks to familiarize the public with the people, places, history, faith and cultures of Muslims in the United States and around the world.
"We are delighted to have been chosen to host this unique series that will allow citizens of East Central Illinois a chance to explore and discuss some important themes in Muslim history and literature with the help of well-qualified scholars," said Allen Lanham, dean of library services.
The EIU project scholars are Brian Mann, assistant professor of history, and Jay Shinde, assistant professor of business. Mann has a master of arts degree in history from the University of Texas at Austin and will receive a Ph.D. in history from UT-Austin in August. His research interests include the modern Middle East, with special focus on modern Iran. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on the Middle East and Islamic world.
Shinde is a practicing Sufi and has a Ph.D. in business administration (accounting) from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He teaches Sufi meditation to EIU students and the community and is a board member of the Qadriya Sufi Foundation of America.
Through the "Let's Talk About It" grant, the library will host a five-part book discussion moderated by these project scholars and Booth Library staff. A limited number of free books will be available for participants in the book series. Titles are The Children of Abraham: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, by F.E. Peters, discussion led by Mann; Muhammad: A Very Short Introduction, by Jonathan A.C. Brown, led by Mann; The Story of the Qur'an: Its History and Place in Muslim Life, by Ingrid Mattson, led by Mann; The Art of Hajj, by Venetia Porter, led by Mann; and Rumi: Poet and Mystic, edited and translated by Reynold A. Nicholson, led by Shinde.
Booth Library's programs will focus on the theme "Pathways of Faith." Following the correct pathway to spiritual fulfillment and success is a key Islamic principle.
All of the books to be discussed in this series are part of the "Bridging Culture" 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.
In association with the grant, Booth Library will sponsor a semester-long programming series on Muslim culture during the spring semester of 2014. Among the activities planned are a three-part film series with discussion led by EIU faculty members and librarians, and an interfaith panel to explore both Western and Eastern faiths.
All events will be free and open to the public. More information on these events will be available on the Booth Library website, www.library.eiu.edu; on the library Facebook or Twitter pages; or by calling Kirstin Duffin, reference librarian, at 581-7550.
The "Bridging Cultures" Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys 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. Local support is provided by EIU's Academy of Lifetime Learning and the Interdisciplinary Center for Global Diversity.
NoteBooth newsletter now available
The current issue of NoteBooth, the newsletter of Booth Library, is available at www.library.eiu.edu/notebooth. Remember to visit us for our upcoming National Library Week events! In an effort to conserve resources, NoteBooth is no longer distributed in print.Periodical Review List
The lists of periodical and standing order subscriptions selected for cancellation have been compiled for campus review. The Periodical and Standing Order Review is an annual exercise designed to ensure that library collections continue to meet the needs of library users. Questions about the review can be addressed to the Reference Desk (581-6072) or individual subject librarians. Booth Library added a number of new periodical subscriptions in 2013. The list of these titles is now included on the Periodical Review page (see link above).
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