Newspaper storage

I am very interested if finding out how others are storing newspaper
collections. My searches so far have not provided specific
information.

The State Library of New South Wales is currently reviewing storage
of its large and heavily used newspaper collection. The collection
is stored on-site in the Macquarie Street Wing of the State Library
of New South Wales. The major part of the collection has been bound
over the years and is stored vertically. Since the late 80s, mainly
due to expense and the unsuitability of binding this material
anyway, the policy has been not to bind newspapers.

Currently, newspapers are vacuum packaged after microfilming (we
produce three generations), the idea being that clients will consult
the microfilm copy only. Unfortunately, vacuum packaging has not
proved to be the answer. Movement and use of the newspaper
collection is such that the vacuum packages have to be opened and
re-bagged often. Also, in many instances the vacuum fails, due to
either a bad seal or some deformation of the bag through handling,
leaving a very `floppy' package which no longer supports itself on
the shelf.

One attractive alternative is polypropylene boxes. It is unlikely
that horizontal storage will be an option as we have already
invested heavily in vertical storage furniture. Thank you very much,

Heather Mansell
Preservation Consultant
State Library of New South Wales
Sydney  NSW  2000
+61 2 230 1559
Fax: +61 2 233 3192

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 9:64
                  Distributed: Sunday, March 17, 1996
                        Message Id: cdl-9-64-011
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