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Letter to New York Times re _Double Fold_ review
Fellow archivists and librarians:
I thought you might like to see my letter on this topic.
April 16, 2001
Dear New York Times Book Review editor:
As a librarian and archivist, as well as a historian and researcher, I'm
delighted to read in David Gates' review of _Double Fold_ (NYT 4/15/01) of
Nicholson Baker's American Newspaper Repository in Rollinsford, NH.
However, I do have a few questions, not the least of which is, "will he
pay postage due on a couple of tons of crumbling newspaper, deaccessioned
after microfilming, that I might want to send to his Repository?
Assume that I, as a historian, might come to Rollinsford to research his
holdings of _The Goose Creek Texas Defender_ for the years 1839-41. No
doubt he has a staff of librarians who have cataloged all the newspapers,
including item-by-item holdings, years published, and variant titles.
These same librarians continue to keep the cataloging records up to date
as additional material is accessioned. No doubt they have an intricate
card catalog (not a politically-unacceptable database), with added entries
and cross-references.
In his repository he must also have a number of trained preservation
folks, who do emergency - but long-lasting - repair on ailing wood-pulp
paper so we researchers can handle and decipher the originals.
Are there trained reference librarians to help me locate what I want (even
if I don't know myself)? Does someone check my ID before letting me see
the original papers to be sure I'm not a maddened collection development
librarian intent on destroying the originals that got away after
microfilming?
I'd also expect a large, strong and literate crew of people who shelve the
bound volumes or loose newspapers in boxes, as well as retrieve them for
researchers (with a short turn-around time).
In doing my important research on Goose Creek, TX, I may well want to copy
several hundred sheets of newspapers. Who on the staff examines the papers
I want to copy and gives me permission? Are there abundant, book-saver
copiers that will accept full sheets of newspaper? Are there planetary
scanners (not flatbed ones that might further damage the aging paper)?
Plus, I don't want to pay more than 10 cents a page for copying. Is the
copier paper pH-neutral (not "acid-free" as the under-informed say)?
Is his staff really going to check my backpack when I leave the Repository
to be sure I haven't squirreled away any of the originals?
Does Mr. Baker have state-of-the-art HVAC, fire-suppression, and security
systems? Surely, he wants to protect these valuable records of
civilization.
If he can answer all my questions in the affirmative, I say to him, "full
speed ahead."
Nancy Boothe
2135 University Blvd.
Houston, TX 77030
April 16, 2001
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