Microforms

Microforms

What are Microforms?

Where We're Located

Hours

Microforms at the Library

Microforms Equipment

 

Staff

Contact Us

Links

Mission Statement

What are Microforms?

Microforms are full-sized graphics and text reduced to micro-images many times smaller than the original. These micro-images are restored to legible size with the use of special machines called readers and can be copied onto paper by reader/printers.

Microform formats include:
Microfiche: A sheet of 4x6 or 3x5 film.
Microfilm: A continuous strip of 16 or 35 mm film wound on a reel.
Microcard: An opaque card, usually 3x5 or 6x9.

Where We're Located

After entering the library, walk past the Circulation counter and the Research & Information desk, straight back to the Microforms Department. Or ask at Circulation or the Research & Information desk for directions.

Hours

The machines are open for use from the time the library opens until the time it closes. However, there are no staff members available to help you after 9:00 pm.

Microforms in the Library

The microforms department houses over 1 million individual pieces of microform. These span many collections of which some of the more notable are listed here.

  • American Periodical Series
  • History of Photography
  • Selected reels of US Census
  • Tests On Microfiche
  • Wright American Fiction Collection

 

Microforms Equipment

The Dean B. Ellis Library Microforms Department has a variety of equipment to serve patrons who wish to utilize the microforms collection. The microform staff will ensure that all patrons will get a thorough tutorial on how to operate the microform viewing and printing equipment.

  • Microform reader/printers -- After a patron has located their material, the microforms staff will assist by giving patrons instruction on how to use the microfilm reader printers. The patron can then use the reader/printer to locate the desired document and make a copy of it. Microform document copies cost ten cents a page.
  • Microform reader/scanner – Library patrons can scan microforms and then save them to a 3 1/2" floppy disk or jump drive, or burn them to a CD, or send their scanned microform images as email attachments. Again, help is available to perform these digital tasks.

Note: -- the reader/scanner has the secondary purpose of reading and printing in the traditional manner. If a patron is using the reader/scanner for printing when a reader/printer is available, the patron using the scanner may be asked to move to a reader/printer.

Staff

Mark Berky
Microforms Supervisor/Reference Staff
Phone: 870-972-3353
Email: mberky@astate.edu

There are also part-time student workers available to help you with anything you need.

Contact Us

You can contact the library at (870) 972-3077 or the Research & Information Department at 972-3208.  You can also email the Research & Information Department at refdesk@astate.edu.

Links

Film-based Imaging Association
An association that acts as an advocate for the needs and concerns of companies providing microfilm-based solutions.

Microforms, Micrographics Guide
General information about the types of microforms.

United States Newspaper Program

Mission

We provide the knowledge needed to look to the future by providing the resources to look through the past.