Idaho Conversation League

As more newspapers like the Albuquerque Tribune continue going out of business, we should make concerted efforts to preserve their precious archives. Many newspapers start out struggling; never knowing if their going to make it beyond a few years. Therefore, they never budget annually, very much in way of back scanning their archives (though many State libraries make diligent efforts to do so.) Recently, (Wash. Post owned) Slate Magazine ran an article bashing their cross-town rival USA Today’s ambitious Newseum project , by comparing it to the new American Indian Museum on our National Mall. Essentially, Slate said that both museums “were designed to be the sumptuous setting for candle-lit fundraisers, where you can almost hear the clink of highball glasses and the jing-a-ling of jewelry." However, many fundraisers are actually used for constructive purposes. I would like to submit to the USA Today and Newseum board of directors, that they consider holding an annual fundrais...

Meaningful fundraiser suggestion for the Newseum One of the first fundraisers the Newseum ought to consider holding, upon opening at their innovative location, is for upgrading the antiquated fire-suppression systems, which scarcely protect the ancient archives in many community newspaper basements and cubbyholes. Nowadays, there is a full array of cutting-edge systems, which when activated, do not damage books or data systems, while promptly extinguishing fires. However, in today’s world, many newspapers have restricted budgets, which prevents timely archiving. Although many community libraries scan and mirror current papers, many of the older unduplicated issues, still rest unprotected upon creaky shelves in moldy basements. Too many newspapers hold their communities’ irreplaceable institution memories in tenuous storage areas like these. These priceless memories deserve the best preservation and protection methods available. If the Newseum’s board of directors deems this sugge...