Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-08-12
IS FOUND
FOR PRESERVING
PAPER RECORDS
Problem Which Has BattIed
Librarians for Many Years
Apparently Has Been
Solved in New York.

New York, Aug. 1.-THE prob
lem Of preserving for posterity inn
portant newspaper files which,
since wood pulp superseded rags in
the manufacture Of newsprint, has
baffled librarians all over the world
at last apparently has been solved
by officials of the New York public
library.
After seven years Of experiment
tation, backed by the cooperation
of three New York daily papers
each Of which has spent $4,000 a
year to find the best preservative
method the officials believe they
have discovered the correct solu-
ton, that of mounting each news
paper sheet between two sheets OF
thin Japanese tissue.
This shuts the original sheet
from the air, reduces the legibility
but slightly, strengthens the page
and permits it's free handling with
out danger of disintegration.
AS almost everyone knows, the
newspapers of fifty years ago were
printed on rag stock and were
tough and durable. You see them
in the libraries almost in as good
condition as the day they were
printed, Not so with the journals
printed since the 7Os and SOS OF
the past century, according to
Harry NJ, Lydenberg chief refer
ence librarian in the New York pub
lie library. Wood pulp paper be-
comes yellow and brittle after ex-
posure, he said.
Bound volumes treated by the
new process have been In daily use
at the lbarry for some time and
are flee from the marks OF wear
and tear shown by less fortunate
contemporaries.
The library has regular de-
partment for the treating Of news
paper files of three New York
ldailies. With the aid of recently
}perfected mechanical equipment y
prepares the papers at a cost OF
about sS5 to $40 bound volume,
which Is paid for by the publish
ers in order that their papers may
be preserved in the library arch
ives.
The tissue paper used in the pro-
cess is imported, from Japan, where
1t ia made by hand. 1t is applied
with rice paste, and adds only one
Ithousandth of an inch to an indi-
vidual sheet, making a volume
about one inch thicker than It
would be ordinarily.
'"The paper problem Is acute only
In the case of papers printed on
ground pulp stock" continued Mr..
ILydenberg. :
Papers of the present period
are certain Of complete disintegra-
ton within a short time. Paper
ma kers could make better stock II
the pressure for speed was not so
great and more time could be
taken to wash the chlorine and
other bleaching elements from the
pulp. But makers must keep their
cost down and that usually means
a weakening of quality"
Mr.. Lydenberg said that extern
sive experiments %ith chemlcAl So
lutions put on rew stock by spray
or brush had failed because no
, mechanical treatment would patch
up torn sheets nor fill in broken
spots. The use of chiffon, or thin
light silk also failed TO come up to
the tests made with the Japanese
lpaper.
Experiments are being continued
at the library, Mr.. Gutenberg 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.
1--WE may also use this method
to preserve old books" he added,
"as it will work out the same there
as with the newspapers"
The New York method. Mr.. Ly-
denberg said, sis now used by a
Chicago newspaper"