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Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance records

 Collection
Identifier: M228

  • Staff Only
  • Please use the Collection Organization section below to place requests.

Scope and Contents

The Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance records date from 1974 to 2003 and measure 33 linear feet. The records are arranged in eight series: Administrative Subject Files, Board and Committee Meetings, Correspondence, Financials, Author and Publisher Personnel Files, Programs and Activities, and Publications. Most of the collection consists of administrative files kept in the Alliance’s offices from the late 1980s to 2000 along with information on organizational history and photographs of MWPA events and staff.

Dates

  • Creation: 1974 - 2003
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1984 - 2000

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions.

Biographical / Historical

The Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance (MWPA), a non-profit organization, was founded in 1975 to promote the value of literature and the art of writing by building a community of writers, readers, and publishers within Maine. They published a statewide newspaper, “Maine in Print” (also called "This Month in Maine Literature"), along with multiple newsletters, an annual catalogue, and chapbooks by local writers. Bound publications, including the newspaper, are cataloged separately and can be found in the Bowdoin College online catalog. The MWPA also hosted programs and events for the community, including writing workshops, high school writing competitions, and author book readings and signings. The organization also served as a book distributor for small presses and local authors. The service lasted until 2000 when the Alliance changed gears to focus on providing other services to the literature community in Maine. The MWPA records document the first twenty-five years of the organization’s existence.

Extent

33 Linear Feet (Oversized posters are in Ovsz-Box 56; Four Videocassettes [BV2629-BV2632])

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Administrative records of the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection was donated by MWPA Executive Directors Sarah Cecil in 2000 and Shonna Humphrey in 2006.

Related Materials

Mark Melnicove papers M292

M.W.P.A. newsletter [PN155 .M356 oversize folio]

Separated Materials

Non-summative financials documents, reciepts and budget logs, have been removed and discarded. Duplications of bound publications that already are held by the library have also been removed and discarded. Additional duplicates of posters, flyers, and administrative records have been removed.

Title
Guide to the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance Records
Status
Completed
Author
Emma Barton-Norris
Date
2023
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College Library, Brunswick, Maine 04011 Repository

Contact:
3000 College Station
Brunswick Maine 04011 USA
(207) 725-3288