KEY TAKEAWAYS
▸ Climate-controlled storage is a must to keep your newspaper collection safe from environmental damage like moisture, mold, and fading.
▸ Use archival-quality, acid-free storage to prevent newspapers from discoloring and deteriorating over time.
▸ Digitize important collections to create a backup of your collection, for extra peace of mind.
▸ Avoid storage practices that can accelerate deterioration. Plastic bags, unfinished attic or basement storage, or lamination should be avoided.
▸ Store flat, not folded to avoid weakening and tearing materials along fold lines. This common mistake can destroy your collection.
If you are a newspaper collector, remembering, commemorating, and retaining moments in print that have personal or collective significance is important to you. Your collection likely comprises historical and sentimental snapshots of shared experiences and special days in your life.
People save newspapers and clippings for myriad reasons that can be quite personal to them, and collections may include the local and national front page on a loved one’s birthdate, an announcement of an event close to one’s heart, or an event of historical significance. If you are among those holding on to a news collection, knowing how to preserve old newspapers will ensure you can enjoy your collection in top condition for many years to come.
The good news for your news is that it can enjoy a long, well-preserved life with the right storage methods. This guide will walk you through them to ensure you’re fully in the know about how to preserve old newspapers and clippings for years to come.
Read All About It: Why Old Newspapers Deteriorate
Newspapers are notoriously fragile, and collections can degrade quickly when overexposed to damaging environmental factors caused by poor storage. The paper contains lignin, an acidic wood pulp compound that can cause it to break down and yellow with time.
Poor storage is one of the most common reasons old newspapers deteriorate. Newspaper breaks down from folding and rolling that weaken materials, and when exposed to excessive light and temperature extremes. An improperly kept collection can also invite pests, mold or fading.
All the above illustrate the importance of knowing how to store old newspapers properly and safely, to ensure their longevity and your enjoyment.
Preparing Your Collection for Storage: The Deep Background on How to Store Old Newspapers
To determine how to store old newspapers or clippings, first assess their condition. Examine the condition of each piece carefully for signs of damage, deterioration, and discoloration, and decide if you’d like to employ professional restoration services for valuable pieces or those that need some extra TLC. Use a soft, dry brush to gently remove any dust or debris without damaging the paper.
This is a good time to sort and prioritize your collection, and to discard what you no longer need. Decide if you’d like to digitize at least some of your collection, such as pieces of particular value or significance you’d be loath to lose.
If you suspect your collection holds value, consider an assessment by a conservator to determine its worth, which will help you determine the best preservation and storage approach.
Keep Your Collection Evergreen: How to Preserve Newspapers for the Ages
A bit of careful storage planning at the start is key to preserving newspapers for a lifetime, or even longer. Below are a few best practices for how to store old newspapers.
Archival Storage Materials
Always choose acid-free folders and tissue paper to store your newspaper collection. This protects the paper from yellowing, destructive environmental exposure, and degradation over time. Lignan-free, archival-quality boxes are excellent choices.
Avoid plastic bags and regular cardboard. Plastic releases gases that can accelerate degradation. Cardboard contains degrading acids and does not protect against pests or moisture.
Storage Methods
Flat storage is a best practice for how to store old newspapers; it helps avoid the creasing, tearing, and weakening that plague folded or rolled newspapers. Choose archival-quality boxes with acid-free hanging folders, and label them well for easy retrieval in storage.
Be sure to avoid overpacking flat newspapers, which reduces air flow and could cause them to bond together over time. Instead, layer each newspaper properly with interleaving sheets between them. Encapsulate newspapers and clippings in Mylar to create a sealed envelope around them to further protect from environmental damage.
Environmental Controls
The ideal temperature range when planning how to store old newspapers is between 65-70°F, with relative humidity levels between 30-40%. Store in a dark, well-ventilated location if possible, and avoid storing near direct sunlight.
Archive Like a Pro: Best Practice for How to Store Old Newspaper Clippings
If you’re wondering how to store newspaper clippings, consider that, because it’s been separated from its full page, successful clipping storage should preserve both the document and its context.
First, decide whether you should clip an item or save its full page. Clipping is a space-saver, but it can cost you dates and historically relevant content. If the content is valuable, it’s best to save the full page. If you choose to clip, keep relevant margins with identifying data.
Store your clippings in archival sleeves and folders, which provide visibility and specialized protection. Create a logical organization system for your clippings that makes sense for the way you search and retrieve your collection.
