HOW TO READ YESTERDAY’S

NEWS

A Tech Tools Project bySara Denhart

WHAT IS MICROFILM? A film on which printed materials are

photographed for the ease of storage.

Microfilm has a life expectancy of up to 500 years.

WHAT IS ON THE FILM? Common printed materials found on Microfilm

are: Back issues or archival copies of newspapers The Federal Census from 1790 to 1930 (the

Census for 1940 will be released to the public on April 2)

Municipal records Marriage applications Birth records Death records Church records of baptisms, marriages and

death Military pensioner records, service records

and draft cards Other historical and genealogical records.

LOCATING THE READER Locate the Microfilm reel, you would like

to view on the open Microfilm Reader At the Scott County Public Library, all of

the Microfilm the library offers is in this cabinet, located next to the Microfilm Reader

The Microfilm cabinet and reader are located near the circulation desk in the local genealogical section.

FINDING THE RIGHT BOX Use the corresponding labels on the

cabinet to navigate through the drawers to find what you are looking for.

The library offers federal Census data from the county and from other heritage-related states, like Virginia and West Virginia.

Once you have figured out what you records you would like to review, then open the drawer to locate a specific reel to see.

TURNING ON THE MACHINE

Select a box, which is labeled on the outside what is on the reel, to review.

Sit down at the Microfilm Reader. Turn on the Microfilm Reader.

• The power button is located on the right hand side of the machine

Pull the equipment under the screen toward you to begin the feeding process.

THE MICROFILM READER

OPENING THE BOX Open the Microfilm reel box and remove the

film reel. Take the Microfilm reel and place it in the

correct direction The direction is noted on the supply diagram

located on the machine near the supply reel. The supply is the far left of the machine and

the take-up is on the far right. Use the hole in the center of the reel and

push it into the supply spool until it locks into place.

LOADING THE SUPPLY

Supply spool

Microfilm reel

Supply reel knob

Film fed as

diagram specified

MAKING IT WORK Pull the film from the supply reel and

feed it under the white guide. Then, feed the film through the glass

film chute by pulling it forward and guide the film through it to the take-up spool.

Continue to thread the film through the chute, under the other white guide near the take-up and to the take-up spool.

A CLOSER LOOK

Take-up reel and spool area

White guide by take-up

Microfilm

Film chute

White guide

TAKING IT UP Insert end of film into the take-up reel, so

the film can wrap around the reel via the movement of the spool.

To move the spool forward, use the take-up reel knob clockwise. • This will tighten the film around the take-up reel.• The take-up reel should not be removed.

After tightening the film to the take-up reel, push the equipment back to lens, so the film can be viewed on the screen.

A CLOSER LOOK

Push the handle toward lens.

Lens

Take-up reel knob

MOVING IT AROUND Use the digital tuning buttons to move

the film backward and forward quickly. To move the film slowly, use the tuning

knobs at each end of the reels. After moving the film forward to an

image to view, use the focus, orientation, and zoom rings.• They are located on the outside of the lens to

see the image clearly and in best condition for printing, if necessary.

PUSHING BUTTONS

Fast forwardForwardRewindFast

rewind

FOCUSING ON IT

Focus ring Zoom

ring

Orientation ring

Lens

NOW, YOU’VE READ YESTERDAY’S

NEWS