Newspaper strategy

Newspapers record the incidents, large and small, that daily shape our lives. They are a rich research source, an archive of popular interest, used by 30,000 researchers each year consulting 200,000 issues.

Storing this resource is a challenge. Newspapers are printed on poor quality paper and 30% of the collection is almost beyond use. The 48km of shelving at Colindale is now full. There is no scope
for expansion, yet 13,000 new issues arrive each month.

The newspaper strategy, which is dependent upon funding, is to leave the Colindale site by 2012 and provide access to digital and microfilmed newspapers at St Pancras. Integration with other research resources will be a benefit to researchers.
Hard copies will be stored at Boston Spa.