Microformats

Preservation review

Three ranges of films will be unavailable from October 13-20, as we test them for material composition and signs of degradation. These ranges are:

3203.605.90.1-3203.605.90.18

3199.371.39.3-3199.371.39.249

3848.5.1-3848.5.11

Handling microformats

Please use nitrile (not cotton) gloves to handle all microformats. Try to handle only the edges.

The ST View/Scan II microform reader/scanner

Picture quality

For better picture quality on the ST ViewScan II microform reader/scanner, select 1200 dpi (click on Capture, Output, Resolution).

The camera works from top left when enlarging.

If files are too big and/or taking too long to transfer, try downscaling to 300 dpi.

+/-: Avoid. Digital zoom is inferior to manual zoom. Use Magnify to increase pixel count by magnitudes of 4.

To reduce cropping of page into tiny box: under the Cropping tab, click on Magnify.

Usage statistics

To obtain usage statistics such as a scan count, follow these steps.

Open software.
Click File.
Click About.

Printing scans

Occasionally patrons wish to print from the ST ViewScan II. This is tricky as it isn't networked to a printer. Here is a workaround:

Insert a USB drive into the computer (there are spare drives in Christina's drawers).
In the File tab, select the images to print, select Adobe PDF (Default) in the drop-down menu, and click Print.
Save the file with an intuitive name. I recommend the call number of the film as patrons sometimes make scans from several films and have difficulty remembering which film contained which frames.
Eject the drive.
Insert the drive into the printer's USB port.
Using the down arrow key, navigate to the file and click the OK button.

The microcard reader

Occasionally, a patron wishes to view a microcard. These may be scanned with a smartphone camera, however we do have a microcard reader. It resides in the beige locker opposite the last bank of microfilm cabinets.