Learn about your antiques and collectibles with Georgia Caraway

newspapers to become moldy and musty smelling

Gifted and Talented spring nominations

It is ironic that you are reading this column in an online newspaper, because it is about preserving printed newspapers Someday in the future, the following advice will be unnecessary as all newspapers will be available and preserved online The University of North Texas Portal to Texas History has a large collection of vintage newspapers that have breen scanned online for research purposes The Howe Enterprise from past years will be among this collection

The three worst enemies of newspapers are moisture, sunlight and fluctuations in temperature With proper care and storage, newspapers need not turn dark or become brittle

In most cases, newspapers printed prior to 1870 were printed on rag linen Cloth fibers were used as the base for making the newspaper as opposed to the wood pulp used today Rags were boiled into a mash and then paper was made from it Rag linen has a feel and texture much like onionskin paper Rag linen contains no acid, so it is more durable and prone to remain in good condition

Do not store old newspapers in an unheated or non air-conditioned garage, basement, or attic The extreme differences in temperature from summer to winter tend to make newspapers brittle Also the increased moisture found in garages and basements can actually cause

Do not frame old newspapers to hang on your walls The sunlight shining on the glass and paper will cause the paper to fade within a short time If the newspaper is rag linen, the sunlight will tend to bleach the paper itself and cause the print to fade. If the paper is made of wood pulp, the sunlight will turn the paper brown and brittle If you must frame and hang a newspaper, do so where no sunlight can reach it If the paper is wood pulp, be sure to use UV-repelling glass

If you are interested in retaining the collector value of an old newspaper, do not tear off the front page or the article you are interested in and throw the rest of the paper away, do not laminate the newspaper, and do not glue or tape the paper to cardboard to stiffen it

Use acid-free boxes to store newspapers Or do waht commercial printers do use light sensitive metal boxes lined with black plastic or vinyl Light and moisture cannot get into these boxes Always store the newspaper opened so that the entire front page is visible do not leave it folded in half as you find it on the newsstand In time the fold will cause a weak place and the paper will tear

Dr Georgia Caraway, former director of the Denton County Museums for 14 years, will be opening the Howe Mercantile on April 25 She has also written Tips, Tools, & Techniques: Caring for Your Antiques and Collectibles and four Denton history books Watch for the Clearance Sale at 107 East Haning March 6 and 7

Parents and teachers of students in grades 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th - 7th who wish to nominate their child/student to be screened for possible placement in the Howe ISD GT Program for the 2015-2016 school year may pick up a nomination packet from their campus office beginning Feb. 23, 2015.

Nomination forms must be filled out completely and returned to the HES or HMS office by Friday, March 6 at 12:00 noon.

For more information, contact Tamela Shadden, Howe Elementary School, at 903532-3320

Howe Community Library News

The Howe Community Library now has 249 eBooks. They have fiction & nonfiction titles and even one that is a Graphic Novel. All citizens need is their library card number to access these online reads. Please ask the staff and they will be happy to help you.

Librarian Becky Hogenson just returned from a trip to Austin where a conference was held for the Texas Computer Educators Association (TCEA) Hogenson, along with the other 7,000 attendees, learned new apps and programs and a new term called "augmented reality" Ask her about it