A large number of old French record albums are currently
being catalogued at the Franco-American Heritage Collection
at Lewiston-Auburn College. Local residents Florence Cote
and Georgette Berube have been assisting Coordinator Donat
Boisvert with this project. Cote recently donated to the Collection
a record player that can play 78rpm, significant because many
of the albums are the old 78rpm format.
Local residents over the years have donated the albums being
preserved to the Franco-American Collection. Anyone interested
in donating record albums, photographs, journals, or other
items of Franco-American significance to the Collection is
encouraged to call Boisvert at 753-6545.
The Franco-American Heritage Collection, formerly known as
the Centre d’Heritage Franco-Americain, contains extensive
archival material on politics, religion, language, education,
industry and business, theater and music, genealogy, Lewiston-Auburn
history, and civic leaders. The mission of the Franco-American
Heritage Collection at LAC “is to develop and promote
interest in and study of Franco-American culture and history
on the part of the University community, academic community,
and the community at large,” notes Roger Philippon, assistant
dean of L-A College. This is accomplished by collecting, processing,
preserving, and making accessible documents, audio-visual
materials, and artifacts. The Collection focuses on the Lewiston-Auburn
area, with additional regional materials providing a link
to the wider contexts of French North America.
The Collection is currently open to the public Mondays and
Wednesdays 8:30 - 5:00 and Thursdays 8:30-12:30. Please call
753-6545 for more information, or visit their web site at
usm.maine.edu/lac/franco.
