Author Topic: Does anyone know how to use a modern microfilm reader?  (Read 4502 times)

Offline JenB

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Re: Does anyone know how to use a modern microfilm reader?
« Reply #27 on: Tuesday 11 June 19 16:48 BST (UK) »
Our library recently acquired the same type of microfilm reader. Fortunately the staff have been trained in how to use it!

However, it took at least 10 minutes to boot it up (they are all apparently linked into the same Council server at Morpeth).

When the kind library assistant who was helping me found the particular newspaper article I wanted she was able to either have it printed out for me or to email it to me.

She advised me that in her opinion the best thing to do was to locate the article first via the ‘old’ reader and then transfer to the ‘new’ reader to get it copied, because it wasn’t possible to get a good ‘whole page view’ on the new machine.

It does produce a lovely sharp copy, though  :-X
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Offline hallmark

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Re: Does anyone know how to use a modern microfilm reader?
« Reply #28 on: Tuesday 11 June 19 16:50 BST (UK) »
As a matter of inteest..... what happens if one keeps their finger on Ctrl key and then presses the + key a few times?
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Offline River Tyne Lass

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Re: Does anyone know how to use a modern microfilm reader?
« Reply #29 on: Tuesday 11 June 19 16:52 BST (UK) »
Yes, that would have been great if that could have happened .. but then again, perhaps the 'experts' in the I.T department might need a few days, to try to figure this out. ;D  Hopefully, they might have 'cracked the code' on this rocket science by next week and I might be able to view a WHOLE page on my next visit.  ;) ;D
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Offline River Tyne Lass

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Re: Does anyone know how to use a modern microfilm reader?
« Reply #30 on: Tuesday 11 June 19 17:06 BST (UK) »
Hi Hallmark

I am no longer at the microfilm reader so I can't test it out at the moment .. I have pressed so many buttons and keys today to no avail ..  if the 'experts' in the I.T. department can't work it out by next week I will try out your suggestion.

Hi Jen,

That sounds quite a novel idea .. train the staff how to use it first ..  ;D

I know from experience that people find these new machines difficult to use.  I was at North Shields today.  Newcastle library have one new machine and a lot of old ones.  The old ones always get taken up first by users.  If you are really unlucky and you get there last and are sufficiently desperate as a very last resort you can use the new machine.  Perhaps, that is a plus that you might get a sharp image when printing something out.  I usually just want to read something and make a note of it.  I quite detest this new technology of the 'computer says no' variety.  Give me the old machines every time.  Easy to load and locate stuff on .. no pauses for the image to resharpen once you have stopped on forwarding .. no fuss or faff. 
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Offline JenB

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Re: Does anyone know how to use a modern microfilm reader?
« Reply #31 on: Tuesday 11 June 19 17:33 BST (UK) »
Quote
Perhaps, that is a plus that you might get a sharp image when printing something out.

In this particular case I did need an actual copy of the article.

If you think about the size of the screen and the size of a page of newsprint, even if you can achieve 'full screen' you are going to have to zoom in a lot in order to read the text.

Here is our machine at 'full screen' looking at half a page, (and, no, I am not in the shot  ;D the Council Leader has got his camera face on  :-X ) https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/News/2018/Oct/Hexham-library-scanner-a-hit-with-local-history-en.aspx
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Offline Guy Etchells

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Re: Does anyone know how to use a modern microfilm reader?
« Reply #32 on: Tuesday 11 June 19 17:47 BST (UK) »
I notice it is a dual microfiche/microfilm scanner/reader, I cannot see what make it is but the ones I have used require the lense to be changed between reading microfilm & microfiche.
Has this been done?

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Offline River Tyne Lass

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Re: Does anyone know how to use a modern microfilm reader?
« Reply #33 on: Tuesday 11 June 19 18:08 BST (UK) »
Thanks Guy, for this suggestion.  No lens was changed.  However, at this library they only have microfilms not fiche.  However, I will mention this to them next week in case it might turn out to be a lens problem.  Staff did find out that it is possible to get a larger view by turnng the image on its side.  But I don't want to have to sit with my head cocked one side all the time when I am researching. :-\
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Offline Gan Yam

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Re: Does anyone know how to use a modern microfilm reader?
« Reply #34 on: Tuesday 11 June 19 18:09 BST (UK) »

Here is our machine at 'full screen' looking at half a page, (and, no, I am not in the shot  ;D the Council Leader has got his camera face on  :-X ) https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/News/2018/Oct/Hexham-library-scanner-a-hit-with-local-history-en.aspx

The one in this article looks like the new machine at my local archives, and the staff weren't that keen on it and weren't really sure how to use it.  I can't remember how I changed the image view on the screen though.  I found the machine painfully slow, however one of the benefits of it, when I eventually got my head around it is that I could download an image onto a data stick, so didn't have to pay 60p per page for a copy from the old style machine.  I do use an older machine first to find the right pages I want to download to save time because its so slow.
Good luck next time!
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Offline River Tyne Lass

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Re: Does anyone know how to use a modern microfilm reader?
« Reply #35 on: Tuesday 11 June 19 18:37 BST (UK) »
Hi Jen (I have just realised you posted again) and Gan Yam, thank you for these posts.

The newspaper I wanted to look at today was the old Whitley Bay newspaper, which was ahead of its time, in that the print was large enough to be read easily even way back then.  I have never had to zoom in and out for that newspaper using an old machine.

When I am at Newcastle looking at old death notices in the Evening Chronicle, sometimes the print can be very small.  However, on an old style reader everything is so easy.  You can get much more done on them in half the time.  When I have had no choice at libraries such as South Shields (which has all new readers) I have also found these painfully slow.  And I can guarantee that if anyone goes to Newcastle local studies that you will never see anyone on their new reader if any of the old ones are available.  At least, this is what I see in my experience there.

Today on the new reader to get to a decent size, the page had to be increased to a point where there was only a view of the middle of the page.  I do hope I have better luck next time .. I fear it might cost too much to fix the old user friendly reader.  It seems to me that this 'progress' in acquiring these new modern machines is not much cop at all.  I do hope someone out there can invent something better than these hard to fathom, painfully slow, constant adjustments needed machines.  The old machines are much more load and go!

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