Display Cases, April and May

Partly to commemorate the European discovery of Brazil by Pedro Alvares Cabral on April 22, 2007 and partly because Brazil was a key (and problematic) stop on George W. Bush’s March visit to our restive neighbors in South America, our first floor lobby display is entitled Brazil, Economic Powerhouse. Brazil, one of the more prosperous countries in South America, enjoys a trade surplus due to the demand for its commodities, a strong currency and also hopes to profit from the production of ethanol from its sugar cane. (Cheaper than the U.S. corn based ethanol.) To give a profile of the economic outlook in Brazil, we have placed articles from some of our online newspapers on the wall around the display case and have also placed many books and government documents on Brazil’s history, economy, relations with the United States and with its neighbors, internal politics, lingering poverty and efforts at social reform.

At the end of April (April 23rd to 27th) the Early Childhood Organization of PSU has asked us to put up a display on the Week of the Young Child. Here, we will put books, documents and periodical articles on such subjects as Education of young children, emotional and behavioral problems, reading, learning, play, guidance, gifted education and many other pertinent subjects..

Finally, on or about May 1st in honor of Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican holiday which commemorates the battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. (French forces fighting for Napoleon III, under General Charles de Lorencez were unexpectedly beaten by Mexican forces fighting for Benito Juarez under General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin near the Mexican town of Puebla.) we will place books and articles in the display case pertinent to the history, culture, archaeology and politics of Mexico.

In the second floor display case we are commemorating the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. (In 2007 it falls on March 31st for Sunnis and on April 5th for Shi’a) Several books are on display which are very informative about Islam, describing its global spread, its cross cultural appeal and the many different forms of worship in the many countries where it is practiced.

On May 1st, these materials will be replaced by biographies of the persons who most affected events in Mexico during the battle of Puebla. (Benito Juarez, the Emperor Maximilian, his wife Carlota and Napoleon III). So, come and see them and if you would like to ask us to check out a book from the cases, just ask. We’ll be glad to get it for you.


Benito Juarez, Mexico’s most brilliant and revered leader. He served as President from 1858 to 1872, successfully resisted the French occupation of Mexico and is lovingly remembered as being a progressive reformer dedicated to democracy, equal rights for the nation's indigenous Indian population, lessening the great power that the Roman Catholic Church then held over Mexican politics, and defense of national sovereignty. He died of a heart attack in 1872 while working at his desk in the National Palace in Mexico City. [Wikipedia]