Normandale Community College Library was recently awarded the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf Collection by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The collection includes 25 books, a subscription to the Oxford Islamic Studies online collection, and a collection of movies that focus on Islamic history and culture. It is part of a special NEH initiative, Bridging Cultures, which promotes understanding of and mutual respect for people with diverse histories, cultures, and perspectives.

Normandale secured the collection through a grand proposal submitted in partnership with the Islamic Resource Group. The 25 books in the collection are broken down into five categories:

1. American Stories
2. Connected Histories
3. Literary Reflections
4. Pathways to Faith
5. Points of View

Films in the collection include:

• Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World
• Koran by Heart
• Prince Among Slaves

Normandale will conduct public viewings of these films in the near future.

Normandale's library is the only one in the Bloomington area to receive the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf collection and one of only four libraries at two-year colleges in the state to receive it.