University of Virginia Library

Library Adds New Microfilm Printer

By Rob Buford

The acquisition of a new photographic
reproduction machine by
the Photographic Service in Alderman
Library has been announced
by that department's director, Don
Massey.

Mr. Massey said that the
machine, a Xerox Copyflo, is the
first of its kind to be leased by a
Virginia college. Weighing in

excess of 2,000 pounds, the
machine is valued at $64,000. "We
got the idea from the University of
North Carolina and Harvard University,"
said Mr. Massey.

The equipment should be in
operation within a month and is
expected to make possible several
new services not previously available.
Among these will be the
capability of a direct reproducing
process from microfilm to bond
paper. Unlike in the past, now a
wide range of information stored
and available on microfilm can be
transferred to bond paper which
comes in roll form. The new
process should be, according to Mr.
Massey, "more economical and less
time consuming than in the past."

Further, the added equipment
will be used in the mass reproduction
of library catalogue cards. Said
Mr. Massey, "I believe that at
U.N.C. the same type of machine is
currently turning out 15,000 cards
per day. Within three or four
months, our output of catalogue
cards should at least triple." In the
past his department has handled
this task in a different way.

"Several faculty members have
already expressed an interest in the
new services," Mr. Massey added,
"including one professor who is
undertaking the project of a
publishing of the George Washington
Papers. The papers are on file in
microfilm in the Library of Congress.
All that is necessary is to take
the film out on loan for the short
time needed to transfer the information
to standard bond paper.
The Copyflo machine makes this
sort of task feasible."

Mr. Massey, who became director
in 1967, stressed that he has
attempted to bring about centralization
and development of the
facility.

The Photographic Service is
staffed by professional operators
and specializes in making copies of
these and dissertations. For hours
when the facility is closed, there are
three coin- operated machines available
in Alderman Library.