FORT KENT, Maine — Even though northern Maine is still the most Francophone region of the state, there's been an effort in the past few years to help preserve and teach our state's Acadian history throughout Maine.
To do that, different federal agencies, state officials including Gov. Janet Mills, and the Maine State Library are all working together to digitize historical records focused on French heritage in Maine.
The Maine State Library provided the Acadian Archives with a book scanner and software to make these collections easily available online.
Patrick Lacroix, the director of the Acadian Archives at the University of Maine at Fort Kent, said they're currently digitizing some of the maps, drawings, scrapbooks, photos, films, and other French records. That also includes 100,000 pages of historical French-language newspapers.
"They'll be able to digitize newspapers that are currently out in physical format, or on microfilm, and put those on the Library of Congress website, where they'll be machine-searchable, keyword-searchable, and so it'll open up horizons, giant horizons, for people who are doing research or trying to connect with their own roots," Lacroix explained.
Lacroix said these collections tell the hardships and stories that Franco-Americans experienced all over New England.
The goal is to highlight and expand access to show some of the great contributions these communities have made throughout our state's history and the present day.
"Donc, c'est surtout au niveau de la numérisation. Donc, c'est très important pour nous d'être représentés ailleurs au-delà de notre petit patelin ici, donc de mettre plus de ressources en ligne, qui seraient accessibles par Internet aux gens nonseulement de la communauté du Haut Saint-Jean, mais ailleurs dans l'état et ailleurs aux États-Unis, au Canada, de manière international, aussi," Lacroix said in French.
Translation: "So, it is especially at the level of digitization. So, it's very important for us to be represented elsewhere beyond our little village here, so to put more resources online, which would be accessible by internet to people not only from the Upper Saint-John community, but elsewhere in the state and elsewhere in the United States, Canada, internationally as well."
“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. “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.”
Click here to access the documents that have been digitally uploaded so far.
Click here to learn more about the Acadian Archives at UMaine Fort Kent.
“Digitization is an important tool in terms of both access and preservation,” Adam Fisher, director of collections development and digital initiatives at the Maine State Library, explained. “When historical materials are scanned and made available online, they can easily be viewed by anyone with access to the internet and searched by keyword. By making the information available in digital form, it also spares the print originals from some of the wear that comes from repeated use.”