The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-10
NEWSPAPER FILES IN LIBRARIES.
A Problem Constantly Becoming More
Pulling.

New York Post
Public libraries In this city have not to
struggle with the problem that now con-
fronts the British Museum authorities-
that Of storing innumerable newspaper files
IN limited space. Keeping complete file
or all the important newspapers seems here
TO have been regarded as hopeless, and
abandoned long ago. In the Aston Library
for instance, not even complete files OF all
the city newspapers are kept; a selection of
the most worthy OF preservation has been
made, and these OF course, are bound and
put on the shelves with the utmost care
We have no space problem TO deal
with, said Mr.. Judd. OF the Astor Library,
to-day. we have never made any attempt
10 keep files even of all the American news
papers That, as matter of course, is out
or the question. We file, regularly, certain
morning papers and certain evening papers
printed in New York. We have also on file
certain important newspapers printed in
other large cities In this country. We have
TWO French papers on file. two German
papers, and some English papers; and TO
these we have added a few other European
newspapers Our selection seems TO meet
the wants of our patrons, and we are con-
tent with It..
I've keep the files in convenient places
In the reference departments; they have
not yet been troublesome. though of
course, they are already Of considerable
bulk. The file of the Evening Post is the
oldest we have. 1t is complete, I think,
from the year of its establishment, 1901. 10
the present The files are in continuous
use Dy persons VINO are making researches
for one reason another We regard the
collection though il is not extensive, a
adequate 10 all purposes. They have
newspaper collection at the Lenox Library
which is larger. / have not heard, how
ever, that they are put out 10 any great
extent for space"
The collection at the Lenox is consider
ably larger; IL is gathered in what is
called the newspaper room" and contains
some Interesting publications. Here are TO
be found files of the last century, such
as the Astor library lacks; and here the
historical writer's make their way for sucn
information as they need. The older files
are carefully preserved. There is quite
call for them. as IL was said: the cOllec-
ton Is said 10 be a good one IL is not,
however complete. even so far as the
newspapers of the last century are con-
cerned.
Nowhere in the country, outside of the
Congressional Library at Washington, Ii
said. is an effort being made to keep
such files as are TO be found in the Brit
iSh Museum. where they measure their
newspaper possessions in hundreds of
yards. Nowadays. so many newspapers are
printed that 10 house all the issues, even of
one State. would be large undertaking II
is so large, liz fact, that no library thinks
of IT, The task of selection is delicate
one; IL is difficult. il was pointed out to
determine what is valuable, or what will be
valuable to posterity, and what is invalu
able.
1.-The antiquarian of the future" it was
said. viii find a mass of material for his
research work. Two hundred years from
the present. IL the newspaper files with
stand all the forces and all the chances
against them, they will have accumulated
TO such proportions that the librarians will
have problem, indeed. 1t is not to be
doubted that they will not all survive Some
of them must, for the sake of the best, be
destroyed. In those counted now most
trustworthy. what a mine of information
will be foundi What mass of contradic-
lions. not only in matters of opinion but in
matters of fact. the antiquarians will have
to struggles against This thought makes
the selection of the fittest all the more
difficult"
Files OF newspaper clippings are kept in
some of the libraries substitute for the
complete papers. They are kept under va
rious heads, the related subjects being
kept together. In the Aston Library, they
have many scrap books of this kind, but
they are not kept for the use of the public.
The officials of the library find them con-
venient. and the books are kept more for
their information than for anything else.
1T may be. IL was said to-day, that ulti-
mately. files like these will replace the
whole sheets The suggestion is TO be rec
omended. IL was thought. because of its
convenience and its compactness.