The Light In Her Eyes – Honoring Ramadan & Women’s History Month

By Professor Lisa Thornton, Acquisitions Librarian

This March, Women’s History month overlaps with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.  We invite you to view the film, The Light in Her Eyes, directed by Julia Meltzer and Laura Nix.

The film centers around the story of Houda al-Habash, a conservative Muslim preacher who founded a school for girls in Syria.  Al-Habash challenges the women of her community to live according to Islam without giving up their dreams to pursue higher education and jobs.

Hilary Kalmbach, Director of The Middle East and North Africa Centre at Sussex, says in a review of the film, “The film succeeds in presenting the complexity of the viewpoints and motivations of these women, making it an invaluable resource for any who want to broaden their understanding of the Middle East and Islam…Beautifully shot, the film shows the vibrant rhythms and colours of daily life in Damascus immediately before Syria’s descent into civil war.”

The Light in Her Eyes was an Official Selection of the 2011 International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. The library has licensed this film for our collection through 2025. Access it here.

African American Women & Information Resources

The value of finding resources written by African American women, or titles that focus upon their countless accomplishments are an important part of our collection which is constantly expanding. These works represent all academic disciplines and provide a wide range of perspectives that enhance the research opportunities available for our students.

As a woman navigating the business landscape, Business Librarian, Professor Kayla Glynn, notes that, “A community that you connect with is an important resource in the path to success. Finding others going through the same experiences as you can be powerful. It presents an opportunity to learn, collaborate, and reflect.”

To that end, Professor Glynn has provided the following recommendations for resources women can utilize when entering the corporate world and related fields:

“In 2017, Women in Business was founded at Seton Hall University by a group of determined and hopeful young women. Since then, the organization has grown to include over 150 current and past members in professional fields.”

“In the Women in Economics Podcast Series from the St. Louis Fed, we highlight the research and careers of those making their marks in the field of economics.”

“Girls Who Invest (GWI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the investment management industry by attracting and advancing women investors, changemakers, and leaders.”

“The U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is the only federal agency solely dedicated to the growth and global competitiveness of minority business enterprises.”

“Our mission is to empower women to invest in themselves via entrepreneurship by providing necessary resources for women to successfully start, own, operate, & grow their businesses.”

“Founded in 1975, the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) is the unified voice of over 11.6 million women-owned businesses in the United States representing the fastest growing segment of the economy.”

Our Librarian Instruction Coordinator, Professor Maria Barca also noted that there are a number of thoughtful works that are recommended reads for those who want to explore various books representing the Liberal Arts.

Within the volume: “Poetry is Not a Luxury”, Sister Outsider, p. 37 (1984, 2007) by Audre Lorde https://setonhall.on.worldcat.org/oclc/773898749, Professor Barca provides a helpful quote that is at the heart of this text. “For women, then, poetry is not a luxury. It is a vital necessity of our existence,” that shows the necessity of verse when it comes to verse.

Another recommended example of insightful content highlighted by Professor Barca includes the bell hooks work that includes advice for those who seek to advance their respective research goals is: “To engage in dialogue is one of the simplest ways we can begin as teachers, scholars, and critical thinkers to cross boundaries, the barriers that may or may not be erected by race, gender, class, professional standing, and a host of other differences.” In “Building a Teaching Community”, Teaching to Transgress, p. 130 (1994, 2020) by bell hooks

https://setonhall.on.worldcat.org/oclc/30668295

Additional books recommended by Professor Barca include:

  • How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective, edited and introduced by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, 2017.

https://setonhall.on.worldcat.org/oclc/975027867

  • Angela Davis: An Autobiographyby Angela Davis, 2021.

https://setonhall.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1292074729

As a compliment to the volumes provided by Professor Barca and Professor Glynn, a wide range of titles across all disciplines can be found via the following introductory selection of works on, or written by African American Women found within the University Libraries Catalog.

Need additional help through the University Libraries? You can book a research appointment here: Research Appointment Site.

 

University Libraries Podcast Zet Forward – Professor Brendan Kiely Discusses “All American Boys”

We are happy to announce the newest episode of the University Libraries podcast series, Zet Forward, dropped in March. In the episode, Gerry Shea, Communication Librarian at Walsh Library, talks with Professor Brendan Kiely, Writer-in-Residence in the English Department at Seton Hall. He is The New York Times bestselling author of All American Boys (with Jason Reynolds), Tradition, The Last True Love Story, and The Gospel of Winter. His most recent book is The Other Talk: Reckoning with Our White Privilege. His work has been published in over a dozen languages, and has received the Coretta Scott King Author Honor Award, the Walter Dean Meyers Award, and ALA’s Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults.

In this episode, we discuss his New York Times Best Seller All American Boys. The New York Public Library has selected All-American Boys for its Teen Banned Book Club. The novel, tells the story of two teens—one Black, one white—grappling with the repercussions of a single violent act that leaves their school, their community, and, ultimately, the country divided by racial tension.

You can find the podcast at Zet Forward. Please check it out when you have time.

Oxford African American Studies Center

If you are interested in finding resources about African Americans, the Oxford African American Studies Center is a great choice! The Oxford African American Studies Center provides students, scholars and librarians with more than 20,000 articles by top scholars in the field. The Oxford African American Studies Center combines the authority of carefully edited reference works with sophisticated technology to create the most comprehensive collection of scholarship available online to focus on the lives and events which have shaped African American and African history and culture.

National Grammar & Proofreading Days

The University Libraries celebrates a pair of commemorations that aid with the quality of resources we offer to support the scholarly efforts undertaken by our research community.

During the first week of March we celebrate National Grammar Day (3/4) and National Proofreading Day (3/8) and the University Libraries has various resources related to proper usage of syntax and editing techniques found within our collection.

Additionally, the Seton Hall University Writing Center is located in Rooms #304, 310, and 316 found on the Third Floor of Walsh Library which is also a widely utilized service that assists students with their respective assignments editing needs.

Need additional help through the University Libraries? You can book a research appointment here: Research Appointment Site.