History of Science and Technology 

There's another kind of microform called a "microcard."

• Nothing can be done with a microcard except read it. It can't be photocopied or scanned.
  
  
  
• Don't panic if you find something in the catalog that you want, which happens to be a microcard! There is a microcard reader in AV, next to the large viewing room.
  
  
  
• Always ask at the AV Window if you have questions about anything concerning microforms.

The History Research Guide's "Microfilm" page lists microform collections about specific geographic regions.

These are wonderful resources for historical research about one of these regions, and may be hard to find anywhere else.

What's "microform"?

Something in microform is a photographic reproduction of text or graphics, reduced in size so that it must be read with magnification.

The two main types of microforms are those with images

• on transparent material, such as microfilm and microfiche, and
• on opaque material, such as microcards

Microfilm, microfiche, microcard, and micro-whatever are all types of microform. Almost all of JHU's microform materials are film or fiche.

The Eisenhower Library's collections of microforms include newspapers, magazines, books, and government documents.

When would I need to use an item that is in microform?

For example, if you are researching a particular event in history, you might need to consult the newspapers of the day.

We do have historical newspapers online, but they are incomplete. That is, they do not show advertisements, letters to the editor, and other such smaller but historically interesting pieces of the complete newspaper.

What microform sets are kept in AV?

Four sets of microforms are kept in AV rather than off campus:

1. Baltimore Sun, 1834+ (call number A. S96)
2. New York Times, September 1851+ (call number A. N53)
3. Early American Imprints, 1639-1800 (call number C no. 1240)
4. Early American Imprints, 1801-1819 (call number C no. 2797)

My microfilm/microfiche is at the Libraries Service Center (LSC).

• For an electronic version of an article from microfilm or microfiche:

1. Look up the item in the catalog and copy the call number

2. Go to the LSC form and choose “article photocopy”

3. The LSC staff will send the article to you electronically

• To get the whole reel of film:

1. Look up the item in the catalog and copy the call number

2. Go to the LSC form and choose “AV loan”

3. The LSC staff will send the film reel to the AV department (on A Level) so that you can view it

We don't own the microfilm/microfiche I need.

• For anything not owned by the JHU libraries, use the Interlibrary Services form to request it