Original post:
From:Kathleen Baril <k-baril_at_onu.edu>
I was wondering if other schools have policies regarding keeping microfilm. We
have some potential renovations in the future and are debating whether or not to
keep some of our microfilm. Do you keep microfilm for example if the newspaper
or periodical is available through a database?
Thanks in advance for advice and/or policies.
--
Kathleen Baril
Director and Collections and Electronic Resources Librarian
Heterick Memorial Library
Ohio Northern University
419-772-2188
==#1==
Subject RE: Microform retention
We actually got rid our of microfilm several years ago. I believe most of it
was replicated in the databases and there was no real demand for microfilm. We
opened up the space the used to have the microfilm and readers and made it more
study space.
Elizabeth Nelson
Catalog & Collection Development Librarian
(815) 455-8775
..............................................
McHenry County College
8900 U.S. Highway 14
Crystal Lake, IL 60012
==#2==
I have generally recommended, as part of the Collection Development Committee,
that we retain microfilm. The underlying issue is that databases tend to be
contractual arrangements and we run the risk that (a) we may discontinue a
database due to budget or costs; and (b) the database administrator may drop
parts of its contents and thereby lose what we have. One of our past library
directors observed that we had invested state funds/student tuition dollars in
purchasing microfilm and that by also contracting for databases, you could say
we were paying twice for the same product. That's not a bad analogy. The flip
side is that microfilm is very compact and often takes up less space so you
don't acquire much new space by getting rid of it.
Dean DeBolt, University Librarian (Professor)/University Archivist
University Archives and West Florida History Center
University of West Florida Library
11000 University Parkway
Pensacola, FL 32514-5750
ddebolt_at_uwf.edu; 850-474-2213
Received on Sat Sep 20 2014 - 07:05:45 EDT