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Re: Newspaper clippings - with photos; etc.



Lisa May Wrote:
"Finally, regarding the life of microfilm, how do you define "that long"?
the oldest microfilm in my collections dates from 1957, when our
sacramental registers were first filmed.... ."

I would like to add that silver halide microfilm that is manufactured,
developed and stored according to ANSI standards has an estimated life
expectancy of AT LEAST 500 years.  This is based on strict, rigourous
accellerated aging testing, experience (microfilm from the 1870's was
available for viewing in Amsterdam in 1971, for example), and other
scientific testing.

The one thing to remember is, if you create illegible images, they will
remain illegible images for at least 500 years (if you follow the
standards).  The blame then, is not on the media, but the creators of the
record on that media. Always check your micofilm images before disposing of
any original material that was filmed.

Ginny Jones
(Virginia A. Jones, CRM, MIT/LIT)
Newport News Dept. of Public Utilities
Newport News, VA
vjones@ci.newport-news.va.us


-----Original Message-----
From: Lisa May [mailto:LMAY@DIOGH.ORG]
Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2001 4:09 PM
To: ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
Subject: Re: Newspaper clippings - with photos; etc.


Margaret Monroe wrote,

(snipped)
>>Microfilming is around 10 or 20 times as expensive as buying a
>>storage warehouse, with proper HVAC.  And microfilming does
>>not give usable copies of photographs.  Also: newspapers
>>routinely print different editions, and no one ever microfilms every
>>edition.  And microfilm does not last that long.

I'm hesitant to start this debate again, but the above paragraph concerns
me.  First, can you give me some figures regarding the relative costs of
microfilming vs. buying a storage warehouse?  How big a warehouse will be
needed?  Is it going to be simply a warehouse (even one with an HVAC
system), or a functioning archival area, with a research area,
photocopiers, security systems, a staff, etc.  Richard Cox and others have
tried to address these issues.

Second, shouldn't people looking for photographs published in newspapers be
contacting the newspapers themselves?  Their archives should have the
prints, which in many cases are still under copyright & can't be
re-published without permission.  I have what we grandly call the "morgue"
of our diocesan newspaper, which contains the prints of photographs that
appeared in the paper.  Doesn't that make more sense than expecting say a
local historical society to preserve in their original state large files of
newsclippings?  which BTW are often more fragile than entire sheets of
newsprint, especially if they have been stored in files - the edges are
frequently tattered, they have turned that nice brown shade.

Finally, regarding the life of microfilm, how do you define "that long"?
the oldest microfilm in my collections dates from 1957, when our
sacramental registers were first filmed (don't worry, canon law of the
Catholic Church requires the maintenance of the original registers).  This
film is still useable & readable, we can print copies from it & do on a
daily basis.

Lisa

Archivist
Diocese of Galveston-Houston

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