WELCOME BACK BULLDOGS !!!

WELCOME BACK BULLDOGS !!!

Welcome back to a new academic year! We have been preparing for your arrival all summer long. I hope you will stop by and enjoy our renewed spaces, the Library bar, and the new smart furniture.

I want to give you two pieces of advice that may change the rest of your life. Well, ok maybe just help you succeed in college – but that is a big deal, right?

First, GET TO KNOW YOUR LIBRARIAN! Start by going to the library homepage and see who that person may be. Click here for more information: http://library.redlands.edu/mylibrarian.

Then,

• Stop by their office hours, just to say HI. 
• Make an appointment when you get those assignments that look overwhelming. 
• Send a chat message when you have a quick question.

What? CHAT? YES WE HAVE CHAT! You can click on the Ask Me! Bulldog on our website and a chat session will open up. Can getting help be any easier?

What could be better? Your librarian will make sure you are getting research assistance for all your research papers and projects. They will be there when you organize that thesis proposal or gather your wits around the senior capstone project. And they will be there to applaud your success when you walk across the stage to receive your diploma.

As the Library Director I look forward to hearing from you about other ways that the Armacost Library can help you. Contact me at gabriela_sonntag@redlands.edu or 909.748.8096 or stop by my office anytime.

Muslim Journeys: Algeria and Nigeria

North Africa and the Middle East (political map), 2009, produced by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency

Photo from: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/africa/n_africa_mid_east_pol_2009.jpg

University of Texas at Austin, Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection

We often associate the Middle Eastern, Arab societies with the Islamic faith. We forget that Islam is a world religion, with many followers from different cultures and places in the world. Community members from Redlands Peace Academy, with generosity and good will, have put together an exhibit of cultural objects from two African nations represented in their local faith community—Algeria in North Africa and Nigeria in Western Africa.

Sabreen Mohammad and Najoa Bouzidi arranged objects from cultures prevalent in both nations. The visually interesting display can be viewed in Armacost Library’s eastern display cases in the lobby. The objects are on loan from the Aiyeloja family and the Bouzidi family, both members of Redlands Peace Academy. The pieces on display include hand drums, a handsomely decorated gourd bowl, a small replica of d'Ain El Fouara fountain located in Sétif, Algeria, which was built by the Romans, a North African prayer rug, headwear, and footwear. Items are grouped by their originating nation-state.

Information about some of the items on display are also provided with the exhibit.

The Algerian-Nigerian cultural exhibit will be on display at University of Redlands Armacost Library’s lobby until Friday, September 13, 2013. The Redlands Peace Academy display is part of the Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys activities at University of Redlands Armacost Library, a program that serves to highlight Islam and the cultures, histories, and stories of Muslim-majority societies. Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys is made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in cooperation with the American Library Association (ALA).

All are welcome to visit and enjoy the beautiful cultural exhibit.

Melissa I. Cardenas-Dow
Outreach/Behavioral Sciences Librarian
Armacost Library, University of Redlands
909.748.8089
Melissa_Cardenasdow@redlands.edu