Special Collection curates and manages the University Archive which consists of UMaine records and artifacts of historical, administrative, or legal value that require permanent retention. These records document the history of the University from its formation to the present and as such are a vital resource for researchers.
Records transferred to Special Collections are stored in our purpose built archival storage facility to ensure their long-term preservation and accessibility for researchers. Archival finding aids for many of these records are available on Digital Commons.
If you would like more information about the University Archive go to the About page.
More information about accessing material at the University Archive including our current finding aids go to the Using the University Archive page.
To find out what types of material Special Collections are interested in taking and the process for contributing materials go to the Contributing materials to the University Archive page.
Special Collections maintains both a physical archive of photographs and a collection of scanned and "born digital" photographs in Digital Commons.
One of the University Archives' most frequently accessed record groups is the Office of the President records which at approximately 250 boxes is the largest group of UMaine records we manage. The record group contains correspondence, memorandums, and reports from the Office of the University of Maine President starting from the first acting president of the University Merritt Caldwell Fernald to the current president Dr. Susan J. Hunter. The records provide key insights into the workings of the University and the personalities of the presidents. The subject files of the presidents show what the key issues of the day were and the views of the presidents on a range of issues including the World War II and LGBT rights.
The records of the Board of Trustees of the University of Maine and University of Maine System document the decision-making process behind many of the decisions that have shaped the direction of the University of Maine. The Board of Trustee records contains meeting agendas, minutes, reports, notes, and supporting material from various University of Maine Board of Trustee committees (both standing and ad-hoc committees) going back to the first meeting of the board on April 25, 1865 and the creation of the University of Maine. The records also include biographical profiles of many of the individuals who have served as trustees, secretaries, and clerks.
Department of Physical and Education records document the University of Maine's rich history of athletic achievement in a range of sports. The records include media guides, programs, newspaper clippings, sports results, and also photographs of University of Maine sports teams.
Another one of the University Archives' most popular group of records are those from the University of Maine's Cooperative Extension Service. The majority of the records are reports from county agents, mostly from 1915-1962 which are essential resources for anyone researching agriculture operations in Maine. Of particular interest are the reports submitted during the World War I and World War II which document the affect the wars had on agriculture and the food industry.
The Women's Resource Center (WRC) records shows the University Archives seeks to represent the diverse range of activities of the University. The majority of the records document the various programming and projects of the WRC including the Safe Campus Project that looked at preventing sexual abuse and domestic violence on campus.
