[or-roots] the history of microfilm

[Kith-n-Kin]

You are absolutely right, Layne! How we keep "stuff" is most important. How
we "see" it is, I would say, time specific.

Yes, I do enjoy reading the newspapers and all the other digitized items,
but I am very concerned about program extinction, where the program creating
the file no longer exists -- not only with the digitized films, but of our
own digital images -- I've got some that were done so long ago that nothing
will read them. Fortunately, not critical.

On the other hand, sometimes rescanning the original documents is very
important. The digitizing in gray-scale of censuses is frequently far
superior to the black and white of the early efforts. Much more data can be
squeezed out. 

I remember my first forays into reading censuses on microfilm/fiche was at
the Oregon Archives. I was so excited! Some had some significant black
"shadow" that prevented us from really reading all the information, but I
was so happy to get what I could.

Now, of course, spoiled rotten, "we" tend to expect much more than is
reasonable.

Thank you for this additional information. I think we all learned something
today!

Pat

 

From: or-roots [mailto:or-roots-bounces at listsmart.osl.state.or.us] On Behalf
Of SAWYER Layne G
Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2016 8:48 AM
To: or-roots mail list <or-roots at listsmart.osl.state.or.us>
Subject: Re: [or-roots] the history of microfilm

 

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
<http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-strange-history-of-microfilm-which
-will-be-with-us-for-centuries?utm_source=Boomtrain&utm_medium=email&utm_cam
paign=20160623&bt_email=layne1920 at yahoo.com&bt_ts=1466678646416>
&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20160623&bt_email=layne1920 at yahoo.com&bt_ts=1
466678646416

 

 

Layne 

(List Mom)

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