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Microfilm and Mr. Baker on Slate



It's the subject matter that makes research tedious? I hope that was just a misstatement. 
 
I take back the "awful"  microfilm statement, because I
agree there are benefits to using microfilm. But to suggest that microfilm is some kind of wunder medium  that doesn't sometimes present unnecessary challenges to patrons, is overstating the case for microfilm.   I do agree with Judy that microfilming isn't necessarily the easy  course.  Easy was not the right word.
 
Last time this topic came up, there was discussion of the artifactual value of documents and the "meaning" of the medium. There was also a discussion about the importance of newspapers in American history, and the value of original newspapers (which I think are just as important as original memoirs - newspapers reached thousands of Americans, shaped cultural morays and bolstered American consumerism, many are full of photos and illustrations, etc, etc.).  Similarly, I mentioned in an earlier post about the importance of historiography in understanding the value of our collections and in helping us determine whether certain preservation formats are appropriate or not. I  think all of things should be factored in when we are contemplating microfilming, and I am not sure, as I tried to suggest in an earlier post, that they are. 
 
We are not perfect.  There is no harm in examining our practices and theories based on Baker's complaints. I think we will find he is not completely wrong, nor are we. 
 
If you like to read Baker's defense against some of the criticisms many of you have put forth, see
 
http://slate.msn.com/code/BookClub/BookClub.asp?Show=4/19/2001&idMessage=7527&idBio=250
 
You can also read an excerpt from his book. 
 
This is my last post on the topic (a sigh of relief - I'm sure).
 
Heather Willever-Farr
Electronic Records Archivist
American College of Physicians - American Society of Internal Medicine
190 N. Independence Mall West
Philadelphia, PA 19106-1572
hwillever-farr@mail.acponline.org
(w) 215-351-2470
(h) 215-481-0962
 
>>> Christine Crawford-Oppenheimer <c_crawfo@CULINARY.EDU> 04/19/01 04:59PM >>>
I agree with Tom (and others who have posted on this topic). The subject matter is what makes the research tedious, not the medium. Some microfilms are in better condition that others, and some readers work better than others (at my library, we have an exceedingly high-tech reader that always gives me error messages when I turn it on; I'd much rather have an old-fashioned hand-cranked one).

In my personal genealogical research, I have worked with heavy ledgers that always seem to be on shelves above my head and are crumbling with red-rot; microfilm is a lot lighter to lift and cleaner.

I read recently, either on this list or in some genealogical publication, that computer users are having some problems with CD and online census records that are making some of them nostalgic for microfilm! I am (again, personally) currently having a major problem getting a CD of the American Biographical and Genealogical Index to perform correctly, even though I technically have more than the recommended computer capability. Every medium can have problems.




Christine Crawford-Oppenheimer
Special Collections Librarian/Archivist

Culinary Institute of America
1946 Campus Drive
Hyde Park, NY 12538
(845) 451-1757
c_crawfo@culinary.edu

>>> Tom Anderson < tanderson@AMSE.ORG > 04/19/01 03:20PM >>>
I can't say as I find microfilm research any more tedious than online research, or pouring through piles of books, and I must say it's certainly easier to handle than oversized, fragile newsprint. Not to mention it's easier to get a copy of the article I want compared to trying to photocopy the pertinent articles out of a paper. And you're right, it *is* better to have microfilm than nothing at all.

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