Ken Burns’ films have long been recognized as some of the best documentaries of the American experience. But the forthcoming series on America’s National Parks have received more buzz than ever, it seems. I saw the one hour preview on PBS a few weeks ago, and the cinematography is breathtaking. Burns and crew have captured the essence of these national treasures through the history and storytelling, as well as the amazing vistas seen today. They have documented the experiences of historical figures such as presidents, artists and conservationists, as well as the anecdotes of park rangers and travelers like us. This fantastic series should be an inspiration to us all, to stop and appreciate these beautiful landscapes, whether from our couches or our campers. The six part series can be seen on PBS stations, beginning Sunday Sept 27. For more information about the series, visit one of these websites: http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/, http://www.thirteen.org, http://www.wliw.org/, or for information about the National Park Service, http://www.nps.gov/index.htm.
If you would like to learn more about travelling to our National Parks, or just enjoy the scenery through our books or video collections, call or stop by the library. The Syosset Library has the companion book to the series: The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns. Or you can pick up one of our many other books or videos about America’s National Parks. You’ll find many of these items on our National Parks book display on the third floor. If you prefer a good read, take an adventure in mystery fiction, set in the national parks, with a book by Nevada Barr, along with a bookmark for the PBS series. When you’re done, you can soak it and plant it to grow wildflowers of your own! And if you enjoy the series, and you’d like to check out some of Ken Burns’ past works, you can find some additional items in our collection.
Feel free to share your thoughts and comments, or a personal memory, about the National Parks here on our blog. My favorite National Park is Yosemite. What’s yours?
- posted by Marianne L., Reference Services
“They don’t make them like they used to”: hundreds of channels and nothing to watch? Our current third floor display features materials dealing with television shows that premiered in September during the years prior to 1980. As the 2009-2010 television season starts up, come in and reminisce about the shows America used to love to watch. You’ll find many of those shows in DVD format on display, as well as books about them and that era in television. If you don’t see what you’re interested in, please ask at the reference desk and a librarian will make every effort to find what you need!
The Emmy award winning series just had its much anticipated premiere this past Sunday. If you’re interested in catching up on this drama about a group of Madison Avenue advertising executives in the early 1960s, the Syosset Public Library has both 
