FORT KENT, Maine — Gov. Janet Mills and the Maine State Library announced two new initiatives on Monday to preserve Acadian history in the Pine Tree State.
A news release from the governor's office stated the initiatives aim to digitize historical records pertaining to people of French heritage in Maine.
The first initiative is a new partnership between the Maine State Library and the Acadian Archives that will support ongoing efforts to provide access to special collections and information concerning the folklore, folklife, and history of the St. John Valley, according to the release.
The Maine State Library is providing the Acadian Archives with software and a book scanner to make the digitized collections available online.
Officials said the second initiative is a digitalization project that involves about 100,000 pages of historical French language newspapers from Maine communities.
“People of Franco-American, including Acadian, ancestry are at the heart of Maine. I am proud to join the Maine State Library in announcing these projects, which will preserve their history for future generations,” Mills said in the release. “Going forward, anyone will be able to easily access these historical records online, protecting the original documents and supporting public education at the same time.”
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