Microfilm is a form of microform technology that uses small photographs or other forms of reproduction to store documents. While microform has been around since 1840, it was only in the 20th century that it became commonly used as a way of storing archival engineering information and periodicals. Microfilm readers essentially work as a projection screen which allows for the viewing of microfilm at different magnifications.
What is Microfilm?
Microfilm is a specific type of a technology called microform. Microforms consist of either pieces of film or paper which has a miniature reproduction of a document. These reproductions can then be used for reading, storage and sending of the document. A typical microform can be 25 times smaller than the original document. The most common formats for microform are films (microfilm), microfiche and a format called aperture cards.
History of microfilm
Microform reproductions were first created in 1839 by Jonathon Benjamin Dancer. Although this method was suggested as a means to preserve important documents in 1851, it was generally thought of as a somewhat purposeless novelty. At the turn of the century, however, more people began seeing it as a way to both store important documents and as a way of minimizing the size of these items. In 1936, the American Library Association officially endorsed the use of microform and microfilm machines as a way of storing and then reading material.
Uses of Microfilm
The most common use of microfilm is for storing engineering information for archival purposes. Many firms require storage of basic engineering drawings in case the information needs to be looked up (or the vendor which sold the machine goes out of business). Libraries also use microfilm as a way of keeping archives of newspapers and magazines instead of having to store thousands of issues, which is expensive.
How Do Microfilm Machines Work?
Most desktop machines for reading microfilm have a plastic screen onto which the microfilm is projected, similar to the way that movies are projected onto movie screens from the film. These machines have different magnifications that can be adjusted depending on the type of film used. Some machines also work as copying machines as a way of creating printouts of the microfilm.
Microfilm in the Future
As digital media becomes more prominent, microfilm machines have become less common. Many companies now opt to store their their material digitally, which makes it easier to store and access. Digital files also have the advantage of being easily backed up and shared among users. While microfilm is still used for older documents that have not been saved digitally, many companies are now using special microfilm readers to create digital backups of old microfilm.
