Save Your Newspapers: A Preservation Workbook for Newspapers and Clippings

Because newsprint was only ever meant to last a day.

That newspaper in the closet, the obituary tucked in the family Bible, the front page someone saved the day history happened: all of it is printed on paper that has been breaking down since it came off the press. And it doesn't just fall apart on its own. Newsprint leaves acid stains on every photo and letter it touches.

This workbook walks you through saving it, step by step, the way a working archivist would.

What you'll do

• Step 1: Assess and inventory what you have, and find what needs help first
• Step 2: Rehouse your clippings in the right sleeves and folders
• Step 3: Keep full newspapers whole, open, and flat
• Step 4: Box everything and give it the right home
• Step 5: Digitize and copy what the paper recorded

Also inside

• What to do about mold, water damage, and dirt, including what to do in the first 48 hours if something gets wet
• How to track down a clipping, or find out which newspaper yours came from
• How to frame and display a front page without destroying it
• An FAQ on reprints, value, and the questions people ask most
• Two real 1944 Detroit Free Press front pages, including the D-Day EXTRA, assessed and logged step by step
• A glossary of every archival term you'll see on supply packaging
• A quick reference checklist for when you've finished the workbook

What you get

• The 24-page workbook as a PDF
• A spreadsheet version of the inventory log, with condition codes, priority flags, and an environment log that highlights readings outside the safe range

Grounded in the standards

The guidance draws on published recommendations from the National Archives (NARA), the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution Archives, the UK and Ireland's Archives and Records Association, and State Library Victoria. It also follows the international and British standards that govern archival storage, including ISO 16245, ISO 9706, ISO 18916, ISO 11799, and BS 4971:2017.

Who it's for

This workbook is for anyone who has inherited a box of old newspapers, keeps clippings from family milestones, or owns a historic front page and wants it to last. You don't need any experience. Every term is defined, and every step tells you exactly what to do.

About me

I'm Mary Snyder, a consulting archivist and public historian with an MLIS and more than a decade of experience at institutions including Monticello, The Henry Ford, and Historic Charleston Foundation. I run Snyder Archives & Research, and I share preservation advice as @travelingarchivist.

Please note: This is a digital download. No physical supplies are included. If you want the boxes, folders, and supplies in one place, sign up for the Collection Starter Kit through the link inside the workbook.