ORONO – The University of Maine’s Fogler Library, Maine Public Broadcasting Network and the Maine State Museum have created a new Web-based archive that makes available programs and video clips from two MPBN programs with relevance for Maine teachers and students.

Known as Windows on Maine, the Web site features material from the historical series “HOME: the Story of Maine” and MPBN’s signature science series, “QUEST: Investigating our World.” Windows on Maine also will feature other digital resources from distinguished Maine collections. Those elements include video, images, documents, sound files, interactive maps, animated simulations and other files that will assist in teaching and learning. The resource is available free via broadband and wireless connections.

Other collaborators in the project include members of the Digital Maine Learning Group – Maine State Archives, Northeast Historic Film, the Maine Historical Society and the Maine Folklife Center.

“Windows on Maine will provide needed digital resources for the successful middle school laptop program and its extension to high schools,” said UMaine’s Marilyn Lutz, the project director. “It is a vehicle for advancing student information technology skills which have been linked to the needs of Maine’s, and the country’s, emerging economic and workforce development programs.”

The Web site offers kindergarten through grade-12 teachers and teacher education programs online professional development programming through the Annenberg-CPB educational distribution network. Windows on Maine increases the speed of Internet streaming access to these video resources that support school-based and lifelong learning, across the curriculum by providing local storage for almost a terabyte of material.

“One goal of Windows on Maine is to make digital collections in museums and libraries, available to teachers for incorporation into lesson plans and student work,” said J.R. Phillips, director of the Maine State Museum. “Technology is also being used to advance information literacy by providing students with access to primary and secondary resources essential to an understanding of our heritage.”

The Windows on Maine project is supported in part with a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

For more information, visit http://windowsonmaine.library.umaine.edu.