19th century newspapers--a little knowledge.....

["Robert R. Shields" <rshi@loc.gov>]

I would like to thank everyone for their ideas about 19th century
newspapers.  I have been informed that discarding old newspapers may or
may not have been a past policy at LC.  Currently, we are saving the 19th
century, however, if a paper is on microfilm, we service the microfilm
instead of the original.  My project is to determine which issues have not
been microfilmed so that they may be put on the list for future
reformatting.  At this time we house approximately 36,000 bound volumes of
mostly 19th century newspapers.  In the past this number was 180,000
volumes.  I mistakenly assumed that the missing 142,000 volumes had been
discarded.  I have been assured that these volumes were disposed of in
various approved ways through our Exchange & Gift Division.  I'm afraid
that I let myself fall victim of too little knowledge.

Thanks to all who responded to my questions,

Rob Shields
Reference Specialist
Serial and Gov't Publications
Library of Congress
Washington DC 20540

rshi@loc.gov			202-707-2016

ALL STATEMENTS ARE MINE AND DO NOT REFLECT OFFICIAL POLICIES OF THE
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.