Makerere University Library is the only institution that has maintained a relatively extensive collection of the oldest and rarest newspapers. However, the collection has been over used and some of them are brittle, torn and fragile. This is because most of the old newspapers were printed on large sheets of paper that could not be photocopied as a preservation measure. In addition, photocopying has risks associated with acidity, ultraviolet radiation and oxidizing fumes which affect both the documents and humans. Some of the papers have even been withdrawn from circulation with hardly any backup maintained. Although some of the newspapers were preserved using the lamination method, only 50 volumes were covered because the method proved to be expensive. The collection is irreplaceable and it is important that it is moved into digital media, so that it can be preserved and handed down to future generations. One of the strategic priorities of Makerere University Library is to preserve rare information materials in digital form and make them readily available to a wide range of users. Digitising and conserving the old newspapers will hence make them electronically accessible.