Microforms are books, journals, or other items printed in miniaturized form on microfilm (rolls of film), microfiche (small rectangular sheets of transparent plastic), or microprints/microcards (white, opaque sheets). Microforms preserve delicate materials and conserve storage space.

The Microforms Dept. of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library has microform reader-printers for viewing all microform formats. Visit the Microforms Dept. Desk on Floor 3 to page microfiche designated "UM Gov.Docs. Fiche Storage" in the Library Catalog. Fill out the Page Form so that Microforms staff can retrieve the microfiche you need.

Many specialized collections and items of potential interest to researchers reside in the Microforms Collection, including current and historical newspapers, periodicals, UMass Amherst dissertations, government documents, and individual and family papers.

The Microforms Collection contains a wealth of historical government information. A number of federal and Massachusetts state government document collections follow.

| Federal | | Massachusetts |

Federal

Confidential U.S. Department of State Central Files [1930-1959]
Covers Palestine-Israel, Central America and Cuba, Far East, Great Britain, Spain.

Confidential Diplomatic Post Records: Central America [1930-1945, Middle East [1925-1941], Russia and the Soviet Union [1914-1941]
Papers from American diplomats covering politics and government, economics, and foreign relations.

Documents and Minutes of the National Security Council [1945-1961]
Contains formerly classified formal policy papers, background documents, records of actions, memoranda.

Federal Surveillance of Afro-Americans [1917-1925] (Microfilm storage 6691)
At the center of this collection is the enormous surveillance files of the Department. of Justice's Bureau of Investigation. Relevant files concerning black political activities have been included, such as politically motivated draft resistance, investigations of violations of the Espionage Act, and files on prominent Afro-Americans such as William Garvey, W.E.B. Du Bois, Jack Johnson and others.

FBI Files: M.L. King [1958-1977] (Microfilm 6553), R. Oppenheimer (Microfilm 7130), National Negro Congress [1936-1961] (Microfilm 7711), Black Panther Party - N.C. [1968-1976] (Microfilm 7712)
Contains day to day surveillance reports, investigative reports and memoranda, speeches and correspondence.

Presidential documents series [1939-1969]
Minutes and documents of cabinet meetings, papers and speeches of cabinet officers, correspondence, and special reports.

Public Statements by the Secretaries of Defense [1947-1981] (Microfilm storage 6906)
Traces the growth of the defense establishment through press conferences, briefings, official testimony, interviews, and speeches.

Records of the Joint Chiefs of Staff [1942-1955] (Microfilm storage 6519-6529)
Contains operational reports, research and development studies, intelligence estimates, contingency combat plans, and policy studies among other items.

U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. "Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940" (Microfilm D 111)
Contains census rolls that were usually submitted each year by agents or superintendents in charge of Indian reservations. The data on the rolls varies to some extent, but usually given are the English and/or Indian name of the person, roll number, age or date of birth, sex, and relationship to head of family.

U.S. Bureau of the Census. "Population Census Schedules, 1790-1930" (Microfilm D series)
Schedules for each decennial census contain individual names of persons in families. These are the census records used by geneaologists. They contain no statistics.

U.S. Congress. "American State Papers" (Microprint 34-35)
Most comprehensive compilation of Congressional publications of the first 14 Congresses, as well as some of the later Congresses to the 25th Congress.

U.S. Congress. "Serial Set, 15th-34th Congress, 1817-1857" (Microprint uncataloged)
Compilation of Congressional reports, documents, and treaties.

U.S. Continental Congress. "Papers, 1774-1789"(Microfilm D 7)
Includes journals, letters, committee reports, and state papers.

U.S. Department of State. (Microfilm all D Series)

Consular Despatches
Communications from consuls to the Dept. of State on commercial activities, protection of U.S. citizens, political and social conditions.
Decimal File 1910-1929
Records on a country's internal affairs, economics, development, relations with U.S. and other countries.
Diplomatic Despatches
Reports from U.S. representatives abroad include correspondence and newspaper clippings.
Notes from Foreign Legations
Communications to the Dept. of State from foreign legations and embassies in the U.S.

U.S. Department of State. "Records of the Department of State Relating to World War I and its Termination, 1914-1929" (Microfilm D 223)
Records relating to the problems arising from the wartime conditions during 1914-1918 and to peace negotiations. Subjects cover neutrality, warfare, prisoners of war, and the armistice.

U.S. Military Intelligence Reports [1911-1943]
Covers Europe, Japan, China, Argentina, Mexico, and Soviet Union with reports on internal politics, socioeconomic conditions, and foreign affairs. Reports include interviews with military and government officials, evaluations of political parties, analyses of military action, recommendations for the direction of American policy.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts. General Court. "General Court Documents," 1967-1995 (Microfilm D266-7)
Massachusetts House and Senate bills and legislative reports.

Official Publications of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1975- (Microfilm D268)
Reports and documents issued by executive agencies, committees, and commissions of the Massachusetts state government.

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