Does your organisation still rely on records archived on microfilm and microfiche? It may be time to modernise your records and convert your 16mm and 35mm microfilm, aperture card, and microfiche records to single and multi-page PDF files. If you’re not yet convinced, here are five advantages of scanning and digitising your microfilm and microfiche collection:

1. Microfilm degrades over time. As a physical media, the quality of images stored on microfilm can break down. Microfilm can have an archival life of less than 40 years. Scanning will result in the highest quality digital files that can last indefinitely.

2. Retrieving documents stored on microfilm or microfiche is time-consuming and unproductive. It’s much faster and more efficient to search for digital files especially if that have had OCR applied rather than to having to search through filing cabinets, boxes or a compactus to find the right file.

3. You need specialised equipment to view microfilm and microfiche equipment. Unlike digital files that can be read by computers or even smartphones, you need a special viewer to read documents stored on microfilm or microfiche.

4. You have a high risk of losing documents. Digital files can be stored and backed-up on USB, hard drive or in the cloud. Microfilm and Microfiche, like other hard copy formats are at risk of being damaged by moisture, excess humidity, fire, flooding or mishandling.

5. Microfilm and Microfiche take up space. You’ll need to allocate valuable office space to store not only the microfilm and microfiche but the reader equipment as well. Converting these to digital will reduce the files’ physical footprint.

Scan2Archive offers in-house microfilming services. Our strict quality control processes will even identify the degraded film and can restore these so that they can be scanned. Our professional services are backed by AS/NZS ISO 9001:2015 Quality Accreditation. Contact us today so we can help you digitise your microfilm and microfiche archives.