NARA microfilm now available on DVD

[Simon Orchard]

This is an absolute godsend.

NARA, are currently running a pilot project whereby microfilm rolls are available on DVD, the frames are scanned at 250 dpi in jpg format. It's not on their website yet but if you specifiy DVD on your order form that should be enough.

I got two DVDs at the weekend and found that the best thing to do is to copy the folder containing the scans to your hard drive which makes browsing much quicker. From the copy it's then worth creating sub-folders for each folder and placing the relevant scans in each. a Single folder of 1500 scans numbered 1-1500 can be a little cumbersome to navigate around quicjly.

[byron]

What is the price of one DVD Simon? How is the quality of the scanned film?

[Simon Orchard]

Same as for microfilm ie. $68 outside of the US. The quality is very good. Better in fact i think than you'd get from a print out on a microfilm reader.

I should mention that the reason i got DVDs was because NARA had messed up an order and sent me the wrong films so they contacted me offering the rolls i originally ordered and asked if i'd like them on DVD. When i asked i was told that you can just write DVD or 'require DVD' on any future order.

[byron]

Thanks Simon,

These are good news

[G. Trifkovic]

Thanks for info.

Cheers,

Gaius

[konev]

Simon,

Are they able to put on a single CD and entire roll regardless of how many frames there are?

konev

[Simon Orchard]

I don't know if they offer CDs, I think it's only DVD. A roll of around 1300 frames takes up a little under 2GB.

[William Russ]

Hi All,
Just to follow up on what Simon reported.
I e-mailed Regina Davis at the National Archives and asked her about this. She replied that you can indeed get your order in the form of a DVD instead of a microfilm roll. All you have to do is specify on the order form that you want to have your order processed as a DVD instead of microfilm.
Like Simon, I think this is great news. From now on I will only get DVDs. I just wish that the several hundred rolls that I already have were DVDs .

best regards, Bill

[Richard Hargreaves]

That's excellent. I really must start ordering films from NARA. Is it a fairly easy business? Or is it a complicated affair. I remember a few years ago trying to order the US OH of WW1 on CD and it was a real rigamarole.

[Simon Orchard]

As long as you know which rolls you want by their number (eg. T312-1069) it's straight forward though it takes around 2 months.

[Richard Hargreaves]

Thanks. Time to get the credit card out methinks

[Boby]

Good news!. Perhaps is time to start a microfilm collection in DVD...

[Simon Orchard]

Just a follow up.

I received 4 DVDs today, they were in a rather thin jiffy bag held together with a rubber band. As you can imagine the CD cases had gotten broken in the mail. The good news however is that the order took less then a month as opposed to the usual 2, i hope it's s sign of things to come.

[Peter J. Hertel]

Thanks Simon! Excellent news.I just ordered one on DVD today.

[MLW]

Anyone:

How in the world did do you annotate that you want a DVD copy when using the NARA on-line microfilm order form? I found no way to state I wanted the record in DVD format. What am I missing (perhaps other than common sense)?

On another note - for those who care; NARA will be changing its hours in the future - perhaps by late Spring or Summer. The rumor mill states that the archives will stay open late every Thursday and Friday night and all day on Saturdays.

Thanks in advance.
Marc
http://www.maginotlineatwar.com