Collection Care

You can purchase acid-free containers on Amazon from Gaylord Archival.

70 Degrees recommends Omeka for collection management. It is an open-sourced system used by universities and museums.

The Foundation for Advancement in Conservation protects cultural heritage by creating resources and providing funding to support conservators and conservation efforts. Here are some of their newspaper collection management recommendations:

Handling, display, and storage tips

Clean hands

  • Make sure your hands are clean and dry before you handle newspaper.
  • Avoid lotions or other products that could leave a residue.
  • It’s also a good idea to remove rings or adjust sleeves that could catch or snag corners or existing tears.

Reduce light exposure

  • Light can very quickly damage newsprint, so keep it in a dark place.
  • If you want to display a newspaper clipping, consider printing a copy for display purposes.

Neutralize acid and tape

  • Lessen the chance of damaging other papers and objects. Many newspapers are printed on paper that’s very acidic and can stain surrounding papers. Storing newspapers and clippings separate from books, documents, and art on paper is a good idea.
  • Remove any metal fasteners (paper clips, binder clips, staples), if you can do so without damaging the paper.
  • Avoid using adhesives like tape to repair rips and tears.
  • Try to keep clippings flat and unfolded, stored in folders or boxes.
  • If the paper has already become brittle or starts to break as you handle them, you can place clippings in clear polyester sleeves to keep pieces together.

Make a copy

  • Make digital and/or physical copies for handling and to share with family or friends.
  • You can snap a quick picture with your phone to refer to the content, or scan and/or photocopy them.
  • Store any printed copies separately from originals, or, if you’re storing them together, place a sheet of acid-free paper between the original and the copy.

Interested in digging deeper or know someone who works at a cultural organization with a lot of newspapers who needs help figuring out how to best care for them? Our Connecting to Collections Care program recently led a webinar on Care of Newspaper Clippings!