Do you need to cite check a superseded state statute? Want to see the full text of an older congressional hearing that's not online? Want to read the CFR from 1953? You have come across something that's only available in microfiche (at least in the Yale Law Library). "Eeeeew. Microfiche. Yuck!" you might say. "Well," we say back to you, "it's not perfect, but it's a good way to store lots of information that doesn't get used very often without doubling the size of the library. We'll even make it up you by letting you print it out for free."

Fiche or film
Most of the Law Library's microform holdings are on microfiche, those little plastic cards. Some items are on microfilm, the stuff that comes on little round reels. Luckily, our readers will take fiche or film, just follow the directions on the machine.

High tech microform: reader/printer/scaners
What's with the computer? The machines in the microform room on L2 are both microform scanners. That means you can send the scanned image to the printer for paper copies, or to the computer for electronic copies. The computers are not on the network yet, but the one near the back of the room does have a Zip drive for moving scanned files, which can be quite large, to your computer.

It's not working
When the computer doesn't recognize the scanner, or gives you an error message, you might have to turn everything off, then turn it all back on, from left to right (printer first, then the scanner, the computer last). Use the phone on the counter to call for help if you get stuck.

How small is "micro"
Microforms come in various sizes. Some are relatively large 24x (24 times smaller than in real life) while others are truly tiny 48x (48 times smaller than in real life). The lenses on the scanners are zoom lenses. That means you can adjust the size of the image by turing the zoom ring on the lens. It's the blue ring in the picture. If you've zoomed all the way in, and the image on the screen is still too small, you're probably using a really "micro" piece of microfiche like the Congressional Record. Ask a librarian for the "bigger" lens.

The lower grey ring (closest to the glass) is what you turn to adjust the focus. The upper grey ring (the one that's not as "pointy" as the other two) is to rotate the image on the screen.

Happy microforming.