Hudson County Community College has been awarded the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf, a collection of books, films and other resources intended to better acquaint the public with the history and culture of Muslims in the U.S. and around the world, school officials announced.

The collection was awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and is one of just 842 given to libraries and state humanities councils throughout the United States, officials said.

“Hudson County’s greatest asset is the rich diversity of its people,” said Hudson County Community College President Dr. Glen Gabert, noting that his students come from more than 115 nations and speak 29 languages. “This incredible collection will provide us all with a better understanding and greater appreciation of our Muslim neighbors.”

HCCC is one of just five colleges and universities — and the only community college — in New Jersey to be awarded the collection. Fairleigh Dickinson University, Monmouth University Library, Montclair State University and Rowan University are also recipients of the collection.

The Muslim Journeys Bookshelf was developed by the NEH in conjunction with the American Library Association, utilizing guidance from scholars, librarians, and other public programming experts. The collection of 25 books, three films and access to the Oxford Islamic Studies Online was compiled to provide the public with trustworthy and accessible resources about Muslim beliefs and practices and the cultural heritage associated with Islamic civilizations.

It has been organized into five segments — American Stories, Connected Histories, Literary Reflections, Pathways of Faith, and Points of View. Support for the project’s development and distribution was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, with additional support for the arts and media components provided by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.

HCCC librarians John DeLooper and Clifford J. Brooks, who submitted the proposal for the grant, have developed activities and programs around the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf print materials, college Library Executive Director Carol Van Houten said.

These activities will include two programs centering on Islamic literature and religion that will be presented by Professor Lisa Bellan-Boyer.

Additionally, Dr. Beth Citron, the Assistant Curator of the Rubin Museum of Art in Manhattan will lead a discussion on contemporary Islamic art and its far-reaching influences on the visual arts, architecture and décor. The event was arranged by the College’s Art Coordinator Dr. Andrea Siegel.

The event is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 3 at the College’s Culinary Arts Institute/Conference, 161 Newkirk Street in Jersey City.

The residents and business people of Hudson County are invited to attend all of the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf events, and to view the materials that will be housed at the college’s libraries — the HCCC Main Library at 25 Journal Square in Jersey City, and the North Hudson Library at 4800 Kennedy Blvd. in Union City.