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Re: Please excuse this rant, raving,thing that I have going on today, but I'm very tired and cranky,BU



Where in the world did Ms. Solomon get the erroneous idea that printed materials are not primary sources?  A primary source is simply that, it gives the original information to the reader; it does not matter whether it is mass produced or not. For example, a sport historian who studies University of Chicago football will certainly go to the archives and research the correspondence and files of the coaches and
athletic directors at the school, but he or she will also go to the contemporary newspaper and magazine accounts of the football seasons as they occurred. These serve as primary sources, indeed often the only sources for game information. If that historian examines newspaper and magazine articles of today that give historical overviews of say U of C coach A. A. Stagg then those articles should be considered
secondary, as would other books about Stagg.

The Stagg papers at the University of Chicago, for example, contains not only A. A. Stagg's letters but also newspaper clippings that Stagg saved that not only gives the historian access to hard-to-find stories in long-dead newspapers but provides contemporary information that relates to Stagg or Stagg's interests.

Ms. Solomon represents an attitude in the profession that is kind of scary. She seemingly does not understand historical research and may not appreciate the value of some of the holdings in her collection.

Robert Pruter

"Geri E. Solomon" wrote:

> Please excuse this rant, raving, thing that I have going on today, but I'm very tired and cranky, BUT....
>
> Is it me, or do people not understand that printed materials (including newspapers) are not primary sources?????
> Unless it's one of a kind, unique, etc. it's secondary????
> I must be missing something, but, the point of a newspaper is to reach A LOT of people at once, it's printed, it's secondary???? Yes???
>
> I understand that people seem all fuzzy and cuddley towards newspaper clippings (why, i can't figure out!) but if you ask me, if you're that fuzzy and happy with clippings, what do you feel about original manuscripts and unique documents????  Come see our original photos, correspondence, diaries, scrapbooks, and memorabilia, then get all gushy, leave the newsclips out of the picture as far as I'm concerned!!!!!
>
> --Geri Solomon
>
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A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

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Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
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Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>