Developed and managed by the Maine Historical Society, Maine Memory Network (MMN) is Maine’s statewide digital history museum. Since 2002, Maine Memory has enabled historical societies, libraries, and other cultural institutions across the state to upload, catalog, and manage digital copies of historic items from their collections into one centralized, web-accessible database. The database now contains about 20,000 individual primary sources, more than 200 online exhibits, a comprehensive survey of Maine history, and community websites from 19 towns and cities around the state.
To learn how to participate in Maine Memory, visit the Share YOUR Local History section on MMN. Organizations or community teams can digitize historical collections, build online exhibits, and even construct entire websites about their community’s history. Grants are available in each of these project categories.
The website-building project is an outgrowth of the original Maine Community Heritage Project, which began in June 2008 to bring together local teams comprised of representatives from schools, libraries, and historical organizations to create content-rich local history websites within Maine Memory Network. Sixteen teams participated over the course of the two year pilot project. Their completed websites, along with three beta sites built in 2006 and 2007, can be seen on MMN’s Community Websites page.
The MCHP is Maine Memory’s most intensive form of participation. Teams commit for a year to the project and in addition to digitizing up to 150 historical items, host two community events, identify and explore important themes and topics in the history of their community, write a town history, create online exhibits, and build their website. There are numerous opportunities for students, teachers, local historical society members, librarians, and other people in the community to come together, collaborate, and share their particular interests, knowledge, and skills.
(RE)LIVING HISTORY 