Dear Colleagues,

 

The answer to the query is NO! And at the same time maybe YES! But is Microfilm Technology and its application changing and the answer is a big YES!

 

On the NO side microfilm is not going away and one only needs to be aware of the amount of data that is being archived to microfilm with the very successful product from Kodak – the Archive Writer with the latest and greatest model the i9600. Fuji of Japan exhibited their 16 mm digital to analogue Archive Writer unit which will compete with the Kodak i9600 unit in the USA at the Chicago ARMA Conference in 2005.

 

There are a number of European manufactures of 16, 35 and 105 mm digital to analogue archive writers manufactured by Zeutschel, Microbox and SMA are available with a number of units installed in the USA.

 

On the YES side, microfilm with specialised applications and also wide circulation requirements is being converted to a digital format in increasing quantities. On a local basis our newspaper the West Australian has been available online since 1996. This access is not via a library on a free for use basis but as a revenue earner for the newspaper at their website.

 

The same newspaper is still currently being microfilmed from the hard copy paper edition onto 35 mm roll microfilm by the State Library of Western Australia.

 

In other parts of Australia newspaper organisations are investigating the process of taking the digital data from the BORN DIGITAL edition of the newspaper and dumping it onto 35 mm microfilm. So microfilm is still a viable media for archiving requirements while online digital access is becoming more widespread for instant access which is something microfilm is not good at as a media.

 

Regarding microfilm equipment:

 

Yes the big boys in the USA - 3M and Kodak jumped out of manufacturing microfilm reader printers as far back as 1985 as they saw no future in the technology. At the same time the big boys in Japan, Canon, Minolta & to a lesser extent Fuji were in the process of releasing dry paper photocopiers which they proceeded to incorporate into their microfilm product offerings and with great success. Canon was [at least in Australia] the most successful with their PC70 fiche reader printer followed by Minolta and with only a dry pressure fuse paper offering Fuji did very well in the Library market with their bi-modal offerings.

 

When it became obvious to both 3M and Kodak that the reader printer was still viable they to re-entered with their own offering with varying degrees of success. Kodak today rebadge the Minolta range of scanner printers and over the years they also rebadged the Canon range of products and 3M rebadged the Minolta range of reader printers and 16 mm planetary cameras.

 

As a person involved in the promotion of  micrographic equipment in this declining market for micrographic products their is no microfilm product with the exception of the 1960’s type Computer Output Microfilm product ion units that I cannot source supply and maintain with comfort. In the majority of situations I will not be purchasing that product form a USA manufacturer as in most instances there are none or if they do exist they rebadge products produced elsewhere. If I do have a microfiche production COM requirement there is product available in 105 mm format from SMA and others to carry out that task.

 

Will MICROFILM application last forever? I doubt it, but I believe that the next 15-20 years will still see me sourcing, supplying, installing and maintaining micrographic equipment in my market area.

 

If you are tossing up wether to stay with microfilm or go digital with any particular application, PLEASE do not be put off by the concept of selecting microfilm as your preferred media for the task due to the lack of available equipment or parts or service as almost anything and everything is available if you only do the research. It may not be Kodak or 3M or the big end of town you purchase the items from but the product will be excellent for the task at hand with support available at a local level.

 

My 2 cent worth!

 

Happy microfilming, Laurie

 

Mr Daniel Lawrance [Laurie] Varendorff, ARMA

Member of the Western Australian Governments - Digital Records Working Group (DRWG).

Specialist Technical Writer on Records and Information Management (RIM) and related subjects, available for hire.

Published Articles available @ http://www.records-management.com.au/publications.shtml?laurie- and http://www.microfilm.net.au/articles.shtml

A Records Management Professional, and proud of the fact!

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Distribtor of the Firelock Fireproof Vaults for Viatal Records, Electronic Media and IT Server Farms

Western Australian distributor for the world famous a.k.a. Business Classification plus R&D Software

Imaging and Micrographic Specialist: 32 years experience

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