Preserving Newspapers
INTRODUCTION
Of the thousands of newspapers published in the United States each day,
most eventually find their way into trash bins, under litter boxes, into
bird cages, or, more hopefully, into recycling containers. The perception
persists that yesterday's news is no news at all. For librarians and archivists,
however, that perception presents a tremendous challenge. As a resource
for scholars and researchers, no form of publication captures the day-today
life of a community and its citizens better than the local newspaper. Under
the headlines proclaiming great events are editorials, human interest stories,
society news, sports reporting, advice columns, obituaries, and business
reports that, as a whole, paint a picture of the communities in which those
great events take place and the lives they affect. Even in the most extreme
instances, when the editorial content of a paper reflects journalism at
its most outrageous, the ordinary details of daily life can still be found
and appreciated.
As a primary source for local history information, all newspapers-metropolitan
dailies, local suburban papers, rural weeklies, and the rich ethnic press
are worthy of retention and preservation. Yet the effort required, due both
to the number of papers published and to the quality of paper on which they
are printed, is tremendous.
Prior to the mid-1800's, newspapers were published on paper made using cotton
rag fiber. Many of these newspapers, even dating from the early eighteenth
century, survive in excellent condition and will, if properly handled and
cared for, survive for generations to come. Production of rag paper was
an expensive process, however, and as the nineteenth century progressed,
technology and increasing literacy combined to encourage cheaper production
of paper.
By the 1880's most newspapers and other mass market publications were being
published on paper that replaced more expensive rag content with untreated
ground wood fibers, and additional substances to prevent discoloration and
decrease porosity. Paper made using this process carries within itself reactive
agents that will speed its deterioration. Excessive moisture will cause
the lignins and other impurities present in newsprint to produce acids which
weaken the paper. On the other hand, excessive heat and dryness will contribute
to the paper's brittleness. While the use of wood pulp allowed production
of a more economical medium for publication, it also guaranteed the instability
of that medium over time. The cheapest and least stable form of this paper
is newsprint. In addition to its obvious fragility, today's newsprint is
especially susceptible to damage caused by heat, light, dampness and airborne
pollutants.
Conservators have developed a range of treatments and techniques that stabilize
and, in some cases, even strengthen paper made from ground wood pulp, but
due to high costs the application of these techniques is normally restricted
to very special items in a collection that has high intrinsic value. For
libraries, archives, and historical societies that hope to allow continued
use of larger collections, the most economical option is to preserve the
intellectual content of the publications through reformatting.
PRESERVATION MICROFILMING OF NEWSPAPERS
The first newspaper to be microfilmed was the London Evening News,
filmed in 1853 to demonstrate the viability of microfilming techniques.
As early as the 1930's, microphotography was recommended as a means of preserving
the information available in newspapers, however, the life-expectancy of
film at that time was less than a generation. By the end of that decade
both the New York Public Library and the Library of Congress had established
full-fledged microfilming programs. Continuing experimentation and research
in film stability and environment for storage of film, combined with refinements
in high-resolution photographic equipment, provide assurance that microfilm
produced, processed, and stored in adherence to national and international
standards remains an economical and reliable means of preserving access
to newspapers.
Anyone considering a preservation microfilming project should consult the
RLG Preservation Microfilming Handbook.1 General requirements and
recommendations for microfilming newspapers can be found in the standard
ANSI/AIIM MS11-1994, Recommended Practice for Microfilming Printed Newspapers
on 35mm Roll Microfilm.2
When microfilming is selected as the means of preservation, bibliographic
databases, union lists, and microfilm publishers' catalogs should be searched
to discover whether the material to be filmed is already available in acceptable
microform from other sources, thus avoiding duplication and potential copyright
concerns. Once a title is selected for filming, every effort should be made
to produce the most complete run in the best condition. Bibliographic resources
that provide holdings information should be consulted to obtain needed issues
to complete the run.
As any experienced researcher will confirm, nothing is more frustrating
than to be forced to use poorly produced microfilm. Yet properly produced
microfilm of newspapers is often easier and more satisfying to use for research
than large, unwieldy bound volumes of newsprint. In order to insure that
the preserved materials will indeed be useful, it would be helpful for those
organizing the materials to see the task as essentially an editorial function,
preparing and organizing text for republication in another format.
Special attention should be paid to organizing the newspaper file and preparing
bibliographic identification and information targets to be filmed with the
newspaper. Information about missing issues, title changes, and special
editions, if filmed as information targets at the beginning of each reel,
will greatly assist researchers.
