Hi List, 

I've been on the fence for a long time about our historic newspapers (1850s-1960s). They are unwieldy, difficult to store, and have never once been requested in the 15 years I've been in my position. We don't even have them stored properly, some of them are bundled in kraft paper, some of them are stacked openly on the shelves. To be honest, I wouldn't even allow a researcher to look at them because they're not organized. I have no idea where to locate a specific issue. 

Our newspapers are microfilmed and digitized but for some reason I can't bring myself to throw the originals away. I'm asking for you, dear list, to help me decide, one way or another. Should I keep them or should I get rid of them? I'm open to all opinions but I need someone to knock me off the fence. What does your organization do with historic newspapers? At this point, I doubt we'd invest money or time in properly storing and/or organizing. 

 Thank you for your help!