Image: Microfilm Old Library
Microform is material that contains a small image or microreproduction of a document. It is used to save space as thousands of pages of documents can be stored in this way. It is commonly used as a storage medium for newspapers, government documents, and other archive materials for this reason. The most common forms are microfilm and microfiche.
Since the images are micro sized a specialist reader/scanner device is used to magnify and view the microfilm / microfiche images.
Exeter Campus
The microform reader is located in the Old Library Level -1. Please email library@exeter.ac.uk if you need to use it.
The main microform collection is located in the Old Library. Other archive material is located with subject collections or is available in the closed Roborough Basement collection and is retrievable on request.
All titles and locations are discoverable via Library Search. For example, this link to the catalogue record for the The Times shows availability in print, microform and digital format. You can browse or search to discover available titles.
The Microfilm reader is on the 2nd floor of the Penryn Campus library. Please email library@fxplus.ac.uk for further details.
You can arrange an appointment and Library staff will attend to assist with setup of the Microform reader / scanner
Staff will fit the lens to the scanner for you, and remove it when you have finished.
Please do not handle the lenses yourself, as they are fragile and expensive to replace.
Detailed instructions on using the microform reader scanner are available below, and are also available in printed format at the reader scanner temporarily located in the Old Library.
The microcard reader is on level -1 of the Old Library. Please see vidoe link below on how to use this equipment.