September 9, 2005

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Joint Library to host
World War I video discussion series

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Joint Library will host a free six-part film viewing, reading and discussion series called “The World War I Years: America Becomes a World Power.”

The library is one of 50 libraries nationwide selected to participate in the project's pilot program organized by National Video Resources in partnership with the American Library Association. The project is supported by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

“The World War I Years” explores the political and social history of the United States in the early 20th century. The first program focusing on “Woodrow Wilson, Part II: The Redemption of the World” will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 27 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Rick Propas, a lecturer at San Jose State University, will lead the discussion. All programs will be held in Room 255/257 on the second floor at the King Library located at 150 E. San Fernando St. in downtown San Jose. For more
information, please visit www.sjlibrary.org/about/events/ww1.htm, or call (408) 808-2397.

“We are delighted to have been chosen as one of the pilot libraries for this unique program focusing on one of the most important periods in American history,” said Jane Light, director of San Jose Public Library and co-manager of the King Library.

“This program allows community members to use in-depth information from documentaries and it also provides access to the expertise of local scholars,” she continued. “A public library is the perfect backdrop for this discussion because we can offer a full selection of resources for further study of any of these topics.”

Additional films will be screened and discussed on each of the following five Tuesdays. These films are:

- Oct. 4 - “The Great War - 1918;” moderated by Glen Gendzel, professor, San Jose State University

- Oct. 11 - “1914-1918: Shell Shock (from The Century)” and “Men of Bronze: the Black American Heroes of World War I;” moderated by Teresa Morris, MLK librarian, San Jose State University

- Oct. 18 - “Up South: African American Migration in the Era of the Great War” and “One Woman, One Vote;” moderated by Margo McBain, lecturer, San Jose State University and Public Historian

- Oct. 25 - “Woodrow Wilson, Part II: The Redemption of the World;” moderated by Irvin Roth, professor (retired), Foothill College

- Nov. 1 - “Return to Isolationism (from Between the Wars) and “Lost Peace: Ideals for a United World Fail (from The People's Century);” moderated by Bruce Reynolds, San Jose State University

The scholars leading discussions on these topics are all college and university faculty with a special interest in some aspect of the history of the World War I era.

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Joint Library is collaboration between the City of San Jose and San Jose State University, providing access to the combined resources of San Jose Public Library and San Jose State University Library.

During the academic year, the library is open Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, visit the Web site: www.sjlibrary.org.