If you prefer to scrapbook your clippings, ensure your scrapbooking materials and adhesives are archival-quality and acid-free. Store scrapbooks upright to prevent pressure damage from stacking.
Finally, for extra backup protection, consider photocopying important clippings onto acid-free paper to create an additional stable copy that can last for years.
Protecting the Integrity of Your Collection: Tips for How to Store Old Newspapers for the Long-Term
When it comes to how to store old newspapers, valuable newspaper collections deserve extra attention.
Consider advanced preservation techniques such as deacidification treatments, which neutralize acids in the paper to significantly slow deterioration. Choose clear Mylar sleeves that provide visibility while providing chemically stable protection from handling and environmental damage.
Professional conservation services can repair tears, remove stains, and reinforce fragile materials. Conservators can also assess the value of your collection and create a customized conservation approach just for you.
Microfilm creates a stable, extremely long-term alternative to physical newspaper storage and has successfully been in use for years by librarians and archivists. Digital archiving offers an affordable and easily accessible backup for your collection that can be accessed from anywhere.
Stop the Rot: Choose Climate-Controlled Storage to Preserve Old Newspaper Collections
If you are wondering how to preserve newspaper collections of significant size or value, consider an off-site storage unit. Storage facilities offer climate-controlled storage units in various sizes that will keep your newspapers in prime condition over time.
Climate-controlled units maintain the optimal temperature and humidity that are essential for preservation when it comes to how to store old newspapers long-term. They provide set-it-and-forget-it convenience, and remove the worry of storing in intemperate home locations.
Self-storage units come in myriad sizes to suit collections small and large. To choose the right size for your needs, calculate the square footage of your archival storage boxes, then select a unit with a little more space to help you organize or move around it easily.
Be sure to create an inventory of your stored items to keep track of what you have and for easy retrieval later.
Upgrade to Online: Choose Digital Storage to Backup Your Print Media Collection
Digitizing your newspaper collection creates additional accessibility and provides an extra layer of protection should anything happen to your physical property. Digital copies can be shared or accessed from anywhere, and decreases the risks of damage from constant manual handling.
DIY scanning may be time-intensive, depending on the size of your collection, but it is straightforward and relatively inexpensive. You can use a simple flatbed scanner like those found on home printers. Smartphone cameras also work well, especially for newspaper clippings.
Professional digitization services come with a cost, but handle the entire process for you. These services are ideal for large collections and use high-quality equipment to deliver the best resolution, searchable PDFs, and can organize files based on your preferences.
Cloud storage extends your storage space and backs up your digitized collection. Organize your digital files logically for digital storage, using consistent naming conventions that include publication dates and brief descriptions.
Balancing physical and digital preservation creates redundancy that ensures you have a copy of your collection and provides the ultimate protection for any eventuality.
How Not to Store Old Newspapers: Common Mistakes to Avoid
The most well-intentioned collectors can inadvertently destroy their collections through improper handling. Let’s walk through some common mistakes to avoid.
Using regular tape or adhesives
One of the most damaging errors is using regular adhesive tape, rubber cement, or other standard office supplies to repair tears or attach newspapers to pages. These adhesives are acidic, become brittle over time, and create permanent stains.
Storing in attics, basements, or garages
Unfinished attics and basements typically have poor climate management and can result in damaged collections due to mold-causing moisture, pests, or excessive heat that degrades paper.
Laminating newspapers
Never laminate valuable papers. Lamination may seem like a smart idea, but this process is permanent, prevents any future conservation work and can trap moisture that accelerates deterioration.
Overcrowding storage containers
Overstuffed storage containers restrict air circulation and cause creasing and, in areas with poor climate control, can speed up moisture damage throughout the collection. Newspapers pressed together over time can also begin to fuse together, causing permanent damage to your collection.
Neglecting regular condition checks
Don’t forget to routinely check on your stored newspapers, to make sure your storage solution is serving them well. React quickly to mitigate issues and maintain your collection, should you uncover musty mold smells or other damage.
For the Record: How to Store Old Newspapers to Keep Your Collection in Top Condition
Your newspaper collection could last lifetimes by following the tips for how to store old newspapers we’ve shared here: assessing condition, proper storage preparation, using archival storage methods, and storing in climate controlled conditions. The sooner you start the preservation process, the better preserved your collection will be.
If your newspaper collection is important to you, don’t wait to safeguard it. And if you need climate-controlled storage, use SpareFoot’s self-storage finder to locate a convenient and affordable unit near you.
Lori Wertz
