Microform
Microform provides access to "microcopies" of books, manuscripts, newspapers,
government documents etc. These small scale copies, on film or card,
can be read on an enlarging machine (a Microform Reader).
The University of Melbourne Library holds a wealth of material in microform.
You may sometimes find that a book which is unavailable in print form
(due perhaps to a combination of rarity and age) is readily available
on microfilm or microfiche. The Microform Collection in the Baillieu
Library is housed in the Lower Ground Floor. Microform Reader / Printers
are available which allow you to make copies using a photocopy card.
What sort of material is stored on microform?
A huge amount of valuable primary source material is available on microform
(in addition to secondary material).
The microform material held in the Library ranges from copies of individual
items such as -
The Age (Melbourne) [Vol. 1, no. 1 (Tuesday, Oct. 17, 1854)]-
Baill MIC / o A265
- to large collections such as -
The History of Women Ba MIC / o 4982 (1238 microfilm reels containing
books printed up to 1920, and selected manuscipts, periodicals, photographs
and pamphlets)
Anti-Slavery Collection Ba MIC / o 3894 (Anti-slavery tracts,
pamphlets, ephemera etc..)
The World War I Survey (U.S.) Ba MIC / o 5409 (a sample of survey
forms, letters, diaries, memoirs etc..)
How do I identify relevant material in the Microform Collection?
Library Catalogue - Material held in the Microform Collection
is listed on the Library Catalogue with the Call Number prefix MIC.
However, in the case of many of the large collections, for example the
Anti-Slavery Collection, not all the individual items are listed on
the catalogue. There is just the one entry under "Anti-Slavery Collection".
In most cases printed guides to these collections (which contain a list
of the contents) are held in the Library in the Microform Section.
Microform
Collections in the University of Melbourne Library : a guide
- This is a very useful guide to the collection published in 1989. Much
material has been added to the collection since that time, but it is
still a valuable reference. (Copies are held at, and are available from
the Information Desk, and in the Microform Section.)
Information Desk- Ask for assistance at the Information Desk
(Ground Floor, and Lower Ground Floor).
