"Terra Cognita" surveys the current landscape of archival research and the experiences of emerging scholars seeking to navigate it. Drawing on data from the Council on Library and Information Resources' (CLIR's) Mellon Fellowships for Dissertation Research in Original Sources, the report takes an in-depth look at how the conditions and…

Discusses efforts of the National Archives and Records Administration to microfilm its holdings and to encourage other federal agencies to do the same. Reliability, adaptability, and costs of microforms are explored. (Author/MES)

Describes various microforms (any form, either film or paper, which contains microimages), indicating the advantages and disadvantages of roll film, aperture cards, microfiche, jackets, and micro-opaques. Phases and benefits of micropublishing, seven types of microfilm, safety film, processed microfilm, and storage are noted. Ten references are…

In the field of fine arts, microforms have come to play an increasing role in preservation and collection development in Canadian libraries. This article notes recent activities in this area and suggests reasons for the expansion and continuation of existing programs. (Author)

Summarizes the ANSI standards for archival film and looks at the debate surrounding questions of archival storage, durability in a working environment, and affordability among proponents of silver halide, diazo, and vesicular films. Articles written by Carl Spaulding and Albert R. Materazzi on the subject are reviewed. (11 references) (MES)

The need for increased use of microfilm in primary publications is discussed. The microfilm editions of the American Chemical Society journals are now being used for supplementary material of restricted interest. Details of this arrangement and experience to date are presented. (4 references) (Author)

Examines the financial impracticability of publishing vast collections of historical and literary material in traditional book form and proposes microform publication as an alternative. (Author)

Describes activities of Library of Congress Music Division's Music Preservation Microfilming Project originated in 1970. Current and upcoming filming projects are noted, including Brahms' original music manuscripts (holographs) and correspondence; Liszt holographs, correspondence, and first editions; piano-vocal scores and librettos of Victor…

Focusing on micrographics, this article discusses the role of the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM) in the development and sponsorship of standards applicable to libraries. Standards relating to microformats, assessment of microform quality, and truly "archival" conditions are examined. A list of current AIIM…

Discusses the impact of the recent emphasis on gender studies and efforts to mainstream women's studies into a broader academic context on the publication of microform sets of women's studies resources. Recently published materials are described and a checklist of 18 commercially published microform resources is provided. (CLB)

This biennial survey of microformatted Canadian government publications highlights the diverse publications of Micromedia Ltd., the National Library of Canada, Public Archives of Canada, and Statistics Canada. Technical reports of a federal government department--Fisheries and Oceans--patent literature, and archival materials are noted. Eight…

Discusses the public service needs of manuscript, archive, and large monograph microform collections based on the format of the original materials. The need for additional technical service, particularly cataloging, is addressed. References are listed. (CHC)

Explores the meanings that have been attached to the term "archival" and concludes that librarians participating in the national preservation effort use this term to mean permanent. Permanence is practically defined as storage for upwards of 100 years. Given this definition, the merits of microforms and optical disks as archival storage materials…

Discusses the project undertaken by MMF Publications to micropublish a collection of rare Dutch maps and drawings. Background information about the collection is given and decisions regarding the choice of microfiche format are explained. MMF elected to publish a printed guide to accompany the collection for enhanced access. (Author/JKP)

The purpose of this report is to acquaint all personnel with some technical aspects of micrographics. The various film types used in the production of microfiche are discussed, including silver halide, diazo, and vesicular films. Other imaging systems used in micrographics are reviewed, and a basic introduction to sensitometry is given. The…