Hi Sarah You have touched upon an interesting debate/question that helps focus on why we collect materials in our libraries – do we do it for the information, to make the info available, or do we do it because there is something inherently appealing in an old book, journal, or newspaper? It also raises the question as to what kind of library we maintain – is it a library to provide access, or is it a rare book/special collections library intended to protect the publication as artifact? In the case of your collection Sarah, it sounds like there is an interest in making the information available, otherwise why have the newspapers digitized, but the final step in disposing of the old paper runs into a conflict with the collector in us all, as we are shocked by the idea of destroying the old “items”. I know that confrontation well. I own issues of two old newspapers, but for me they are artifacts rather than newspapers. One is from 1945, is a US military newspaper discussing events that are well known. I purchased it as an artifact, not because I thought it would provide information I could not gain elsewhere. The other newspaper I own is even less useful for conveying information. It dates from the 1680s and reflects the religious bigotry of England during the events of the so-called Popish plot, again, purchased as an artifact not for the information contained therein. So, your decision about the newspaper should be clear - do you want to keep the newspaper as artifact, or does the sheer bulk of the collection cause you to rethink any potential benefits supposedly accrued from the smell of old paper. As public library with limited funds, perhaps you should just bite the bullet and dispose of the paper – you already have the information – treat the old paper as the decaying and possibly rotting remains of the fourth estate. If you do not want to hold a cremation for the remains, perhaps you could instead use them as a fundraiser – sell the old issues as what they really are – as artifacts, not as repositories of information Please note, these are my opinions and do not reflect the views of anyone else at my institution Daniel German (Il/Him) Archiviste principal, Direction générale des Documents gouvernementaux Bibliothèque et Archives Canada<https://bibliotheque-archives.canada.ca/> / Gouvernement du Canada [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> / Tél. : 613-614-2857 Senior Archivist, Government Record Branch Library and Archives Canada<https://library-archives.canada.ca/> / Government of Canada [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> / Tel: 613-614-2857 From: A forum for discussion for the Archives Assoc. of Ontario <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Sarah Ferencz Sent: November 21, 2023 4:59 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Newspaper Quandry 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! Sarah Ferencz Archivist Whitby Public Library Central Library 405 Dundas St. W. Whitby, ON L1N 6A1 905-668-6531 ext. 2022 Web: www.whitbylibrary.ca/archives<http://www.whitbylibrary.ca/archives> Facebook: facebook.com/whitbylibrary<http://facebook.com/whitbylibrary> Twitter: @whitbylibrary<http://twitter.com/whitbylibrary> Instagram:@whitbylibrary<http://instagram.com/whitbylibrary> Confidentiality Warning: This e-mail contains information that is confidential and is intended only for the use of the named recipient(s). If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any review, copying or distribution of this transmission is strictly prohibited. Please contact the Whitby Public Library immediately if you have received this transmission in error and delete this message. ==================================== [Envoyé d'un expéditeur externe / From External Sender] ====================================