Current preservation guidelines and recommendations call for production
of a camera, or "master," negative to be stored in a secure, environmentally
controlled facility, preferably in a location separate from that in which
the collection is housed; and the production of an intermediate, or "printing"
negative to be used for the production of service positives (use copies).
The intermediate negative should also be stored in an environmentally controlled,
secure location. Ideally, the master negative should only be used if all
other surviving generations are destroyed. Care should be taken to assure
that all generations of film are stored in alkaline, non-photoreactive boxes,
and that machines used for reading and printing from the film are kept clean
and properly maintained.
If contracting for microfilming services, care should be taken to assure
that the laboratory has experience in preservation microfilming projects.
Since it is most likely that the materials will not be available for re-filming
in the future, any steps taken to insure that the
work to be done meets all current standards will not be wasted.
CONSERVATION TREATMENT OF NEWSPAPERS
Newspaper issues or pages may require conservation treatment in order to
preserve them as intrinsic
artifacts, or for research or exhibit purposes. Conservation treatment should
be referred to a professional paper conservator, since any treatment process
can entail risk to both the material and the personnel involved. Information
on selecting a conservator may be found in the
brochure Guidelines for Selecting a Conservator3 available from the
American Institute for Conservation. The conservation treatment selected
will depend on the characteristics of the individual item and its condition;
testing will be done before beginning the treatment process.
Acidic newsprint often requires deacidification and the deposit of an alkaline
buffer (a.k.a.alkalization) to stabilize the paper. Repairs to the paper
may be done using Japanese paper and wheat paste or heat-set tissue; pressure-sensitive
adhesive tapes are not recommended. It is important to use good quality
materials that will hold up over time. In order to provide support for a
fragile sheet and permit safer handling, a deacidified newspaper page can
be stored or encapsulated in a polyester film sleeve or folder. More information
on encapsulation can be found in Encapsulation in Polyester Film Using
Double-Sided Tape.4 It is preferable to avoid encapsulating newspapers
which have not been deacidified. However, if newsprint is acidic and extreme
fragility indicates the need for encapsulation, an alkaline buffered sheet
should be placed behind the newspaper whenever possible.
Cellulose acetate lamination is not recommended for newsprint, especially
for those newspapers which have intrinsic value. Lamination can extend the
time over which newsprint can be actively handled, but it will also damage
the paper, and is not fully reversible.
PRESERVING NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS By PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPYING
While every reference librarian can attest to the usefulness of clipping
files, those fading bits of paper constitute a preservation challenge. Many
libraries and archives have opted to convert their newspaper clipping files
to microfilm, but that option is open to debate, particularly when the newspaper
itself has been preserved on film.
For current newspaper articles, archival photocopying of material is recommended
as a substitute for clipping files. Not only is the ease of access that
clipping files have always provided maintained, but future conversion of
articles into digital form will be greatly facilitated by this option. Additional
reformatting information can be found in Guidelines for Preservation
Photocopying.5
DIGITIZATION OF NEWSPAPERS OF MICROFILM
The rapid development of electronic imaging and storage technologies holds
great promise for enhancing access to all types of research materials, including
newspapers. As implied above, for example, the highly labor-intensive task
of newspaper indexing can be accomplished with remarkable efficiency and
savings by conversion of text into electronic form. Because of the size
of most newspaper pages and their brittleness, the direct use of electronic
imaging equipment as a tool for newspaper preservation is still far from
a practical reality. Cost considerations may further prevent it from being
a logical option.
Scanning from microfilm, however, involves proven technology and can be
done with off-the-shelf equipment for which all requisite standards exist.
Combining the two technologies provides assurance that the information will
be preserved on microfilm while access capabilities are enhanced, and even
created, through imaging.
It should be noted here that, while many current newspapers are available
in electronic form, either as CD-ROM or through various on-line services,
the issue of completeness should be a concern. With only a few exceptions,
the newspapers available in electronic form do not, for technical reasons,
include classified ads, obituaries, and other local features historians
and researchers find so important. Many do not include photographs and advertising
sections. If these products arc allowed to serve in libraries and archives
as a substitute for the newspaper itself, then much of what is characteristic
of newspapers as a tool for research will be lost.
