World War I Program, Research, Will Tell Greene County's and Missouri's Stories
November 1, 2013 — Those interested in World War I history will enjoy the Sunday, Nov. 3, program, “The Great War in Springfield,” at 2 p.m. in the Library Center auditorium.
Library local history associate Michael Price will discuss what life was like in Springfield in 1917 and 1918 against the backdrop of World War I. He’ll talk about the experiences of Greene County men in the trenches of Europe, and how local residents supported their hometown soldiers.
It’s one of several programs the library will offer as we gear up for the war’s centennial remembrance beginning in 1914.
You can learn more about one of our bigger undertakings at a blog, missourioverthere.org. It outlines a multi-year project with museums and archives to capture the story of Missouri’s involvement in World War I.
“Over There: Missouri in the Great War,” will be completed in multiple phases. Currently the partners are researching historical documents from across the state to establish Missouri’s involvement in the war.
You can get a sense for their research on the blog, which features regular posts on Missouri World War I history, fascinating collections from that period and upcoming World War I-related programs planned across Missouri.
The research will be the foundation for an extensive, online resource, “Over There: Missouri in the Great War.” This digital collection will contain documents, photographs, artifacts and other media for everyone. To prepare that collection, project staff will digitize what they collect – meaning they will convert the data, records, images or other media into an electronic format.
As the project develops, the blog will feature updates and allow you to share topics that interest you and your personal/family collections. The project is supported by a Library Services and Technology Act Digital Imaging Grant funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and coordinated by the Missouri State Library.
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Thank you to everyone across the region who helped make the Oct. 22-27 Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale a tremendous success. The Friends made $125,218.74 in sales – slightly less than the all-time record of $125,779.01 they hit in the 2012 fall sale.
Thanks, especially, to the 350 Friends who volunteered their time, some working 80 hours during the week-long sale. Their work and your purchases help fund the library programs that we all enjoy.