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Re: New Yorker Article



Nicholas Baker makes a point of differenting deterioration of newsprint:
rag content used before 1890 or so, and the pulp used later. [And right up
front in the article he does credit himself with being the source of the
controvery re: San Francisco Public Library weeding.]

One of the major points he makes in his article is that deaccessioning
full runs of newpaper volumes diminishes history. He writes about the
non-linear reading pattern a newspaper readers; that is the circular
browsing motion. He also writes about how non-contextual news articles can
skew interpretation.

Of minor note in his article is the correlation between microfilming (and
the poor step-sister microfiche) and digitization. He writes of the P.R.
campaigns by the corporations (i.e., IBM, Univeristy Microfilm) and their
ability to win over influential library directors or curators to the
newest methods of preservation. In light of what he writes, I couldn't
help but think of all the digitization projects going on. For the past few
years I have been involved in a project involving newspaper clippings and
full newspapers related to the Love Canal Toxic Waste crisis. We thought
long and hard before disgarding anything because this crisis was literally
played out in the press. We digitize portions of the collection, and for
the most part photocopy all clippings onto acid free paper so there is a
continuity. That could be easily lost with pure digitization. [One of the
other points Baker makes is the notation of nearby articles in newspapers
provide a historical context. They sure do for Love Canal...it shared
headlines with the Iran Hostage crisis, the shooting of the Pope, and the
President, and the decline of industry in the Northeast.]

I agree with Daniel Sokolow that, "... he's
found his crusade and can't understand why the rest of us aren't as
horrified (and motivated) as he is." Baker actually formed a non-profit
organization consisting of himself, his wife and parents in an effort to
persuade the British Library to "donate" the American newspaper collection
that they were deaccessioning...to him...on the premise that they had a
directive from their trustees/govt. to seek a qualified and
appropriate non-profit for the deselection. In the end he ended up bidding
hundreds of thousands of pounds to acquire the bound volumes at auction.
In the 6th months between auction win and auction payment, he was hoping
to receive grant money to assist with his preservation, access, and space
acquisition for the collection. He did get some. What I couldn't figure
out is how, in the less than 2 weeks he had to set up the non-profit
before the auction deadline ...he actually thought through the whole
process, did the paperwork, filed it and got approval.Any of us who has
ever had to deal with establishing the non-profit (or
not-for-profit)status, surely will want his legal team for advisement. [ I'd
also like to know how he got his wife to agree to this...the whole process
involved cashing in their retirement funds after he admits to being
cash-strapped due to the acquisition of a 19th century house in Maine
without doorknobs.]

Regardless, Baker's article is a good read, albeit critical of some
aspects of library preservation and policies. If nothing, it will make you
think.

By the way, the title is "Deadline" and it appears in this week's edition
of The New Yorker.

Regards

Kathleen M. DeLaney, MA, MLS
Project Archivist
University at Buffalo
University Archives
420 Capen Hall, North Campus
Buffalo, New York 14260-2200, USA
e-mail: kdelaney@acsu.buffalo.edu
tel: 716-645-2916
fax: 716-645-3714

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