HANDLING OF MICROFORMS AT THE BRITISH LIBRARY LENDING DIVISION

Abstract

The British Library Lending Division holds material on both microfiche and roll microfilm. Most of the roll microfilm is 35 mm. The Lending Division prefers to purchase negative microforms. Both diazo‐based and silver image stock is purchased. Microforms are entered in the Lending Division's catalogues and indexes in the same way as conventional literature, with a note to indicate that the item is in microform. The new building at Boston Spa includes provision for a microform store, and cabinets which will be on mobile bases have been especially designed to hold either microfiche or microfilm in one run. Standard published catalogues and bibliographies are used to identify the fact that a particular title has been published in microform; identifying individual items in a series or reel can be difficult. The Lending Division duplicates film and lends the duplicate, a process which is more labour intensive for roll film than for fiche. The need to observe the British Copyright Act 1957 sometimes makes it impossible to provide a service in the most economical way. Conditions imposed by suppliers can govern the format that can be issued. The Division has in recent years purchased a number of special collections on microform.