The Daily Gazette is reprinting excerpts of the late Larry Hart’s long-running column, “Tales of Old Dorp.” Hart used to get telephone calls from people asking what to do with their old newspaper collections. This column excerpt originally was published March 20, 1984.
This is a question frequently asked, but usually the caller wants to donate the old newspapers to historical archives. No matter what the reason, newspaper collections are no longer sought by curators or librarians, therefore the market for this material is pretty slim.
Microfilm stores it all on three-inch spools, usually three months to a reel, which is enlarged on the viewing screen at public libraries and some historical libraries. Needless to say, this solves a storage problem and is much more convenient for the user (except, perhaps, more strain on the eyes during lengthy research).
There is also the deterioration problem of newsprint, especially the pulp paper which has been used since before the turn of this century.
Scrapbooks containing news clippings are another story. They may not be all that valuable to collectors, but are a welcome addition to historical archives.
Categories: Life and Arts
