The Bee, Fresno County Historical Society partner to preserve newspaper’s print archives

The Fresno Bee’s printed archives are close to finding a new home with the Fresno County Historical Society, which has agreed to collaborate with the newspaper to find a location to preserve its vast print library.

The Bee’s move to the Bitwise 41 building in February meant the “morgue” – newspaper lingo for the collection of clip files, photos, negatives and bound volumes – needed to be moved into new quarters. This voluminous archive was fastidiously filed and cataloged by the newspaper’s librarians until the dawn of the digital era.

Bound volumes of full printed newspapers date back to The Bee’s birth in 1922, when it was founded by the McClatchy family. The archives also include print volumes of The Fresno Morning Republican, which served Fresno and the region for decades before The Bee was established.

The archives represent a rough draft of the central San Joaquin Valley’s history. From natural disasters and extreme weather incidents to growth and development, from the rise of the Valley as a farming powerhouse to the rich cultural diversity of its people, The Bee has had the front-row seat to chronicling the region.

“No other collection thoroughly brings to life the growth of our Valley than the pages of The Fresno Bee,” Elizabeth Laval, president of the Fresno County Historical Society, said in announcing the collaboration. “Our responsibility to preserve such a true Valley treasure was clear and we are grateful to The Bee for working with us to ensure not a single document is lost. The value of the endeavor cannot be overstated.”

Laval said the next step is to find a location to house the contents. “If ever there has been a need to join together to help us make this move possible, now is that time. We really are relying on the generosity of the public to assist – so if we call you, please do what you can,” she said.

Bee Publisher Tim Ritchey echoed Laval’s comments.

“What’s important to me is the long legacy of The Bee’s journalism, which dates back nearly 100 years. Retaining that history is important and I’m thrilled to partner with the historical society in this effort,” Ritchey said.

The Bee and the historical society are working on long-term plans for accessibility to the collection. Bee journalists will retain access to the archive materials. Digital archives are unchanged, and all content remains the property of The Bee.

For researchers, the Fresno County Public Library has microfilm of every edition of The Bee on file for public use.