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| Maine Memory Network | |
|---|---|
| Name | Maine Memory Network |
| Established | 2001 |
| Location | Maine |
| Type | Digital archive |
Maine Memory Network is a statewide digital archive documenting the cultural, social, and historical records of Maine through digitized photographs, manuscripts, maps, audio, and video. Launched to aggregate local holdings from historical societies, libraries, and museums across Maine, it connects collections from communities such as Portland, Maine, Bangor, Maine, and Augusta, Maine with educational programs and public exhibitions. The project collaborates with state and national institutions to make primary sources about figures like Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and events such as the Great Fire of Portland (1866) broadly available.
Maine Memory Network began as an initiative of the Maine Historical Society in collaboration with the Maine State Library and community partners including the Pejepscot Historical Society and the Saco Museum. Early supporters and advisors included personnel from the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Development milestones aligned with technological efforts from groups such as Maine IT and were influenced by digitization models pioneered at the New York Public Library, the Digital Public Library of America, and the Internet Archive. Grants from entities like the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation funded expansion and training programs involving staff from the Bath Historical Society, Bridgton Historical Society, and the Cumberland County Historical Society.
The network aggregates items from small and large repositories including the Ox Cart Library, the Maine Maritime Museum, and the University of Maine Special Collections. Its holdings feature materials related to figures and places: Edmund Muskie, Margaret Chase Smith, Joshua Chamberlain, Sebago Lake, Mount Desert Island, Isle au Haut, and Machias Bay. Collections document events such as the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad development, the Saco River flood of 1884, and the Quoddy Head Light lighthouse operations. The corpus includes photographs of businesses like L.L.Bean, maritime records tied to the Penobscot Bay schooner trade, manuscripts from the Farnsworth Art Museum archives, and ephemera connected to Fort Knox (Maine), Castine, Maine, and Vinalhaven. Contributors range from the Kennebunkport Historical Society to academic partners such as the University of Southern Maine and the Colby College Special Collections.
The platform leverages digitization standards promoted by the National Archives and Records Administration and metadata practices consistent with the Dublin Core and protocols used by the Digital Public Library of America. Infrastructure integrations have involved software and services from commercial and open-source projects utilized by institutions such as the Massachusetts Historical Society and the New England Museum Association. Scanning workflows reflect guidelines from the Association of Research Libraries and the Society of American Archivists, while preservation strategies coordinate with the Northeast Document Conservation Center. The site supports searchable metadata that references places like Rockland, Maine, objects from the Maine Folklife Center, and oral histories featuring storytellers from Passamaquoddy communities and residents of Aroostook County.
Maine Memory Network partners with a wide network: county historical societies (for example, the York County Historical Society), municipal libraries including the Portland Public Library, museums such as the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, and academic institutions like the Bates College Special Collections Library. Collaborative projects have involved the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, the Moxie Festival organizers, and cultural organizations including the Penobscot Nation and the Passamaquoddy Tribe. Contributors include curators and archivists from the Sagadahoc History & Genealogy Room, volunteers affiliated with the Old Orchard Beach Historical Society, teachers from the Maine Department of Education, and grant partners such as the Maine Humanities Council.
The network provides curricular resources for classrooms in districts across Cumberland County, Knox County, Lincoln County, and Penobscot County, integrating primary sources about subjects like E.B. White and Edna St. Vincent Millay. Public programs have included traveling exhibits to venues such as the Abbe Museum, teacher workshops cohosted with the Maine Historical Society, and community digitization days held at sites like the Houlton Historical and Art Museum. Outreach initiatives reach public audiences through collaborations with media outlets including the Bangor Daily News and state agencies such as the Maine State Archives.
Maine Memory Network has been cited in scholarly work at the University of Maine, referenced in exhibitions at the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, and recognized by professional organizations including the New England Museum Association and the Society of American Archivists. Its model influenced digitization projects at regional institutions like the Vinalhaven Historical Society and inspired partnerships with statewide cultural entities including the Maine Arts Commission. Awards and acknowledgments include grant-funded distinctions from the National Endowment for the Humanities and project support from the Mellon Foundation, affirming its role in preserving materials connected to personalities such as Annie Reid and locales including Rockport, Maine.
Category:Archives in Maine Category:Digital libraries