Special Collections has one of the largest microform collections in the United States. These materials are valuable resources for students and scholars. This short introduction is designed to walk you through finding and using microform materials.
Microforms are any materials containing miniaturized images that require magnification to be viewed. Microform in Special Collections may be available in four different formats:
The microform format will be identified in the MERLIN location so you know where to find the item. Most microform collections are in publicly accessible rooms, and patrons are welcome to help themselves. Below is a list of locations for quick reference.
Format |
MERLIN Location |
Description/Location in Ellis Library |
Microfilm
|
SPEC FILM |
Microfilms are rolls of film with either 16 or 35 mm width. Newspapers, periodicals, and most film books are located in rooms 406 and 404, accessible to patrons during all library hours. Items designated FILM BOOK 0001, FILM BOOK 0002, FILM PER, and FILM MISC, in addition to some other collections, must be retrieved by Special Collections staff during Special Collections hours. |
Microfiche
|
SPEC MICF |
Microfiche (MICF) are 4" x 6" film sheets holding 40 to 98 pages of text. These materials are kept in storage and must be retrieved by Special Collections staff during Special Collections hours (except for microfiche copies of Sanborn Fire Insurance maps, located in room 303). |
Microcard
|
SPEC MICD |
Microcard (MICD) are 3" x 5" opaque cards which are viewed by a special reader or reader printer. Although obsolete now, a number of collections are in this format. All microcards and the machines to view them are located in Room 303. Copies can be made on a machine in Government Documents on the first floor. |
Microprint
|
SPEC MICPT |
Microprint (MICPT) are 6" x 9" opaque cards similar to microcards. All microprint and the machines to view them are located in Room 303. Copies can be made on a machine in Government Documents on the first floor. |
Microform collections in rooms 404 and 406 and reader/printers in room 403 are open all library hours. However, some microform collections are kept in storage and may only be accessible during Special Collections hours or by previous arrangement. See the table above.
Several of the microform collections have printed reference guides that will help you locate specific items or reel numbers. These guides are catalogued in MERLIN as SPEC REF, and in most cases, records are linked or noted on the MERLIN screens for the microform items.
All items designated SPEC REF are located in room 406. These items are for library use only, but can be consulted by patrons during all library hours.
Microforms require magnification to be viewed. You can find microfilm and microfiche readers in rooms 403 and 404. Microcard and microprint readers are in room 303.
Yes. Microform readers/printers are available in room 403 of Ellis Library during all library hours. Assistance is available in the Special Collections reading room during Special Collections hours, and from the Reference Desk on the first floor at all other times.
Digital scanners are located in room 408 and are available during Special Collections hours. An additional scanner is located on the first floor of the library at all other times. These are Windows machines and are networked; email is now available. Scans can also be saved as PDF or JPG files. Since file sizes are usually too large to be stored on a floppy disk, patrons are advised to bring a ZIP disk or USB drive in order to save their scans, if they choose not to email files.
If you need any assistance with microform materials, just let us know. You can contact us through our Ask a Question page or email us at SpecialCollections@missouri.edu. You can also contact individual staff members through our contacts page. We're here to help!
Contact: Special Collections - Email: SpecialCollections@missouri.edu
Copyright © Curators of the University of Missouri
Published by: Special Collections
Last revised:
Friday, January 23, 2009
