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California libraries joining with PBS to promote Ken Burns’ The War

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 17, 2007

CONTACT:
Sarah Dalton
California State Library
916/654-1483

California libraries joining with PBS to promote Ken Burns’ The War

SACRAMENTO - World War II “touched every family, on every street, in every town in America,” says Ken Burns whose new seven-part PBS documentary, The War, premieres on PBS September 23.  The California State Library (CSL) and the California Center for the Book are partnering with PBS to promote the series in California libraries.

Through this partnership, all California public library jurisdictions have been sent “toolkits” with bibliographies, posters, clip DVDs, educator guides, and community partner lists to assist libraries in facilitating community discussions about the series, collecting local histories related to World War II, and encouraging people to read and discuss books and films about war and peace in general.  Many of these materials are also available to the public via download from www.calbook.org.

Ken Burns and co-producer Lynn Novick interviewed hundreds of men and women for the 14 ½ hour series, telling the story through the personal accounts of individuals who served and those who were left at home during those turbulent years. With one thousand veterans of World War II passing away each day, The War offers a unique opportunity for libraries to spearhead collections of their own oral histories of local people who lived during World War II before their stories and histories are lost forever.

Public libraries and public television share a commitment to serving their communities with quality programs and free access to information.  November 8th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, the California State Library and the California Center for the Book will again join PBS, along with eight California public libraries (to be announced), to host a videoconference between Ken Burns and California library audiences to address World War II’s tremendous impact on California. For additional information please contact Mary Menzel at the California Center for the Book at (310) 206-2464 or mmenzel@ucla.edu.

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