Microfilm Readers in Use, San Francisco State College, January 1971 (Alternate View)
About This Item
Two individuals work with microfilm readers in a research or office setting at San Francisco State College. The seated user handles documents while operating the reader, as another person in the background adjusts a second machine, illustrating routine use of microfilm for accessing stored records. January 1971.
- Identifier
- TP-ATA-1805
- Date
- January 1971
- Context
In the early 1970s, microfilm systems were widely used in academic and administrative settings to store and retrieve large volumes of information efficiently. These systems complemented emerging computer technologies, representing a transitional period between analog and digital information management.
How They Work:
- A reel of microfilm (visible at the top of the machine) is threaded through the viewer.
- A light source projects the tiny images through lenses and onto the viewing screen on the front.
- Users navigate through the film by turning knobs or cranks, or in some versions, using motorized controls.
- Some machines also had print attachments, allowing the user to make paper copies of what they viewed.
Where and Why They Were Used:
- Libraries, universities, government agencies, and newspapers
- For accessing:
- Historical newspapers
- Census records
- Academic journals
- Archived documents
- Microfilm allowed institutions to store vast amounts of data in a compact, durable format—critical before the digital age.
Related image: TP-ATA-1801 (same setting, alternate angle)
Credits:
Some technical descriptions and historical interpretations were developed with the assistance of ChatGPT, an AI language model by OpenAI.
- Geographic Coverage
- San Francisco, CA
- Type
- Still Image
- Format
- Negative
- Source
- San Francisco State University Archives
- Rights
- Public
- Views
- 412