Arab American National Museum

The Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, is dedicated to increasing understanding of the Arab culture. It is a project of ACCESS, a nonprofit human services organization that was established to help Arab immigrants; it is the largest such organization in the US today. This free, dedicated website offers a database of objects in the museum's collections, many with images. Under Browse Permanent Collection, a search of the keyword "mosque" returned 33 records, including information on such varied objects as a carpet, a bottle, and a door from the first mosque in North Dakota, along with pamphlets, personal papers, tickets, and receipts. A small online gallery is available. The site is updated as new events are announced or items are added to the collections.

The museum's library collects documents, family histories, and resources about Arab Americans, and its online catalog is searchable. Four booklets are available for download, as are bibliographies. Some of the museum records contain images. The Education link lists lesson plans to help teachers present Arab culture and history. The site's multimedia elements include podcasts, oral histories, and slide shows of the current exhibits in the museum. Some publications are available for purchase (as are a wide variety of items in a museum store). The ACCESS organization also presents an annual book award.. . .  Who will use this site? Anyone interested in getting a peek at the culture of Arab America. Those interested in undertaking in-depth research will need to explore elsewhere. Summing Up: Recommended. General audience. -- L. K. Miller, Western Kentucky University Jan ACRL's Choice