Printing a newspaper is our business; thats what we know how to do.
But in light of recent historic events, this question has come our way:
Whats the best way to preserve a newspaper?
Whether you save newspapers because of historical purposes or just simply because you or someone you know may appear in it ... here are some tips for keeping them in the best possible condition.
First off, store newspapers in the "open" position. That is, opened all the way up so that one can see the entire front page at one time. For some strange reason, newspapers printed on wood pulp, when left folded in half, become brown and with enough time start to separate at this fold.
Secondly, do not store them in a garage or barn unless they are heated and have air conditioning. Also, keep the newspapers in boxes with lids on them. (Make sure the box is large enough to store the papers in the open position.)
If youre a serious newspaper collector, experts advise DO NOT have them laminated. Doing so will destroy ALL collector value!
The preservation of old newspaper clippings can be difficult. There are several reasons for this. Most important, modern newsprint paper stock was never intended for archival usage. (Some of the paper used in old 19th century newspapers was, however, made with rag stock and has endured for many decades.)
Modern newsprint tends to disintegrate quickly. Have you ever left a newspaper in the sun for a short period of time and noticed that it had yellowed? It was actually disintegrating. Add moisture and you have a recipe for extremely rapid deterioration. There are, however, several things you can do to preserve newspaper clippings and/or their content.
Make copies immediately Photocopying newspaper clippings admittedly exposes them to a dose of bright light, and light is an enemy of newsprint. However, if you are interested in preserving the content of a newspaper article or clipping, there can be no substitute for a one-time exposure when the clipping is new. Make sure you are copying onto acid-free, archival-safe paper stock. Once done, you will then have a backup copy on a more stable type of paper.
See PRESERVE, page A-8