Chemistry Research Guide
Microforms

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

The Periodicals/Microforms area of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library has special machines (microform reader-printers) for viewing all microform formats. The Integrated Sciences and Engineering Library has a microform reader-printer for viewing and printing microfilm and microfiche. 

There are many specialized microform collections and items of potential interest to researchers, including current and historical newspapers, periodicals, UMass Amherst dissertations, government documents, and individual and family papers

An example of a microform collection of relevance to chemistry follows:

Heterocycles (UM/Science Microfilm 24)
Lbrary has: 9 (1978)-23 (1985)
Other issues in paper

For further information on the materials in the microforms collections, contact Emily Alling at (413) 545-6740 or ealling@library.umass.edu .