Re: Current 19th Century Newspaper Think

[Ron Lieberman <RONBIBLIO@delphi.com>]

> Subj:   Current 19th Century Newspaper Thinking
>  I have just
> returned from our storage warehouse where we keep acres and acres of 19th
> century newspapers.  My new assignment requires me to determine which
> issues we have on microfilm so that we can safely discard the originals.
> These are my questions :  
> Are other libraries discarding their original 19th century newspapers?  If
> not, what justification is being used to retain the originals?  Are there
> libraries interested in acquiring 19th century newspapers? 
> Rob Shields                             rshi@loc.gov

Rob (and all):

Ever since the advent of the several newspaper microfilm projects,
libraries of all sizes, and different missions, have been discarding
newspapers.  By this process they have: nourished a flourishing trade 
in original newspapers; freed up needed space; and may also have aided
various budgets, including acquisitions.

Among the other rationales for this was the idea that, in addition to
the microfilm copies, there always were originals "somewhere" --
and this "somewhere" was frequently the Library of Congress.  

It would be a shame if these various "somewheres" soon turned
into "nowhere" and our best records of the American past became 
a place (to use a phrase I heard often in Vermont thirty years ago)
"that you can't get to from here."

I have further thoughts on this, 
but now I am drawn back to my usual silence on exlibris.

Ron

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