Microforms Collection

Table of contents:

1.   What are microforms?
2.   How do I find them?
3.   Where are they?
4.   What does the Library own?
5.   How is the collection organized?
6.   How do I use them?

1. What are microforms?

Microforms are photographic reproductions on film of a printed page or document so reduced in size they cannot be read without special equipment. Libraries use them because they are cheaper and take up less space than other formats. However, their primary advantage is providing access to sources that would otherwise be unavailable. Many sources such as old newspapers, government documents, rare manuscripts, and books are no longer available in paper format.

2. How do I find them?

Items in our Microforms collection are listed in the SFU Library catalogue - exactly the same as paper editions of our books, journals, reports, etc. They are catalogued by author, title, and subject. Every title in the collection is given a location code to help you find it. The location codes in the SFU Library catalogue for the Microforms collection are:

Some of the microforms are given classification numbers as well as one of the above codes. Typical call numbers and locations might look like Microforms Classified HG 044 22 or Microforms Classified J O2 25. These locations and class numbers are needed to find specific items in the Microforms collection.

3. Where are they?

The Microforms collection is located at the north-west corner of the 6th floor of the Library.

(Also see the detailed map at the end of this guide.)

4. What does the Library own?

The Library has the equivalent of close to a million volumes in microform. The most heavily used collections are the newspapers. The Vancouver Sun, Province, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Times of London are amongst the most popular titles. The Library has these newspapers from their first issues onward. Please note that the most recent four to six months of most newspapers are kept in paper form in the Current Journals area in the middle of the north side of the 6th floor. To find newspaper articles by subject, you must use indexes. Many indexes are available via computer, while others are in paper form in the Reference Index area on the 2nd floor of the library. Please ask at the Information Commons Help Desk (3rd floor) for assistance.

Other important microfilm titles

5. How is the collection organized?

The Microforms collection includes three types of microform:

I. Microfilm: rolls of film 16 mm or 35 mm wide
II. Microfiche: 3 x 5 or 4 x 6 inch sheets of film
III. Micro-cassette: microfilm tapes on cartridges

I.  Microfilms

The microfilms are arranged in two sections:

Microforms Newspapers/Journals
Newspapers, Magazines & Journals in microfilm format arranged alphabetically by title (labelled in the map below).

Microforms Classified - Microfilm in call number order
Other types of publications (mostly government publicaitons and theses) arranged by call number. The call numbers for microfilms always start with one or two letters, then "02", then more numbers. E.g., PN 02 12

See the map at the end of this guide for locations.

II.  Microfiches

Microfiche in the collection are all labelled as Microforms Classified in the SFU Library catalogue, but within that broad area they are further divided into two sections according to the original form of publication. These sections are further divided into subsections based on the size of the microfiche.

Microforms Classified -
Books, annual reports, theses, government documents, conference proceedings, etc.
Classification letters A-Z followed by size codes:
e.g., HG 04 = 3 x 5 inch fiche (Microforms Classified) or
HG 044 = 4 x 6 inch fiche (Microforms Classified)

Periodicals
Arranged alphabetically by title A-Z, sub-arranged by size of the fiche.
For example:
Microforms Small Fiche = 3 x 5 inch fiche
Microforms Large Fiche = 4 x 6 inch fiche

See the map at the end of this guide for locations.

II.  Micro-cassettes (InfoTrac)

The InfoTrac collection is the main micro-cassettecollection . The Library subscribed to the Business and General magazine modules until Sept. 1998. This is a collection of mainly American business and general magazines on micro-cassettes. Citations in this index are marked with the InfoTrac cartridge and frame numbers. To look up the correct cartridge and frame numbers for the article you need, use the journal title indexes -- available in binders at the Journals and Microforms Assistance Desk (6th floor), the Information Commons Help Desk (3rd floor), and the Belzberg Reference Desk (SFU Vancouver), and next to the InfoTrac readers in the southwest corner of the 6th floor of the Bennett Library.

6. How do I use them?

Special machines called readers or reader-printers are necessary to read each format. They are available in the northwest corner of the sixth floor. Photocopies from microfilm and microfiche can be made for fifteen cents per copy using the same Copicard system used by the photocopiers and printers here in the Library. These machines are labeled with instructions for use and are similar to using regular photocopiers.

There are also microform scanners in the same area that will allow you to covert the microfilm and microfiche images to other formats (JPG, PDF etc.) and email or save them.

Need help finding something or using one of the machines? There is a phone on the counter near the middle of the north side of the 6th floor (just north of the computers) to connect you with staff (Monday-Friday, 9:30am-4:30pm) who will come to your location to help.  Outside of those hours, please ask for help at the Ask Us Desk on the 3rd floor.