Keeping old newspapers and clippings

Since the mid-1800s, newspapers have been printed on cheap, machine-made wood pulp paper that was never meant to last. It's highly acidic, so it yellows, turns brittle and tears along its folds. Good storage and careful handling slow it down a great deal. Before you clip an article, consider keeping the whole paper, ads and all.

Where to keep them

• Somewhere cool and steady. Ideally no warmer than 70°F. Heat and swings in temperature speed up the damage, so attics, basements and garages are poor places for them.
• Fairly dry air. Keep the humidity between 30 and 55% to avoid mold.
• Out of the light. Light yellows, darkens and bleaches newsprint and fades the ink. Keep them away from direct or bright light.
• Away from heat. Keep them clear of heaters, vents and radiators.
• Off the floor. Put boxes on a sturdy shelf, ideally 6 inches or more above the floor in case of flooding.

What to keep them in

• Flat boxes or folders. Use boxes, folders and board that are acid-free, lignin-free and preferably buffered. A flat box with a lid as deep as its base works well.
• Not too full. Stacked newspapers get heavy fast, so don't load a box to the brim.
• In order, and labeled. Stack the papers by date, and label the box with the titles and dates inside so you don't have to dig through them.
• Sleeves for clippings. Clear sleeves of polyester, polypropylene or polyethylene suit clippings you handle often, or ones with old tape on them. Sleeves can hold a static charge that harms very brittle paper, so a sheet of buffered paper wrapped around it is an alternative.

"Archival" isn't a legally defined word. A storage product sold as archival should still say acid-free, lignin-free and buffered.

Handling them

• Wash your hands and clear a table larger than the open paper. Keep food and drinks away.
• Keep the paper flat and fully supported while you read it.
• Turn a page by sliding a flat hand under it and lifting with both hands, never by its corner.
• Refold along the original center fold. Never fold the other way to straighten a crease.
• Don't use paper clips, rubber bands, tape, staples, glue or sticky notes on newspapers or clippings. Mark a page with a slip of acid-free paper.
• Don't fold down corners.

Copying and display

Never feed an old newspaper through a copier automatically. Lay it on a flatbed scanner and press down gently by hand. An original newspaper shouldn't be kept on display at home, because light damages it. Frame a large color copy or a scan instead.

If a newspaper is already badly damaged, a paper conservator can treat it. For an old American newspaper, check whether it has already been digitized in the Library of Congress's historic newspaper collection.

An annotated example

What to do next

Take any saved newspapers out of the attic, basement or garage and lay them flat in acid-free folders or a flat box, somewhere cool, dry and dark. Take off paper clips and rubber bands. Scan anything you want to frame or share, and keep the original in the box.