It is so twentieth century, but one of my research projects involves reading some Revolutionary War period statute books, and they have arrived on microfiche. The CWI library doesn't have microfiche readers, so if I can't borrow one, I will have to go to BSU library to read the microfiche. I would prefer not doing that if I can avoid it.
I am told that one of the other interlibrary loan requests is a 1791 Vermont statute book... and it is old, and smells bad. This could be entertaining.
Contact your local LDS Family History Center. You can find the closest one at https://familysearch.org/ (towards the bottom of the page).
ReplyDeleteThey usually have microfiche readers that you could probably use.
A quick search turns up various not *too* expensive readers, including these hand held ones:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.micrographicsolutions.com/hand.htm
Another possible solution would be to use a small light box and a magnifier app on your smart phone. Might need to use a jig to hold everything steady, but with a mill and some plastic around that shouldn't be a problem.
I have visited the LDS Family History Center in Boise before. Unfortunately, they are not dramatically more convenient than going to BSU, with more limited hours. (Because of my day job.)
ReplyDeleteWHy not scan the fiche? A web search shows ways to do that with a flatbed or a film scanner. Of course you are talking too many to do which may make it impractical.
ReplyDeleteBoise Public Library used to have those on the 3rd floor periodical section. I am going down their Sat morning and will see if they still do.
I've not had much success scanning microfiche on a flatbed scanner -- it really requires a backlit scanner, and the fiche doesn't fit in to the slide and film scanning holders, and the magnification required makes the text fuzzy -- readable for most printed text, but not so much for footnotes, annotations, and special symbols.
ReplyDeleteWhen I looked into it last, the most successful "do this at home" technique involved holding the fiche in exactly the right position in a slightly-hacked non-carousel slide projector, while someone else takes a high-rez photo of the projected page image.
I am not sure that it makes sense to buy one, even at $124. I'll just suffer through driving to BSU library for a Saturday or two.
ReplyDeleteIn my earlier comment I was trying to say "if you have too many to scan such as boxes worth may make it impractical." But then again if you are going through everyone of them maybe not...
ReplyDeleteAnyways the Boise Public Library main branch does have two nice machines on the 3rd floor and they both make copies.
w: Thanks! Boise Public Library parking is far less of a problem than BSU Library parking.
ReplyDelete