Target Audience: Law librarians interested in microform collection management and access
Learning Outcomes:
1) Participants will be able to describe the current status of microform-produced, law-related materials and the availability of microform equipment.
2) Participants will be able to compare options for managing and accessing microform collections.
For nearly a century, microform has provided compact storage of non-binary, human-readable information, allowing libraries to efficiently and effectively increase their collection size and variety of topical content. Recently, the production of microform and microform reading equipment has plummeted, but the quality of digitization from microform has vastly improved. Microform is becoming a legacy format, and libraries must decide what to do with their collections. This program will examine the current status of the production of law-related materials on microform, availability of microform equipment, and digitization of existing law-related microform materials. Additional discussion will cover the options for managing microform collections, as well as access to print and microform-based information in the next decade, including storage and preservation, scanning and digitization equipment, access methodologies, and user services.