Digital Library Center - University of Florida Smathers Libraries

Digital Library Center History: Microfilming

The information below is reproduced here for historical purposes. It is not current nor applicable. Please contact us for any historically related questions.

The main function of the Reprographics Unit is to identify and process embrittled, deteriorated or newsprint materials. Once identified the items are replaced or reproduced in order to preserve the information they contain. The Unit provides services in: Brittle Books & Deteriorated Materials Processing and Micrographics & other Analog Reproduction. The Unit is is staffed by a total of 2 FTE, assisted by other contract (OPS) employees, students, volunteers and community service workers. It is comprised of the following areas:

The Brittle Books Program
The Microphotography Program
Newspapers
- Florida Newspaper Project Grant at the University of Florida as part of the United States Newspaper Program
- Russian Queue
- African Queue
- Florida Queue
- Latin American Queue
- Judaica Queue
- Russian Queue
The Distribution/Sales Program

The Brittle Books Program identifies, receives or gathers, and processes brittle books and other deteriorated materials which can not be repaired for possible reproduction, repurchase or withdrawal. Embrittled materials currently comprise approximately 20% of the book collections - more than a half million volumes, while deteriorated microtexts constitute approximately 5% of the microtexts collection. Currently, only 7% of all embrittled materials are commercially available or will soon be available from other institutions as a result of their own preservation activities.

The Microphotography program receives materials from the Brittle Books Program, target them for reproduction and reproduce them as preservation photocopy or preservation microfilm. It is responsible for tracking, storing, and clearing copyrights and selling copies of the media the Unit produces. The Unit works closely with the Libraries Collection Management Division and the Southeastern Library Network (SOLINET) to cooperatively preserve research resources in a variety of subjects.

Funding for Reprographics Unit activities comes from the State of Florida, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Mellon Foundation.