Is there a great movie you missed seeing at the theater? Is there one that you would love to see again? Best of all, would you like to view it for free?

Check out the collection at your local San Jose Public Library! You will find an ever-changing array of movies, documentaries and educational DVDs for all ages.  The DVDs are now shelved at whichever library they are returned to, so you never know what you will find on the shelves to check out!

Library DVDs come in a variety of languages, including English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Hindi, Chinese and French. 

Movies are checked out for 3 weeks, and cannot be renewed. The other DVDs also check out for 3 weeks, but can be renewed if no one has placed a request for that particular title.

Some library locations also show movies, and may even provide popcorn! Check the events listings on the library’s homepage, www.sjpl.org, for details. 

Founding gardeners:  the revolutionary generation, nature, and the shaping of the American nation / Andrea Wulf.

Did you know that Washington, Adams, Jefferson and Madison, the first four presidents of the United States, were passionate gardeners, botanists and farmers, and, on social occasions, often preferred talking about these topics rather than politics? In Founding Gardeners, Andrea Wulf argues that the agricultural interests of the founding fathers played a major, but now forgotten, role in the development of the United States.   

In this C-Span presentation, Andrea Wulf speaks at the home of 18th century botanist, John Bartram, whose garden was visited by many delegates of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.

For February 2012, our new Online Book Club is discussing The Muslim Next Door: The Qur'an, the Media, and that Veil Thing, by Sumbul Ali-Karamali.  This is one of the books chosen for the community reading program, Silicon Valley Reads, which this year focuses on the theme "Muslim and American."

Each week, we'll put forth a different question to prompt reflection on the book and its ideas.  We hope you will participate in the discussion by leaving comments below!

For Week 3, we'd like to ask:

Can you think of aspects of your own tradition/culture/religion that could be misunderstood or perceived in a negative light?

Throughout her book Ms. Ali-Karamali writes about how Islam is misunderstood and often confused with culture/politics.  She writes about the misunderstandings her friends and co-workers had about her religious beliefs and practices, ranging from dating to the role of women, to evolution. 

As a child, my family was never involved in any organized religion.  Upon leaving my hometown for college, I was surprised to have new friends and acquaintances ask me how I could live a moral life without a religion to guide me.  My parents had taught me much about evaluating a situation and acting in a responsible manner; yet my friends wondered how I could know I was doing the right thing if I didn’t have a religious text or tradition to turn to.

This is only my personal experience, but perhaps you have a completely different experience you would like to share.  Tell us:  Can you think of aspects of your own tradition/culture/religion that could be misunderstood or perceived in a negative light?

See our Online Book Club page for more information about this book and to preview the next weeks' questions

For February 2012, our new Online Book Club is discussing The Muslim Next Door: The Qur'an, the Media, and that Veil Thing, by Sumbul Ali-Karamali.  This is one of the books chosen for the community reading program, Silicon Valley Reads, which this year focuses on the theme "Muslim and American."

Each week, we'll post a different question to spark a discussion! For Week 2, let's discuss:

Why does the Muslim head covering for women provoke such reflexive reactions in many non-Muslims? What does it reflect about women’s issues in Islamic countries?

I think that the cause of such reflexive reactions has to do with discomfort and sometimes fear of the unfamiliar. A Catholic nun's veil doesn't evoke such reactions because it's a more common, familiar sight in 'the West'. Moreover, I think there is a strong bias here about the role of women in Islamic countries that drives these reactions. Many people don't know that there are many professional women in predominately Islamic countries, for example.  The author points this out in the book, as well.

What do you think? Did the author's insights about the role of women in Islamic cultures and the Islamic tradition surprise you?