Research Resources 101

Microform are materials which contain small reproduction images of other documents. There are two main kinds of microform: Microfilm is formatted on a roll of film, and Microfische comes on flat sheets of film. You will need access to a special machine called a microfilm reader to view these materials - they work like microscopes, shining light through the film and displaying the images on a larger screen for the user to see. Though it is not a commonly used media any more, many older journals and newspapers owned by the Hekman Library are stored on microform, including some unique collections not found in print or online anywhere else. Some, though not all libraries, will also allow users to request use of their microform through MeL/ILL. 

• Pros: Reproduction shows exactly how the original material appeared ; Good source for primary historical documents ; Some unique collections
• Cons: Little-used format now - delicate material and cumbersome machines ; Limited collections ; Much now available online
• Scholarly or Non? Microform is a preservation method, rather than a publication type, so it may contain reproductions of both scholarly and non-scholarly books, journals, newspapers, etc. Often, these are also primary sources - historical newspapers and books, as well as personal accounts like diaries and correspondence. While primary sources may not conform to scholarly standards of peer-reviewed publication today, they can be considered authoritative sources in their historical context. For example, a first-hand account of the Oregon Trail makes a great source in a academic paper about pioneer experiences, and an article from a right-wing magazine can be an appropriate source if you are writing about conservative perspectives from that time period. 

You can find microform at Hekman Library by searching in the library catalog. Using the Limits options under the search box, change Form to "Microform" - you will then find what materials match your topic from our microfilm collections. Some microform collections are also available in other formats, in print or online, which is usually detailed in the catalog record. 

Here are some of the major collections on microform at Hekman Library:

• Grand Rapids Press (local newspaper, Nov. 1913-Dec. 31, 1931; Jan. 1, 1992-Dec. 31, 2008; not currently received in print)
• Calvin Chimes (college newspaper, 1907-present; currently received in print and available online)
• The Mexico Collection (document the history of Mexico from the pre-Columbian period to the beginning of the twentieth century)
• China Through Western Eyes and Japan Through Western Eyes (primary accounts and documents of westerners in China and Japan from late 1700s through 1930s)
• LAC - Library of American Civilization (American life and literature from their beginnings to the outbreak of World War I) 
• ATLA Microfiche collection (historical monographs on theology and religion topics, approx. 1850-1923)
• Western Americana (pioneer and cowboy life in Missouri River and the Sierra Nevadas from Mexico to the Arctic, approx.1800-1865)
• Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, 1903-1957, Korea Mission Records
• Church Missionary Society Archive: East Asia Missions (Parts 15-19, 1897-1951)
• Methodist Episcopal Church Missionary Correspondence, 1846-1912, Mexico

Updated how-to instructions for our new scanning machines will soon be posted here.

You can always ask a library staff person for help using microform.