What’s in the Box? Understanding Your Microfilm Collections

Over the last century, libraries around the world have preserved countless newspapers, books, and archival collections on microfilm. Some microfilm reels were produced for distribution and widely circulated, while others contain the best surviving copy of unique local history and genealogy resources. When was the last time you considered your institution’s microfilm collections? Do you have acetate film, susceptible to vinegar syndrome? Is the content findable in your catalog? Which resources would be of interest to your community if they were easier to discover and access? Where do you even start? In this webinar, Beth Brevik, account manager and former microfilm project manager at Backstage Library Works, leads you through exploring your microfilm collection, understanding what you have, assessing potential risks, considering long-term preservation, and finding ways to make these largely hidden collections available to your patrons.