STORAGE OPTIONS: BINDING
While microfilming is the most reliable means of preserving the intellectual
content of newspapers, many institutions will need to store original newspapers
for long periods of time prior to filming and, in some cases, may wish to
store original copies on a permanent basis. Binding has been a frequently
used means of storage and public access for newspapers, but is not recommended.
Aside from being expensive, binding of newspapers is often damaging to the
text, creates unwieldy volumes that are difficult to handle properly, and
encourages some institutions to shelve the volumes vertically, which can
cause the text block to pull away from the binding. Oversize folio volumes
should be stored flat.
HOUSING
If newspapers will be used fairly frequently, the recommended method is
to store the papers flat in boxes, with lids the same depth as the base.
While buffered custom boxes made to fit each newspaper file would be ideal,
standard sizes ( 18 x 24 x 2.5 inches or 24 x 30 x 2.5 inches) offered by
several suppliers should be adequate for most newspaper files. Inserts can
be made from alkaline buffered card to customize the interior size of the
box to that of the newspaper. Prior to boxing, the newspapers should be
stacked neatly, organized in chronological sequence and a finding aid should
be prepared that lists the titles and issues held, to prevent excessive
handling of the issues themselves. The box label should contain the title(s)
and range of dates contained in the box, with a list of missing issues attached
to the inside of the box lid for easy reference. The boxes will provide
overall support and will protect the newspapers from light, dust, and insects
while allowing easy access.
WRAPPING
For files that will not be used frequently, flat storage of newspapers wrapped
in a sturdy alkaline paper is sufficient. Because the bundles must be reassembled
and retied after each use, this option is often used for large collections
of original copy that have been microfilmed, and thus use can be restricted
to those instances when only the original can provide the needed information
(e.g., photographs). Often, when previously-bound newspapers have been disbound
and originals are kept after filming, the binding boards are kept and used
as an extra support outside the alkaline paper-wrapped bundle, with an additional
wrapping of ordinary kraft paper as an outer protection. Alkaline buffered
corrugated boards cut slightly larger than the newspapers may be substituted
for the binding boards . For tying the bundles, select a flat cord and be
careful that the cord cannot cut into the newspapers (once again) a list
of titles and issues held should be prepared, and bundles should be identified
appropriately to avoid excessive handling. (In both storage instances, placing
alkaline tissue paper over color pages can alleviate bleed-through onto
adjoining pages.)
Some experimentation is being carried out with polyethylene wrappings, including
poly-sealing or shrink wrapping. At the time of this writing, there is not
sufficient evidence that such storage options justify the cost. A major
concern is that re-sealing would be required each time an issue is retrieved.
STORAGE ENVIRONMENT
It is understood that libraries and historical societies throughout the
U.S. are often housed in buildings that do not easily approximate current
recommended standards for storage of library materials. Even when conditions
are not ideal, basic steps can be taken in nearly any facility to better
protect the materials stored there. The simplest method, and most often
overlooked, is good housekeeping. Choose storage locations which minimize
exposure of the newspapers to dampness, heat, air pollutants, dust, insects
and vermin. Store the newspapers above the floor, to avoid damage from unexpected
water. Newspaper collections may suffer as much from lack of care, as from
intentional damage (clipping or mutilations Information and references for
storage of microfilm of newspapers can be found in RLG Preservation Microfilming
Handbook, noted above.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC CONTROL
While often overlooked as a preservation concern, appropriate bibliographic
control is an essential component to the success of any newspaper preservation
program. Complete citations assure that preserved material can be properly
accessed by users, and that the costly duplication of preservation efforts
can be avoided by others attempting to do the same work. Comprehensive bibliographic
information enables one to determine who holds a given title and what issues
are available or missing, as well as any unique comments concerning editions
or title changes. Unfortunately, few libraries, and fewer local historical
societies and archives, have maintained consistent bibliographic control
over their newspaper collections. Any attempt at preserving newspapers without
also providing this bibliographic control will only exacerbate the problem,
as users of poorly prepared newspaper microfilm will attest.
THE UNITED STATES NEWSPAPER PROGRAM
Since the early 1980's, the Library of Congress and the National Endowment
for the Humanities have been directing a nation-wide effort to preserve
the rich mix of detail, opinion, criticism, fact, and folly that survives
on the pages of newspapers throughout the country. The United States Newspaper
Program (USNP) is a cooperative national effort to locate, catalog, preserve
on microfilm, and make available to researchers newspapers published in
the United States from the eighteenth century to the present.
