Newspaper clippings

[nou]

Hello! I need some advice on newspaper clippings, specifically clippings from local newspapers for local history purposes.

At the moment, I'm physically clipping articles out of the newspaper and glueing them to sheets of A4 paper, then labelling them with name/date/page of newspaper and subject of article (usually a specific local business [someone else is doing this for specific local people]). This is a giant faff.

What I would like to do is take photos of the articles, label them in the filename (perhaps with keywords too), and back them up in multiple places. However I wonder if copyright law would stop me sharing these photos with others in the future. Or if there's any other disadvantage of doing it this way.

I would like to preserve these clippings (physical or digital) for the long term; they might eventually go to Croydon local studies, or to the CNHSS. (I'm aware of newspaper digitisation projects, e.g. the excellent British Newspaper Archive, but I do think it's worth preserving things in more than one way and with more than one focus.)

Any advice?

Comments

[flick]

I've no tips on the digital side of things, but in case it's useful here are some things to think about on the paper side:
- newspaper is very cheap and acidic (this is why it goes yellow and crumbly as it gets older)
- it's therefore best if you glue it to non-acidic archival paper, rather than just standard printer paper
- it also helps to preserve it if you keep it in stable conditions, eg keeping it in a box (stable microclimate) in a cool place out of direct sunlight, maybe with some silica sachets to keep it dry
- PVA is probably the most convenient useful glue to use, unless you feel like making your own from flour and water (not very difficult, and you can freeze it in small batches)
- if you're feeling really keen, you could wash the newspaper in a slightly alkaline solution first: float it carefully in a flat pan of liquid, then dry flat. If you want to try this, let me know: I've got some magic non-stick stuff that you can lay it on to dry that I can post you!

[nou]

This is all very useful — thank you! If I do carry on doing this with paper, I'll take you up on that offer of magic non-stick stuff (will let you know). What sort of alkaline solution would work best?

[flick]

What sort of alkaline solution would work best?

Damn, you spotted the hand-waving bit! BRB....

[flick]

Ok, found my text books. It looks as though calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate are your best bet for safe and easy-to-obtain home use.

I've just found a paper, though, that suggests you can get pretty good results with bicarb of soda! I'd test it before you do it with anything valuable, mind.

If you do decide to try it, let me know and I'll do a bit more research: I think I still have my course notes somewhere.

[nou]

I had to double-check whether I have any calcium carbonate in the cupboard! (Answer: no.) Do you think it's worth experimenting with the washing if I don't have any archival paper at the moment?

[flick]

Are you going to re-do everything on acid-free paper? If yes, wait and wash then. If no, it can't hurt!

[nou]

Well, I was thinking of testing it out with some random bits of newspaper, to see how much difference the washing makes to deterioration over, say, the next year or so. But if mounting it on normal paper would cancel out any changes, that's probably not worth doing.

[flick]

Ah, right. In that case, go for it: in interesting experiment would be 1) as now, 2) washed on regular paper, 3) washed on acid-free paper, 4) unwashed on acid-free paper!

[nou]

I'll give it a go with bicarb, then, since I have some on hand. Have you got any more details, e.g. strength of solution, time of washing? And I'll take you up on your offer of the magic non-stick stuff — address is here if you don't have it handy. Thank you!

[flick]

(Sorry: visitors all weekend.)

I've popped some in the post for you.

Washing: you want a pH of about 8, which isn't terribly helpful I know. I did have a look for some pH strips to send, but I couldn't find them (and suspect that they have a shelf life anyway), for about ten minutes.

Ideally, put a sheet of semi-rigid plastic (eg OHP sheet) in the bottom of the dish you're using, the float the clipping on the surface of the water and gently let it sink down, then pick up the plastic and lift it out in one go: the paper should stick to the plastic while the water drips off, then lay it inside the folded sheet of magic stuff. Ideally, put a sheet of blotting paper on either side and then put a flat thing with weights on top (eg, rigid chopping board with some books piled on it) as it dries. Change the blotting paper periodically. TBH, with newspaper you can probably just leave it out.

[nou]

Thank you! I have some pH strips left over from a previous project, will see if they still work. I'll let you know how it goes!

[nou]

Magic stuff arrived today — thank you! Will let you know how it goes.

[fred_mouse]

I would be interested in knowing what the magic non-stick stuff is. I used to use what was sold as waxed paper for baking, but it hasn't been available in my local supermarkets in recent years.

[flick]

I have spent the weekend failing to remember the name, so I've just gone and checked my college notes: Bondina, and having seen the prices I now see why were were encouraged to re-use it to death.

Shepherds is probably your best bet for retail quantities, esp if you're in London, although everything they sell is a bit overpriced. If you just want a sheet of it, though, I can have a look: I think I have some more. It does last quite a long time.

[fred_mouse]

Thank you!

I'm a little far from London (Western Australia) but will have a look around for it locally/online. Having a name to look for is going to be so much easier than going 'something that is a bit like the baking paper that was waxed...' (I was taught to use it for repairing tears, but am also looking for something to dry stamps on).

[flick]

Ah, no, that's probably a bit far to go shopping....

I wouldn't dream of using it to repair tears, though: you want very fine Japanese papers for that (like this.

Actually, I've just had a thought and wonder if you could cut up and use one of those Tyvek plasticised envelopes for drying things on? Although the fibres might be too prominent, I haven't got one here to check.

[fred_mouse]

Yes on the Japanese papers. The technique I was taught basically used the waxed paper between the page being repaired and the rest of the book, so that the book could be closed to get the paper flat. The waxed paper not being available any more, I'm looking for other things that the glue doesn't particularly like. Or, I guess, I could go and investigate other repair methods! (This is for a home library, so I'm not looking at archival level repairs, but more the kind of tears that children's picture books are prone to).

I will investigate plasticised envelopes. I've not been paying *any* attention to my stamp collection (other than stashing), maybe between semesters I'll get them out and obsessive!organising child can have some time with them...

[flick]

Ah, right: sorry, I misunderstood. Yes, absolutely Bondina for that use. I'll have a ponder and see if there's anything else I can think of that would work.

[fred_mouse]

no worries. And it occurs to me that I have a stack of librarian friends, and the odd museum worker friend as well, who might be able to source me the small piece I'll need to repair the small pile of books in the corner..