[or-roots] the history of microfilm

[SAWYER Layne G]

Pat,

Properly stored in the right environmental conditions microfilm has a very long life expectancy.  The working copies used on readers can get "compromised" pretty easily, with scratching of the emulsion going through readers that are not properly cleaned and maintained.  Best practices dictates that the security copy of the negative never be used as a viewing copy but only used to make a duplication master, which is then used to create working copies.  Motion picture film especially with an audio track, and if color film, has additional preservation issues.  The silver negatives of microfilm can be susceptible to what is referred to as "redox" which is oxidation of the silver in the emulsion causing spots.  (Think of tarnish on your silver hollowware or flatware).  Certain vintages of acetate film also have a problem with "vinegar" syndrome, but again stored in a proper environment you can minimize this possibility.

Big strides have been made in digitizing microfilm and making it available on the internet.  If you have used any of the Digital Newspaper projects almost all of those images have actually been made from microfilm rather than the actual hard copy newspapers.  Ancestry and Family Search have put up huge quantities of records based on microfilm copies.  (The recent Probate and Wills collections on Ancestry are a good example, it even has the feel of microfilm as you advance through the images.)

The biggest advantage to film from my perspective is a proven track record and it is "eye readable" you only need a light source and magnification to look at it.  Ones and Zeros (binary code) doesn't have that simplicity. You need the correct software program to interpret the code and the hard ware to run it as well.  I love the access that electronic information can provide, but like many in my profession I am often a bit uneasy about loss of information that isn't properly migrated forward and is left in a defunct format.

Enough soapbox so early in the morning.

Layne



From: or-roots [mailto:or-roots-bounces at listsmart.osl.state.or.us] On Behalf Of Kith-n-Kin
Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2016 8:21 AM
To: 'or-roots mail list'
Subject: Re: [or-roots] the history of microfilm

Thank you, Layne!
I really enjoyed this bit of history. I had no idea of the age of this technology.
Only thing I didn't see (my age perhaps), was some discussion of the stability of the "plasticky" film.
Certainly that has been a problem (the film, and the emulsion on the film) in the motion picture industry.
Pat Dunford
Tucson, AZ

From: or-roots [mailto:or-roots-bounces at listsmart.osl.state.or.us] On Behalf Of SAWYER Layne G
Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2016 3:32 PM
To: or-roots mail list (or-roots at listsmart.osl.state.or.us<mailto:or-roots at listsmart.osl.state.or.us>) <or-roots at listsmart.osl.state.or.us<mailto:or-roots at listsmart.osl.state.or.us>>
Subject: [or-roots] the history of microfilm

Or-Rooters,

For those of a certain generation of genealogical researchers you might find this short article interesting.  Long live microfilm!!

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-strange-history-of-microfilm-which-will-be-with-us-for-centuries?utm_source=Boomtrain&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20160623&bt_email=layne1920@yahoo.com&bt_ts=1466678646416


Layne
(List Mom)
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