*Will be reporting from Argentina and Brazil the next few days!

It is no secret that “archives” are one of the most valuable things (in addition to their brand) that newspapers around the globe share.

Archives of history, of local day to day happenings, of culture and customs sit in the “morgues” or libraries of newspaper buildings waiting to be rediscovered. I always remind my clients of that.

For The New York Times, those archives also include an unparalleled collection of recipes, dating to the mid-1800s, that have delighted the palate of NY Times readers for decades. So now the Times has announced that there is a place to resurrect some of those recipes and to include new ones, of course.

It is a new book in print, quite different from the first, by long time food writer Craig Claiborne, published in 1961. In the new book, there is the personal touch of the reader. Those who cook at home now have a chance to put their in print in the recipe book. Here is a highlight from the piece announcing the new book:

“Readers — and not only subscribers who pay for the Times’ Cooking section ($40 per year) — can now build their own book of those reliable, often-shared recipes. Longtime editors like Marian Burros, Martha Rose Shulman, and Julia Moskin (and many others, including new recruits Colu Henry and Alison Roman) have filled the archives with thousands of solid, relevant, seasonal dishes — some that have gone on to become iconic, such as Burros’ popular plum torte.”

Why print?

“….for some people, scrolling across a glass screen to read cooking instructions while in the midst of cooking is not as convenient as turning a physical page. Printed books hold literal and metaphorical weight. Their initial purpose as instructional manual often grows into family heirloom. Stains, splatters, and torn pages add to their character: Printed cookbooks are cherished because they take on a life of their own.”

The book is titled Dinner: What to Cook Tonight and starts with 192 of the Times’ 19,000 recipes that are available as options. Readers pick seven chapters, out of 24 possibilities — Sheet-Pan Wonders or Take Out at Home, for example — and each one contains eight recipes, like roasted fish with sweet peppers, hot honey shrimp, or tacos de carnitas. That yields a book of 56 recipes total.

After picking book chapters for Dinner, readers are offered the choice of soft ($35) or hardcover ($55) binding. There’s also an option to add a personalized dedication page.

• The New York Times Store Introduces Its First NYT Cooking “Make-Your-Own” Cookbook [NYT]

I believe we will see more printed products that the consumer can customize. Already we can do “yearbook” of memories from our Facebook entries, which turn into coffee table books. While I have not accepted the offers to do one of my own, I have seen these Facebook volumes of “The Best of Me” at friends’ houses. Interesting souvenir for those who wish to relive the memories of their year in Facebook.

Another reason why I believe that print will always be around: it is physical, it is there for the taking, and it has a beginning, a middle and an end. Not too shabby.