Microfilm: The Unlikely Survivor in the Digital Age

Microfilm is a medium that has withstood the test of time, being used for well over a century. There are a plethora of reasons for this, not least of which being that it can last more than 500 years when stored in the correct conditions. Prior to the digital age when physical storage was a pressing issue, the ability to store high volumes of information on a small reel was particularly attractive.

With advancements in microfilm readers, the medium became more useable and expanded to encompass a number of uses, from storing financial records to engineering plans and beyond. Furthermore, the realization that preservation of many materials was an issue contributed to its increased popularity. For example, by the 1960s microfilming became standard practice for libraries concerned with storing and preserving deteriorating newspaper collections and books in danger of decay.  

In the digital age, microfilm has proven extremely resilient. Unlike other storage technologies – floppy disks, CDs, etc. – it is still used in a number of industries for various types of information, and for good reason:

• It expands storage capability without the risk of putting valuable items and information at risk of damage or deterioration

• Storage is much cheaper in comparison to paper

• It stands the test of time, with a life expectancy of 500 years if stored optimally

• It is very difficult for users to damage or deface

That said, as microfilm scanners and services advance, more organizations are considering microfilm scanning as a viable option.

Microfilm Scanners & Technologies in the Digital Age

While microfilm is still alive and well, advances in digital and optical character recognition (OCR) technology are beginning to shed light on some of the shortcomings of the medium, namely:

• Limited indexing capabilities

• Microfilm readers are not user-friendly

• Susceptible to misfiling and misplacement

• No searchability, meaning that select information has to be manually pored over to locate

• Printing microfilm requires specific reader-printers, which are often unavailable and/or cost prohibitive

• Only one user can view the information at any one time

Advancements in microfilm scanners and other microfilm scanning technology have mitigated the majority of these issues. Microfilm digitization allows for preservation of information, but also offers searchability and indexing capabilities. Additionally, opting to scan microfilm allows for the centralization of information resources, secure storage, and data back-up, all at a smaller cost.

Will Microfilm Be Replaced Completely?

While in many cases microfilm scanning makes sense, in others it might not. The condition of the microfilm itself, for example, can affect the decision on whether or not to scan, as it could elicit poor results or prove too time-consuming. It also may not be feasible given the volume or nature of some companies’ content.

Even if these issues are improved with advancements in document scanning technology, there is still the legacy of the medium itself: according to the Head of Collections Development at the New York Public Library, many people still prefer microfilm to browse large quantities of data. So while digitization is increasingly popular for many businesses and organizations, there will likely always be a place for microfilm.