Supported by funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH),
and with technical support and project management provided by the Library
of Congress, projects in each of the fifty states and the United States
Trust Territories seek out and survey newspaper collections. In addition,
they catalog the newspapers, organize and select appropriate titles for
preservation, and preserve these titles on microfilm r produced, processed,
and stored in accordance with archival preservation standards. Bibliographic
and collections holding information is prepared in machine-readable form
and entered into a database managed and maintained by the CONSER (Cooperative
Online Serials) Program, an international cooperative program organized
to create and maintain quality serials cataloging information that is used
for bibliographic research, selection, acquisitions, interlibrary loan,
and union listing.
USNP projects are organized as cooperative efforts within each state, generally
with one agency serving as the lead agency. Project staff survey libraries,
courthouses, newspaper offices, historical agencies, archives, and private
collections to locate and inventory collections. To support this activity,
NEH expects to continue its funding activities for the USNP into the first
decade of the 21st century, at which time it is estimated that projects
will have cataloged some 250,000 newspapers.
While the work of USNP projects in each state will provide a basis for continuing
newspaper preservation efforts, the program will ultimately convert only
a percentage of deteriorating newsprint to microfilm. From the beginning.
it has been the intent of program planners and managers that the continued
effort must be decentralized in order to remain effective. It is only logical
that access to a local newspaper should be maintained in the region where
it is published, for it is there that i t will have the greatest relevance
for research. In some states, legislation mandating deposit of newspapers
containing legal notices provides some assurance that titles will be maintained.
Local and state libraries, historical societies, archives, court offices,
and newspaper publishers have all shared a role in saving back issues of
newspapers. Yet all face the problem of attempting to maintain access to
these collections as the paper itself deteriorates.
References
1. Elkington, Nancy E., editor. RLG Preservation Microfilming Handbook.
Mountain View, CA: Research Libraries Group, 1992.
2. Recommended Practice for Microfilming Printed Newspapers on 35mm Roll
Microfilm. ANSItAIIM MS111994. Silver Spring, Md.: Association for Information
and Image Management, 1994. (Available from AllM at: 1100 Wayne Ave., Suite
1100, Silver Spring, MD 20910)
3. Guidelines for Selecting a Conservator. [Brochure] Washington,
DC: American Institute for Conservation, 1991. (Available from AIC at: 1717
K St., NW., Suite 301, Washington, DC 20006 Phone: (202) 452-9545)
4. Encapsulation in Polyester Film Using Double-Sided Tape. Technical
Leaflet. Andover, Mass.: Northeast Document Conservation Center, 1992. (Available
from NEDCC at: 100 Brickstone Square, Andover, MA 018101494)
5. Guidelines for Preservation Photocopying. Library Resources
& Technical Services 38 (3): 288-292 (July 1994).
Additional Sources
Elkington, Nancy E., editor. RLG Archives Microfilming Manual. Mountain
View, CA: Research Libraries Group, 1994.
Field, Jeffrey. The US Newspaper Program. In Newspaper Preservation and
Access, edited by Ian P. Gibb,356-366. IFLA Publications, 45 & 46.
Munich; New York: K.C;. Saur, 1988.
Gwinn, Nancy E., editor. Preservation Microfilming. Chicago, Ill.:
American Library Association, 1987.
Harriman, Robert. The News in Review: the United States Newspaper Program.
Cataloging & Classification Quarterly 17 (3/4): 87-103 (1993).
Swartzburg, Susan Garretson. Preserving Newspapers: National and International
Cooperative Efforts. In Conserving and Preserving Materials in Notebook
Formats, edited by Kathryn Luther Henderson and William T. Henderson,
73-89. Urbana-Champaign, Ill.: University of Illinois, Graduate School of
Library and Information Science, 1991.
Wilson, William K. Environmental Guidelines for the Storage of Paper
Records. Bethesda, MD: National Information Standards Organization,
1995.
Information on relevant standards may be obtained from the American National
Standards Institute, l l W. 42nd St., New York, NY 10036 (212) 642-4900.
Credits:
Written by Robert B. Harriman with Doris Hamburg. Edited by Carole Zimmermann
and Carrie Beyer.
This publication and others on preservation issues are available from the
Library of Congress. Preservation Directorate, Washington, D.C.20540 - 4500,
and on LC Marvel via Internet. Phone, (202)-707-5213; FAXs
(202)-707-3434.
Published by the
Library of Congress,
Preservation Directorate
Washington, D. C.
1995
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