Ideas on storing historic paper editions

Windsor Local History Group and I came together at short notice two weeks ago to help Baylis Media find new homes for historical bound volumes of the

Maidenhead Advertiser and Windsor & Eton Express series.

There were approximately 380 large volumes dating back to the early 1800s that had to be moved from Baylis' Maidenhead offices as part of a space reorganisation.

We completed the first stage using a hired van and an estate car on a very warm day - getting the books to temporary storage elsewhere.

We now need to find permanent homes, and are asking for local people to contribute their thoughts and suggestions for what to do with the archives long-term.

These are the last known physical copies. Each volume contains up to one year's editions – fewer in the 1980s as newspapers became weightier.

Some of the volumes are fragile and all are unwieldy, and it would be best to reduce handling where possible.

Public access to the archive material is best provided via Baylis' digital service, which is a subscription service – and is free to schools and charities.

Having been digitised, the books could, in theory, be destroyed. But they are museumquality physical artefacts too, a core part of the town’s heritage, and have similar historical resonance as manuscripts, old photographs and paintings have.

The volumes could be included in displays and exhibitions for future generations to enjoy, even if the content is no longer the main reason for preservation.

WLHG and I have split the volumes into two archives, with me holding the Advertisers in trust, WLHG the Express series. The Advertisers (105 volumes) have been formally offered to Maidenhead Heritage Centre, but MHC is closed at this time and there is a material risk that they don’t have the space to accept the archive.

BCA has expressed some interest as an alternative; maybe readers have some additional suggestions.

There is no great rush to find a permanent solution but if we are ultimately unsuccessful by the end of 2020, the archive will be broken up and lost.

MATTHEW SHAW Linden Avenue

Maidenhead