The National Archives Digital Microfilm Project

[LesleyB]

Hi all

Just noticed this on the National Archives site.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/docu ... rofilm.asp

Digital Microfilm is a project piloting a new way to deliver records online. The National Archives has a large collection of microfilmed records, and we hope that making these available online will increase their accessibility.

We have digitised four series of military and naval records. If the project is successful we intend to add a wide variety of record series covering many different areas of interest. Many of the records are indexes and we hope that these will be helpful in locating other relevant records.

The new way of delivery is by using very large pdfs, each of which contains a whole piece, which could be up to 800 pages long. This means that Digital Microfilm is only available to online users with a broadband connection, and to users in the Reading Rooms at The National Archives.

These records have not been indexed and so you will need to scroll through the pdfs, much as you would when using a microfilm. However, we would be more than happy for users to transcribe any of the Digital Microfilm content and post it on Your Archives, The National Archives' online community of records users.

These documents are free of charge to download. If you try out the Digital Microfilm pilot, we would be grateful for your comments.

Best wishes
Lesley

[Anne H]

Now that sounds really interesting, Lesley - even an invitation to volunteer to transcribe the records!! I'll have to have a good look later on when I'm more alert.

Regards,
Anne H

[paddyscar]

This is a giant leap forward and I hope that the technology shows itself to be widely adaptable for all those celluoids that are so subject to rot and deterioration.

The size of file is a consideration, but broadband access is more readily available than libraries with large microfilmed collections. Our area of northern Ontario is not exceptionally suited to broadband because of the terrain. While not as high as the mountains of Scotland, the Cambrian shield is just as rocky and loaded with signal-interfering ores and minerals resulting in dead pockets all over the place.

Frances