Things made out of paper tend to degrade over time as function of organic chemistry. I know there are acid free, high rag content archival papers manufactured that are resistant to aging, but for everyday things like newspapers and magazines that you might wish to store is there an economical way to store them that will stop the degradation process over time?
Airtight container filled with a nonreactive gas (argon or nitrogen? IIRC, it’s oxygen that’s the culprit). Maybe double container, and then bury it to minimize temperature changes.
IANA archivist, but I do hang out regularly with one and we’ve talked shop a few times. Here’s what I’ve gathered.
Some of the biggest enemies of paper are heat, light and air (the only greater enemy are humans… we’re dirty philthy creatures and our excretions are highly damaging to anything as fragile as paper).
You should be able to obtain archive-quality plastic sleeves for your documents that will help preserve them. Insert the doc with gloved hands, slip in a piece of rigid archive-quality paper as a backing, press out as much air as you can, and seal shut using acid-free tape. Then store in an archival box in an area that is cool and dry. The goal is to avoid introducing any other materials that will hasten the document’s deterioration. I’m sure there are several reliable sources online to buy these sorts of supplies.
You can also get great pointers by talking to any local genealogy associations, as genealogist by definition are compulsive collectors of family documents and have some experience with DIY conservation techniques.
However, all of the above will only serve to slow down the degradation process. I’d highly recommend scanning the documents so that you have a reliable electronic version as backup for the effects of acid and age.
You can “buffer” the paper with commercial products designed for prolonging the life of paper. One deacidification treatment I’ve used in the past is “Bookkeeper” - it must be good stuff as the Library of Congress uses it.
One consideration is if you need to keep the physical item or just the information. In other words, will your desire to keep the newspaper be satisfied by scanning the article you’re interested in, or (increasingly common) downloading the text of the article from the newspaper’s website?
If you want to keep the physical item, check out Light Impressions. They sell Bookkeeper in consumer-friendly sizes, but it’s not exactly cheap. They also sell a variety of archival storage things like acid-free envelopes and boxes.
As a collector of antique paper stuff, I differ slightly. Acid-free, preferably lignin-free paper envelopes or folders are as good as or better for long-term storage than mylar/polyester, especially for items that haven’t been deacidified (polypropylene is OK for short-term storage only, avoid other plastics), since the latter can accelerate acidification. Buffered envelopes and backing sheets should be replaced periodically (the buffering agent wears out over time), especially for newsprint or other high-acid papers.
Note that deacidifying treatments such as Bookkeeper can alter the color of pH-sensitive inks (fortunately rare) and are not always suitable for photographs and some special print types.
Cool and dry (but not too dry) is good, but stability of temperature and humidity is equally important. Dark and dust-free are also key.
The major dangers to your paper items (besides obvious baddies such as mildew and silverfish) are improper handling (physical damage, oils and sweat from skin), improper display (especially light exposure), and foreign objects: metal (paperclips, pins), rubber bands, and above all, synthetic or poor-quality adhesives (self-adhesive tape is THE WORK OF THE DEVIL!!! - seriously, rule one of paper conservation is NEVER use self-adhesive tape, even the expensive “archival quality” stuff, on any piece of paper you want to keep around).
Resources:
http://www.ncptt.nps.gov/Product-Catalog/Default.aspx?Type=Materials
JRB