Jesse Drew Historical and Genealogical Archives

FAIN: ZPA-283986-22

Fort Fairfield Public Library (Fort Fairfield, ME 04742-1160)
Jennifer Gaenzle (Project Director: May 2021 to November 2022)
Dan Foster (Project Director: November 2022 to August 2023)

The retention of a part-time archival aide and the implementation of preservation improvements, including adding a library ladder, installing UV filter film on windows, installing spacers between bound newspaper books, and lining wooden shelves with protective material. 

In 2017 NEH funded a Preservation Assessment grant to the Fort Fairfield Public Library. We are now ready with a plan to implement many of recommendations made by Northeast Document Conservation Center. This plan consists of replacement of the step-ladder with the re-installation of an original to the time period library ladder. This increases the safety for both staff and the books during retrieval. Also installation of UV Filter film on windows; installation of spacers between the bound historical newspaper books for air circulation to protect and support the bindings; and lining the wooden shelving with archival safe material to protect the historical books housed on them. The Jesse Drew Historical Archives was established in 1925 upon the death of Col. Franklin M. Drew who willed his entire historical Civil War and genealogy library to our library. Many items in the collection are not available for research anywhere else in the northeast.