HPNL is home to a large number (> 26,000 separate bibliographic records) of the library’s microfiche. It should be noted that one microfiche bibliographic record may represent 1 microfiche, it may represent 10,000 (with the same call number but are differentiated by year, volume, etc.), so the number of microfiche titles is not the same as the number of actual sheets of microfiche. Microfiche comes in one of two sizes, 3.5”x 4.25” and 4” x 5.5”. Both are stored in 6” x 4” acid free envelopes and, if more than one sheet is stored in the same envelope, separated by an acid-free slip sheet matching the size of the microfiche. Microfiche vary in thickness. Their contents are accessed using a microform (microfilm/microfiche) reader.
Anything in print can be microphotographed to create microfiche; not only books, but also large collections of serials/journals/magazines (from philosophical societies to Ladies’ Home Journal), newspapers, government documents, musical scores… you get the idea. Continue reading “Microfiche in HPNL”