The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-08-31
To Save Newspapers
From the Brooklyn Eagle.

From the Brooklyn Eagle.
 The problem of preserving for pos terity important newspaper files which, since wood pulp superseded rags in the manufacture of news print, has baffled librarians all over the world, at last apparently has been solved by officials of the Nr York public library.
 After seven years of experimenta- ton, backed by the cooperation of three New York daily papers, each of which has spent s5,000 year to find the best preservatiye method, the of- ficials believe they have discovered the correct solution, that of mount ing each newspaper sheet between two sheets of thin Japanese tissue.
 This shuts the original lsheet from the air, reduces it's legibility but slightly, strengthens the page and permits its free handling without danger of disinteeration. As almost everyone knows, the newspapers of 50 years ago were Printed on rag stock and were tough and durable. You see them in the libraries almost in as good con dition as the day they were printed. Not so With the Journals printed since the 7o's and sos of the past century, according to Harry NJ. Ly- denberg, chief reference librarian in the New York public library. Wood pulp paper becomes yellow and brit tie after exposure, he said. Bound volumes treated by the new process have been in daily use at the library for some time and are free from the marks of wear and tear shown by less fortunate contempo- rares.
 The library has 8 regular depart ment for the treating of newspaper files of three New York dallies With the aid of recently perfected mechanical equipment 1t prepares the papers at cost of about s35 to $40 bound volume, which is paid for by the publishers in order that their papers may be preserved in the library archives.
 The tissue paper used in the pro- cess is imported from Japan, where i il is made by hand It is applied with rice paste, and adds only one-thou- sandth of all inch to an individual sheet, making volume about one inch thicker than it would be ordi- narily.
 "The paper problem isacute only in the case of papers printed on ground pulp stock continued Mir. Lyden- berg.
 Papers of the present period are certain of complete dsintegration within a short time. Papermakers could make better stock if the pres sure for speed was not so great and more time could be taken to wash the chlorine and other bleach | ing elements from the pulp. But makers must keep their cost down and that usually means a weakening of quality"
 Mir. Leydenberg said that extensive experiments with chemical solu- tions put on new stock by spray or brush had failed because no chem l ical treatment would patch up torn sheets nor fill in broken spots. The use of chiffon or thin light silk also failed to con Q up to the tests made with the JarAnese paper.
 Experiments are being continued at the library, MT. Lydenberg said with the hope that some still better process of preservation may be found He said experiments also were being made with an American manufactured tissue paper.
 We may also use this method tc preserve old books" he added. "as il will work out the same there as witt the newspapers.
 "The New York method" Mir. Ley denberg said, 'is now used by Chi cago newspaper"