From a sneak peek at a new eight-part documentary series about America's music to very proper tea with the "Dowager Countess of Grantham," PBS fans can pursue their interests at the Rock Island Public Library this September.

In partnership with WQPT PBS for the Quad City Region, Rock Island Library will present a special screening of Country Music, a film by Ken Burns. The free event is at 2:00 pm on Monday, September 16, at the Rock Island Downtown Library, 401 19th Street.  

Event guests will see excerpts from Burns' new eight--part documentary for PBS on the people and places behind a true American art form. From its deep and tangled roots in ballads, blues and hymns performed in small settings, to its worldwide popularity, the acclaimed filmmaker reveals how country music evolved over the course of the 20th century. Country Music features never-before-seen footage and photographs, plus interviews with more than 80 country music artists. The series airs on WQPT Quad Cities PBS on Thursday nights, beginning at 8:00 pm on Thursday, September 26.

Followers of Downtown Abbey can refresh their memory of the popular PBS series with the library's Downton Abbey Tea and Trivia competition. The free event for adults is Wednesday, September 18, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm, also at the Downtown Library. Contestants will enjoy proper British refreshments while being quizzed on trivia from Seasons 1 through 6. Teams of five or fewer may enter, with prizes awarded for the top three finishers. Costumes are not required, but feel free to come as your favorite "above-stairs" or "below-stairs" characters.

Registration is required for the free Downton Abbey event. Sign up at the library events calendar or call 309-732-7341. Downtown Abbey the movie is released in theaters September 20.

For more free events for adults at the library, visit the library website, call 309-732-READ or follow the Rock Island Library on social media.