Microforms are photographic reproductions of printed materials, in reduced size. In order to be read, they must be enlarged by a machine. Microform equipment includes Digital Microform Scanners, reader/printers, and some manual fiche and film readers. Copies made from the reader/printers cost 12¢ with a UD1/FLEX card or new copy card. Microform scanning on the Digital Microform Scanners is free.
Morris Library has more than 3,500,000 items in microfilm–open reels of film, microfiche–flat sheets of film, and microcard –flat, opaque sheets formats. There are over 700 newspapers and magazines, including
French, Russian, and British publications. ERIC documents, dissertations, government publications, historical papers, and other research materials are available for use in the Library. Listed below are some examples of microforms in the collection:
- The New York Times (1851-present), the Wall Street Journal (1889-present), the Philadelphia Inquirer (1940-present), and the News Journal (1875-present).
- Regional newspapers and serials, ranging from the early 18th century to the present.
- Popular magazines such as Time, Rolling Stone, and Vogue.
- Historical documents, such as Early English Books, Papers of the NAACP, and the Iran – Contra Affair.
Where are the microforms located?
The majority of the Library’s Microform collection is located in Rm.008, labeled “Microforms” on the Lower Level of the Library. You will first need to search DELCAT for the call number of the material you are searching for.
Government Documents located on microfiche can also be found along the back wall closest to South College on the lower level.
The main collections of film and fiche are divided up into “S” and “no.” call numbers. “S” generally means serials collections and “no.” is for monographic or one-time-only collections. DELCAT will include the “S” or “no.” in the call number.
There are signs throughout the area to assist you in locating the material you need. Please ask at the Student Multimedia Design Center service desk for assistance. Check to see when the SMDC desk is open before seeking assistance
What do I do once I have located what I want?
First, pull the entire box of film or the entire fiche envelope (if there is one). Decide whether you would like to e-mail the image, save it to a USB flash drive, print a paper copy of the item, or simply read it. Printing from Microform reader printers located in the room where the Microforms collection is located costs 12¢/page. Scanning the document on the Digital Microform Scanners is free.
Staff will assist you with using any machine.
What do I do once I have finished reading or printing the microform?
Please DO NOT REFILE THE MICROFORMS. Place them in a marked refile box or return them to the service desk.
What if I need research help?
Student Multimedia Design Center and Help Center Staff are able to help with basic questions related to the microforms collection. For more in-depth research help, please reach out to the History and Social Sciences Librarian, Kaitlyn Tanis at kltanis@udel.edu for more advanced research questions.
Research guides related to Microforms collections include: