The Rise (and Decline?) of Microform Use in Libraries

Providing access to information in its respective community is the basic goal of the library. Though microform has never been considered a commodity for the average person, it had a great impact on the retention, distribution, and preservation of newspapers, periodicals, library card catalogs, pamphlets, and scholarly and archival publications (Valentine 2012: 128). This became particularly apparent in the 1960s, especially with the use of COM, “computer output microfilm,” for such sources as library catalogs (Malinconico 1977). Though microform media are still of great use for storage and preservation, preservation microfilming is now also giving way to digital preservation.

With the evolution of microform readers to accommodate the digital age, it is unlikely that we will see a drastic reformatting from microfilm to other digital with the base purpose of destroying the microform. Though there is a push to make the resources on microform more accessible, having the microform backup for the digital files and for onsite access is still a strong preference. Below is a video from the Nebraska State Historical Society showing how to use the ST View Scan II in conjunction with the ST Imaging software.

Evolution of readers

Microfilm readers have moved from being cumbersome machines able to run one format per machine to machines linked to computers which are able to run both microfilm and microfiche. The software on these new machines allows for the digital capture of images and saving to cloud storage or removable storage devices. While some older, more expensive models were able to print directly from the microform machine, this feature was not easily maintained. Below are examples of both new and old machines for viewing microform media.

Traditional Microcard Reader in the University of Southern Mississippi Cook Library Microform Collection

Traditional Microfilm Reader in the University of Southern Mississippi Cook Library Microform Collection

ST View Scan set up at the University of Southern Mississippi Cook Library Microform Collection

Detail of ST View Scan

Bibliography

Malinconico, S.M. (1977). Foreword. In A.J. Diaz (ed.), Microforms and library catalogs: A reader (ix-xvii). Westport, CT: Microform Review, Inc.

Valentine, P.M. (2012). A social history of books and libraries from cuneiform to bytes. Lanham: The Scarecrow Press, pp. 128.