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August 30, 2012

Digital documents debut on historically endangered list

For the first time, Maine's most endangered historical assets now include digital records, according to an annual survey by the nonprofit Maine Preservation.

This year's survey is the first to list more than historical structures, according to a Bangor Daily News report, and the group's executive director said electronic documents are in particular danger because of the ease with which they can be lost or destroyed.

"We've not figured out how to manage this material," Greg Paxton, executive director of Maine Perservation, told the BDN. "There's such a proliferation that nobody thinks about this material."

Paxton told the BDN that his organization is not in the business of preserving digital documents but is emphasizing the importance of their preservation to others.

Along with the nontraditional listings, this year's list of endangered historic resources includes historic railroad sheds and in-town public buildings statewide, as well as landmarks like the Lincoln Street School in Rockland and Saco's Old Central Fire Station.

Paxton told the BDN that preservation of such structures can spark new economic development.

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