The World War I Years: America Becomes a World Power

The World War I Years: America Becomes a World Power is a film viewing and discussion series offered by National Video Resources, in cooperation with the American Library Association, and with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The World War I Years is a six-part, scholar-led film viewing and discussion series that explores the political and social history of the United States in the early 20th century. Themes for the six programs in the series are: The Road to War, Over There: The Military History of the American Expeditionary Force, Modern War: The Experience of the "Doughboys," The American People in Wartime, Peace Making: The League of Nations Experiment, and After the War: The Turbulent Years.

In March 2005, fifty libraries were selected to participate in The World War I Years project. Participating libraries received a collection of six carefully curated documentary films to use for the series and keep as part of their permanent collections; seven compelling essays on the film topics written by eminent scholars; an extensive resource guide for additional reading, videos, and Web sites; and program and publicity materials. Additionally, 25 of the selected libraries were invited to send the program coordinator and scholar to a training seminar in Chicago. These libraries also received a $1,300 grant to use toward seminar travel and other expenses.

The World War I Years builds on four earlier programs developed by NVR in partnership with the ALA Public Programs Office and funded by the NEH. These programs offer public library programmers and academics a new model for public discussion through the following series: From Rosie to Roosevelt: A Film History of Americans in WWII, Post War Years, Cold War Fears: American Culture and Politics, 1946-60, Presidents, Politics, and Power: American Presidents Who Shaped the 20th Century, and The Sixties: America's Decade of Crisis and Change.