Dear Listers, Ten years ago I made an enquiry about a Williamstown newspaper 1858-1862, a gap in records available both newspaper, judicial & council, which I knew needed to be saved. I made enquiries of the State Library on the cost of restoring the newspaper for filming, with a negative copy (i.e. with a black instead of a clear background for ease of reading) for myself. It took a time, but eventually I received information on the system, how I could avail myself of it, and offering to give an estimate on the costs. It wasn't cheap, but I decided that I would have the copying done as a memorial to my husband, as each time I used the film I would think of him. The film was made, and this enabled libraries to order a print of the microfilm for a minimum charge, and saved the newspaper for the future. The State Library holds the master film. Some local history/ family groups have raised money to have local newspapers restored and filmed and this is a good idea, and a better project than many that have money thrown at them and show no lasting benefit. My friends see the humour in my project, because my husband was a technical man who was also an economist, with a "knock it down and replace it" attitude to old crumbling buildings where restoration was the more expensive option! He was always bemused at my "preoccupation with the past" and my "memorial microfilm" always recalls for me that he was always offering his wife's help to colleagues who even mentioned "history" or "family trees", which means he must have introduced the subject himself, else how would they know? At 16:29 31-10-01 +1100, Carl MATTHEWS wrote: >And owing to the fact that most of these publications are on acidic paper >they will fragile themselves to dust before they have any priority. I also >have had this problem with SLV, so it would appear that unless you have a >date of publication of the "Book" you can't see them. Perhaps they have >already disintegrated and this is just a put off. Without being cynical one >would have felt with all the centenaries and bicentenaries etc, that we have >had in recent years, this may have been a higher priortity than morning >"breakfasts" at rail stations and the City Square, and vote wooing "sausage >sizzles" or perhaps grass in Swanston street. > >Perhaps "its time" for some sort of concerted effoprt by those who wish >access. Perhaps Emails to SLV? > >Carl MATTHEWS >PAYNESVILLE. 3880. >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Arthur Manz" <[email protected]> >To: <[email protected]> >Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2001 3:10 PM >Subject: [AVG] Jolliffe at Korumburra > > > > Greetings, > > After good advice from Linda,Margaret and others, I visited the State > > Library whilst in Melbourne hoping to see copies of the Korumburra Free > > Press (which I was told they had), and to gain info about my Uncle William > > Jolliffe. The Librarian told me (firmly but kindly) that I should have >made > > an appointment to view, but in any case it was not possible for me or >anyone > > else to see any of these copies as they were too fragile. In time they >would > > be in microfilm but it was not of high priority to them. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ <snip> > > Cheers, Arthur Manz, Otaki, New Zealand. regards, Ada Ackerly, Melbourne, Australia formerly Ackerly DocuSearch