Microforms are books, journals or other items that are printed in miniaturized form on rolls, sheets of transparent plastic or opaque sheets. Those that are in long rolls are called microfilm, while those that are on small rectangular sheets are called microfiche. The white opaque sheets are called microprints and microcards. Microforms are used because they allow materials to be preserved in non-paper format and conserve storage space.

Each of the forms require special machines to be read. There are readers available for all formats in the Microforms Department of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library. Microforms is open all hours that the library is open, continually staffed and ready to assist you.

There are many specialized collections housed in the Microforms unit, and many items of potential interest to the Afro American studies researcher.Some of these include:

• Civil rights during the Johnson administration, 1963-1969: a collection from the holdings of The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library, Austin, Texas. UM Microform Storage 6548. 21 reels. For a guide to the collection see Ref Z 1245 C58 or online at Lexis- Nexis
• The Claude A. Barnett Papers UM Microform Storage 6910. 91 reels. For index, see The Claude A. Barnett Papers : the Associated Negro Press, 1918-1967 edited by August Meier and Elliott Rudwick. UM/Ref. E185.5 .N272
• Federal surveillance of Afro-Americans (1917-1925): the First World War, the Red scare, and the Garvey movement UM Microform Storage 669. 25 reels.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. FBI File UM Microform Storage 7602 For a guide to the files see Ref Z 6616 K5 M32 1987 or online at Lexis-Nexis.
• Papers of the NAACP UM/Microform Storage 7578. Numerous reels. For indexes, see
  1. A Guide to papers of the NAACP, part I, 1909-1950 : meetings of the Board of Directors, records of annual conferences, major speeches, and special reports UM/Ref. E185.5 .N272
  2. A guide to Papers of the NAACP : Part 2, 1919-1939 : personal correspondence of selected NAACP officials UM/Ref. E185.5 .N2722
  3. Papers of the NAACP, part 3 : the campaign for educational equality; Legal Department and Central Office records, 1913-1950 / guide compiled by Martin Schipper UM/Ref. E185.5 .N27221 Ser.A-D
  4. ...and other indexes in the Reference collection
  5. or Lexis-Nexis web page for Papers of the NAACP (guides are available for free as pdf documents)
• Slavery, source material and critical literature UM/Microfiche 886. For indexes, see Slavery : source material and critical literature : a list of microfiche editions. UM/Ref. Z7164.S6 S6 1986a
• W.E.B. Du Bois Papers UM/Microfilm 4877. 89 reels. For index, see the book The Papers of W.E.B. Du Bois, 1803 (1877-1963) 1979: a Guide by Robert W. McDonnell UM/Ref. E185.5 .M3
• US Census

just to name a few. There is a vast amount of newspapers on microfilm. We are presently receiving current newspapers from different areas of the country, and have a number of newspapers that are now archival. Microforms also is home to many other periodicals, UMass dissertations, some government documents, and individual and family papers.

Microforms in the Five College Libraries

The Black Power Movement Smith College SC Neilson Microfilm/B North - 644 Guide E185.615 .B533 2001 and online at Lexis-Nexis

For further information on the materials in the microforms collections, contact Melinda McIntosh (413-545-6802; mmcintosh@library.umass.edu).