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ALBANY – “War Stories,” a day of World War II education, preservation and remembrances, will be held at the New York State Museum and Cultural Education Center on Saturday, October 20.

The programs are free and will be held between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Sponsored by the State Museum, Archives, Library and Office of Educational Television and Public Broadcasting, they are designed to complement the Ken Burns’ PBS documentary “The War,” which recently aired locally on WMHT. The seven-part series was an exploration of World War II told through the experience of individuals in four American towns.

Throughout the day on October 20, a one-hour highlight reel containing clips from the series will be shown at the Carole F. Huxley Theater in the Museum. There also will be a video, produced by WMHT, featuring the memories of local veterans shared with interviewer Dan DiNicola. Outside the theater, a PBS toolkit of educator resources on “The War” will be provided by Katherine Jetter, WMHT’s educational services manager.

Also in the Museum’s west corridor, visitors will have the chance to step back in time to visit a portion of a recreated U.S. Army field camp as it would have existed on the coast of Normandy, France in June of 1944. Re-enactor Craig Gravina of the New York State Museum will assume the role of a staff sergeant in Easy Company, 2nd Ranger Battalion. He will answer questions, display equipment and personal items, and show how American G.I.s in Europe lived during the weeks following the D-Day invasion.

A workshop on “Caring For Your WWII Collections” will be held from 10:30 to noon and 1:30 to 3 p.m. on the 11th floor of the Cultural Education Center. Marie Culver, conservation specialist at the State Archives, and Gwen Spicer of Spicer Art Conservation, LLC will explain how to preserve World War II memorabilia. Visitors are invited to bring in items from their personal collections to learn how to store and display them and where they can be repaired. Culver and Spicer will also discuss the special challenges of scrapbooks and flags. No weapons, ordnance or explosives of any kind will be permitted.

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Seating is limited.

“WWII Stories from the Collections of the NYS Library” will be the topic of a program, also on the 11th floor, from noon to 1:30 and 3 to 4:30 p.m. Paul Mercer and Vicki Weiss, senior librarians, will describe the library’s WWII collections, many of which will be on display in the 11th floor lobby. They will also share information on how individuals can donate items or collections to the State Library and help keep the memories alive for future generations.

The New York State Museum, Library, Archives and the Office of Educational Television and Public Broadcasting are part of the Office of Cultural Education in the New York State Education Department. They are located in the Cultural Education Center across from the Empire State Plaza on Madison Avenue in Albany.

Started in 1836, the Museum has the longest continuously operating state natural history research and collection survey in the United States. It is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free and the Museum is fully accessible. For further information about programs and events call (518) 474-5877 or visit the Museum website at

www.nysm.nysed.gov.

One of the nation’s leading research libraries, the New York State Library has served New

Yorkers, state government and researchers from throughout the United States for over 180 years. It is the largest state library in the nation and the only state library to qualify for membership in the Association of Research Libraries. For further information call 518/474-5355 or go to www.nysl.nysed.gov.

The State Archives cares for more than 200 million archival records of New York State government dating from the 1630s to the present. Through its nine regional offices and its support of the Documentary Heritage Program, the State Archives also provides services to help 4,300 local governments and 3,000-community organizations care for their records. Explore the collections and programs of the New York State Archives at www.archives.nysed.gov

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