Abstract

In 2024, the amended Law on Cultural Heritage was adopted, establishing a stronger legal framework for preserving and promoting privately owned documentary heritage in Vietnam. Within the national documentary heritage system, historical printed newspapers constitute a distinctive primary source that preserves social memory and documents the nation’s historical development. This article examines the value and current management of an extensive newspaper collection weighing approximately seven metric tons and owned by collector Nguyen Phi Dung in Nam Dinh Ward, Ninh Binh Province. Drawing on field surveys and consultations with museum experts conducted in 2026, the study identifies major challenges related to physical deterioration, particularly the acidification of wood-pulp paper, and limited public access resulting from private storage conditions. It subsequently proposes a comprehensive set of solutions involving specialized overhead-scanning technology and public–private partnership (PPP) mechanisms to preserve the collection and enhance its accessibility and value.

Keywords: Documentary heritage, heritage digitization, historical newspapers, Ninh Binh, private collection.