Maine Digital Newspaper Project

FAIN: PJ-250258-16

Maine State Library (Augusta, ME 04330-6845)
Peggy O'Kane (Project Director: January 2016 to August 2020)
Adam Charles Fisher (Project Director: August 2020 to March 2024)

Funding details:
Original grant (2016) $275,000.00
Supplement (2018) $127,000.00
Supplement (2020) $207,566.00
Supplement (2024) ($58,679.16)

Digitization of 100,000 pages of Maine newspapers, dating from 1785 to 1963, as part of the state’s participation in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

The Maine Digital Newspaper Project seeks to create approximately 200,000 pages of digital newspaper content from existing microfilm master files of newspapers published in Maine between 1785 and 1963. The papers will be chosen for inclusion by an advisory board of experts in Maine history and the popular press. They will consider local and national priorities and the availability and condition of the microfilm masters in deciding on selection. The advisory board will also work with the Maine State Library (MSL) to hire a project manager and identify appropriate vendors for materials following State of Maine guidelines. The majority of the microfilm conversion will be conducted by a vendor selected under an RFP process. Conversion will also take place on equipment owned and operated by the Maine State Archives.