I have hundreds of xeroxed pages from the old newspaper microfilms now, many of them four compressed newspaper columns wide and many inches long. This way I get as much text as I can on each page.
Some pages are quite legible; others are dark or overprinted with backward text from the back side of the page. The latter and the smallness of the type on my copies may eventually make me go blind.
However, I keep finding interesting stuff on these pages that I didn't notice in the library and didn't realize was there. The little blurb about the burning of General Cadwalader's mansion by the Baltimore rioters was one such serendipitous find. Similarly, I discovered some editorial opinions about Lincoln's inaugural on a page I had copied for some Texas news. I then made another trip to the library to search out more inaugural opinions.
A hand-held magnifying glass might save your eyesight! That, and a bright light.
btw, check out the Baltimore Civil War Museum!!!
it is the most unique museum that i've ever visited--it ONLY covers the Baltimore Riots & the "blood that flecked the streets of Baltimore".
and after a long visit, i found out that the Baltimore Riots were MUCH MORE complicated than i'd thought before going there. MUCH more complicated!
free dixie,sw