Goodshelf works with public libraries and community organizations to evaluate and enrich their collections. We use a values-based evaluation framework that centers authenticity, inclusivity, and cultural accuracy.
Our work includes:
Library Evaluations: Reviewing existing collections and identifying gaps or imbalances.
Curation Support: Recommending diverse titles across genres, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and children’s literature.
Community Engagement: Collaborating with local organizations, authors, and educators to build awareness and support for representative literature.
Through this work, we aim to reshape public access to stories, ensuring that the shelf becomes a site of justice, reflection, and connection.
What
We Do
Our Mission and Vision
Our mission is to expand access to authentic and diverse literature about Islam, Muslims, and the MENA region in public libraries and educational spaces. We believe that equitable representation on the shelf fosters understanding, combats harmful stereotypes, and empowers readers of all backgrounds.
Our vision is a future where all communities can see themselves in the stories available to them, where public libraries serve as inclusive spaces of learning, reflection, and belonging. We imagine a world where books connect us across differences and where no identity is left off the shelf.
Why Goodshelf?
As students, educators, librarians, and community members, we repeatedly noticed a troubling pattern. Books about Islam, Muslims, and MENA communities were either absent or reduced to a narrow set of themes, often centered on trauma, terrorism, or conflict. These limited portrayals reinforce harmful stereotypes and deny Muslim readers the opportunity to see themselves represented with nuance, complexity, and dignity.
Rooted in the belief that literature affirms identity, Goodshelf works to transform public collections into spaces of inclusion. We partner with libraries and bookstores to identify representational gaps, curate diverse titles across genres and age groups, and ensure that Muslim, Arab, and MENA voices are part of the larger literary conversation.
We believe connection begins when every story is seen and every voice is heard on the shelf.
