BANGOR – Mainers have increased their reading skills, delved more deeply into their history and enhanced their arts appreciation through an innovative statewide program dedicated to cultural revitalization.

Now, the Maine Cultural Affairs Council wants to continue to enrich the quality of life for Maine’s small communities through LD 1433, an act to renew the New Century Community Program.

The proposed legislation would provide state funds for renovating libraries; helping communities explore their history and heritage; developing the Maine Memory Network, a Web-based virtual museum that would make the state’s history available over the Internet; and helping schools develop arts-in-education programs.

The bill, which calls for a $1.6 million appropriation for fiscal year 2002 and 2003, has been endorsed by the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, according to State Librarian Gary Nichols.

But its future is by no means assured in light of the state’s tentative financial situation, he said Friday during a meeting with the Bangor Daily News editorial board.

Bangor Public Library Director Barbara McDade and Maine Humanities Council Chair Geoff Gratwick also were at the session to point out the exciting and varied projects in which the New Century program had a hand.

The program was developed in 1998 by the MCAC to advance the state’s economic and social development by strengthening the arts and cultural resources.

Seven statewide agencies belong to the MCAC: the Maine Arts Commission, Maine Historic Preservation Commission, Maine State Library, Maine State Museum, Maine Historical Society, Maine State Archives and Maine Humanities Council.

Through the agencies, New Century awarded 420 grants – which must be met by local matching funds – and supported 780 projects.

The projects ranged from developing a book discussion program at the Abbott Memorial Library in Dexter to cataloging music by local composers at the Bangor Public Library to celebrating the tradition of canoe making as part of the Katahdin region’s heritage.

“Who else would do these little things? They’re small but they enrich the community,” Nichols said.

Approximately $1 million was spent directly on construction-related projects involving local libraries or historic properties. This funding resulted in an additional $1l million in construction activity.

Two-thirds of the grants went to rural communities and one-third to the state’s larger cities and towns with populations of more than 10,000.

Many small museums and libraries that had never applied for funds were able to gain grant-writing skills, according to Gratwick.

Because of a domino-type effect that grants tend to bring about, the cultural institutions then were able to garner funds from other places, he said.

With Maine’s cultural institutions playing a key role in the state’s economy, the bill would provide more than 6,000 jobs, attract new or expanded industry and generate tourism, according to proponents.

Cultural tourists are spending an increasing amount of time and money in the state, Gratwick said.