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A Treasure Trove of Troy History Author John Hersey wrote that "journalism allows its readers to witness history." One of the most important resources on the history of Troy and area communities available to those who frequent the Troy Public Library is "The Scrapbook Collection," consisting of tens of thousands of newspaper clippings from a number of local newspapers published between 1840 and 1950. Throughout its history, Troy has been well served by dozens of newspapers, including The Daily Troy Budget (1840-1882), The Troy Daily Times (1851-1935), The Morning Telegram (1881-1891), The Northern Budget (1884-1931), The Troy Observer Budget (1931-1953), The Troy Record (1897-1972) and The Times Record, currently The Record, which has been published since 1935. Articles from these and other Troy newspapers have been clipped and saved in the 203 volume Scrapbook Collection. According to a Library report "almost half of the volumes consist of work done by individuals hired during the 1930s under the direction of the Works Progress Administration. The remaining volumes were compiled over the years by members of the public and donated to the Library. A heavy concentration of clippings focus on Troy's heyday as an industrial and manufacturing power. The Scrapbook Collection is a valuable and well-used source of information on Troy's history, especially for unusual subjects such as strikes, women's history, sports and natural disasters. Some volumes cover specific time periods; others have a theme or subject such as Troy's Centennial Celebration (Vols. 98 and 99, 1888), Troy Fires and Fire Departments (Vol. 124, 1880-1891) and Burial Inscriptions from Small Cemetary Plots in Rensselaer County (Vol 144, 1919). The newspaper clippings selected for The Scrapbook Collection are the result of much effort and research and demonstrate the value of old newspapers for locating forgotten facts and reconstruction the past. The collection was used to locate many facts which appear in the Library's two successful Historic Troy Calendars published for 1997 and 1998. Government, businesss and civic organizations use the collection in planning historic celebrations, events, festivals and exhibits. Genealogists find articles and obituaries on members of their family. Authors find specific details and general background information on past events, individuals and numerous facts and figures important for their research. Ten years ago, with the assistance of library volunteers and funds from a state grant, the Scrapbook Collection, consisting of approximately 25,000 pages, was prepared for microfilm. Once reproduced, the collection became available on 45 reels of 35mm microfilm. The filming was done by the Northeast Document Conservation Center at Andover, Massachusetts through a NYS Conservation and Preservation Discretionary grant received by the Library. The collection is indexed in two ways. Each volume contains a one page description giving a general listing of contents, time period covered and the names of newspapers and other sources included. The index car file consists of eleven drawers with over 14,500 index cards. Five main entry headings were selected: people (personal names), corporations (including schools, government agencies, civic groups and churches), events (both natural and civic), buildings and structures and miscellaneous subjects. The index file provides access and cross-references to the scrapbook volume and page number in which the clippings are to be found along with the original location of the clipping (name of newspaper and date of issue). The microfilm copy of the Scrapbook Collection and its index card file are located in the Library's Local History and Genealogy Reading Room. The condition of the original hard copy volumes vary. Some volumes are adequate if carefully handled but others are generally falling apart or too poor to handle except under very special circumstances. A microfilm reader/printer is available adjacent to the microfilm collection and the index file. The next phase in providing access to this important collection is to place the 14,500 index card file on compact disc. This will result in making copies of the file available to other libraries and individuals and will enhance the research capability of the file. Unfortunately, library budget constraints have delayed this part of the Scrapbook Collection project. In cooperation with Troy United Ink Corp., a not-for-profit corporation 
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