State residents are being asked to participate in a digital archive project to mark the the 100th anniversary of the U.S. entering into World War I. The Connecticut state library has launched the project in partnership with the Connecticut Digital Archive and the national World War I Centennial Commission.
The project will continue the work of state librarian George Godard, who in 1919 began collecting materials related to Connecticut's participation in the Great War. That material is part of the Department of War Records maintained at the state library on Capitol Avenue in Hartford.
Christine Pittsley is the project manager of the new digital archive project. She said that through 2018, the state library will partner with community groups to digitize material related to World War I.
Pittsley said the collection will include taking pictures of medals, uniform items, and letters.
"So what was your grandmother doing, was your grandfather a boy scout, were they selling liberty bonds, do you have photos of those, do you have stories?" Pittsley said. "We have one gentleman whose father was a German soldier and he contributed that story, another contributed a story of how their father would sing them World War I stories as lullabies. So that's the kind of stuff. Anything except artillery. We won't take weapons."
Residents can learn about the participating in the project at the website, ctinworldwar1.org.
