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Newspapers, "primary sources", etc.



Hi, again, everyone!

My heavens - I *really* opened the proverbial can
of worms, didn't I??  I must confess that I could
and perhaps should have added, to "primary sources",
"incredibly important and useful sources of information,
many, if not most, of which exist *no where else*."

My main concern is to alert everyone to the fact that many
of the information-containing resources that *used* to exist in
this country are *gone*, because people threw them away!
Microfilm is not a decent substitute for original newspapers.
We, as archivists, librarians, and historians (or whatever job
title we have) *must* do our best to preserve what is left of
important historical documents for everyone to use in the
future.  Newspapers *are* an *important* resource that *must*
be preserved !  And so, therefore, are clippings, until they
fall apart.  I think that the information contained in many of
these clippings *may* be the *only* place such information
still exists in truly legible form nowadays.

I still wonder: how many of you have read "Double Fold"?  Please
do not criticize what Mr. Baker has said or what he believes
without first reading his book !

I am all too aware, as a government employee, of how very
difficult it is to get proper funding for archives, libraries, museums,
record centers, and the like.  Too little money = too few items get
properly preserved, and/or there will be too few staff to do the work.
But I would *much* rather spend some money on just preserving old
newspapers and books, even if that means that there is no money
for anyone to properly catalog what has been saved.  That can come
later - after irreplaceable sources of valuable information have been
saved.

It looks as though this situation will get much worse before it ever
gets better.

Thanks to all of you for replying to my post !  I have learned things.
I am not a professional archivist or librarian, but I am trying to learn
as much as I can about professional ways of cataloging and
preserving old records.

One request: please read "Double Fold", and let us all know what
you think of the points Baker raises in that book.

Sincerely,


Any comments or statements made in this transmission
reflect the views of the sender and are not necessarily the
views of the State of California Department of Transportation.
(Important to state that!)

Margaret Monroe

Caltrans Office Technician (Typing)
(UN-official Record-keeper for all records
in District 4 of all State-owned toll bridges in
Northern California)

State of California
Department of Transportation
District 4
Division of Structure Maintenance & Investigations, Toll Bridges
Room 10-400
P. O. Box  23660
Oakland, CA  94623-0660

Phone: 510-286-6188
Fax:  510-286-0353

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