The Green Hills Public Library District was presented with a generous donation of materials from Library District resident Amany Ghanem on behalf of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, Cultural Affairs Sector.
Library District resident Amany Ghanem is a volunteer teacher at Dorn Elementary School in Palos Hills, IL. In addition to teaching English to Arabic speaking parents, she translates all of the District news so that parents can understand and be a part of their child’s education. Ghanem says, “I want to dissolve all barriers between different cultures.” To accomplish this goal, she teaches parents about Common Core, grading scales, and how to help their children with homework.
Ghanem attended the Chicago Muslim American Society Convention in 2013 and spoke to the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs and expressed the need for books about Islam and Arabic culture at libraries.
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Books, CDs, DVDs, board games, and informational posters covering a wide variety of topics were donated. Amanda Kowalcze, Youth Services Department Head, says “I’m grateful to both the Ministry and Amany for taking such an active interest in the Library. We are excited to offer these materials as part of our collection, which we feel reflects the diverse community that we serve.” Green Hills plans to house these materials in a forthcoming foreign language boutique.
