What is the best way to store a newspaper?

Question

I have a newspaper from the day my daughter was born. What is the best way to store it to stop it deteriorating/turning yellow etc? And cost effective might i add?

Answer 1

DO NOT  FOLD IT!  keep it flat and store it in a water proof container away from sunlight.  I did this for my own daughter eleven years ago and I've just checked on it and it's just like the day it was bought

Answer 2

The best way is flat, not rolled up or folded, in a dark place.  I have a copy of a newspaper some 25 years old, and i keep it flat between 2 pieces of card in a cupboard (damp places will make it deteriorate faster)

Answer 3

Put it in the fridge?

Or maybe just put it in a box then store that somewhere dry and safe

Answer 4

THIS HAS BEEN COPIED FROM THE WEBSITE LISTED AS A SOURCE. Hope this helps.

Storing newspapers

Because newspapers are ephemeral, often bought, read and discarded the same day, their value is easily overlooked. (Yesterday's news, tomorrow’s fish-and-chip wrapping.) As a throw-away item they are not produced from long-lasting materials. They can, however, be an important part of the historic record of events and social change.

The nature of newsprint

By the time they reach the public, newspapers have already begun to deteriorate. Mass-produced wood pulp is used to make the cheaper grade of paper known as newsprint, which is used to print newspapers, comic books, pamphlets, advertising leaflets and cheap fiction. It is popular because of its low cost and high absorbency, which is well suited to high-speed presses.

The main ingredient in newsprint is ground wood pulp made by grinding wood into small particles, softening it by boiling, and forming it into sheets. This process results in very short fibres and high levels of lignin. In growing trees, lignin binds cellulose fibres together, but in paper it rapidly discolours, oxidises in light and causes acids which degrade.

Chemical wood pulp contains less lignin and longer fibres that bind together better, but it is more expensive to produce. Most newsprint is made up of 60 to 80 percent ground wood with chemical wood pulp for strength.

Preservation problems

There are many hazards to newsprint survival: excessive light soon turns it brown and brittle; heat accelerates breakdown of cellulose; too much moisture encourages mould, while too little causes brittleness. Undisturbed stacks of paper may harbour insect or rodent pests. Air pollution from vehicle exhaust or industrial gases, poor handling and inappropriate storage systems can also compromise newsprint.

Chemical instability from high lignin content and acidity, mechanical weakness and large format all add to the special problems of caring for newspapers.

Handling and storage

Suitable containers, good housekeeping and regular inspection of collections are important parts of a preservation policy.

Because newspapers demand large areas for storage and their bulk and brittleness make them difficult to transport and handle, public collections are increasingly making use of microforms. Photocopies provide an accessible format, while original copies are usually housed at another location.

Bound volumes should be stored horizontally with no more than three volumes per shelf. Loose issues can be stored in folders or a suitable flat container, large enough to avoid folding contents. Folds concentrate acidic reaction and cause mechanical stress. A single page or large cutting may be housed in an acid-free paper folder or transparent sleeve.

Chemically stable films such as uncoated polyester (DuPont Mylar Type D or ICI Melinex 516) polypropylene or polyethylene provide safe enclosures and offer limited protection from contaminants. Buffered paper or card on one side of an item will enhance this safeguard and provide physical support.

An experienced conservator should be consulted if repairs or other treatments are required.

Keeping newspaper cuttings

Scrapbooks have long been a popular form of assembling news cuttings, though subsequent re-organisation of contents can be difficult. Leaves and boards in cheap albums are usually of poor quality. Consult an art or specialty conservation supplier about suitable paper and methods of attachment. Write dates or other annotations with pencil; inks are more likely to fade or bleed.

Plastic sleeves in folders or display books are a good alternative to scrapbooks. Adhesive is not required, so it is easy to rearrange items. Look for chemically stable materials (see above), not PVC, for both pockets and covers.

Book reviews or related articles are often kept inserted within the pages or end leaves of books. These cuttings soon discolour, become brittle and can transfer dark acidic stains to adjacent pages. A photocopy on archival paper is more appropriate.

Answer 5

hmm you could put it in a frame, keep it out of sunlight, or you could wrap it in material and put it in a box, of liek memories, that you could collect for when your daughter is grows up,

i love going through the memory box with my fam, we all sit there looking at photos, etc etc, my mum and dad still have an envelope with my first cuttings of my hair init, tied together with a little pink ribbon :)

Answer 6

They sell special bags to put them in at most hobby stores.  They're relatively expensive, but not too bad.  I have a collection of newspapers from significant events in my life, and usually put them in a black trash bag, then fold the trash bag neatly to fit the paper and tape it in place.  The oldest one I have is from September 12, 2001 and it's still in perfect condition.

Answer 7

Get one of those bags that you pack your clothes in, you put the vacuum cleaner on the little hole and it sucks all the air out, that should stop air making the newspaper deteriorate. Put it in a sealed box and keep it in the loft or a dark cupboard.