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IARA County/Local Records Management - Why Microfilm?

Indiana Archives and Records Administration sent this bulletin at 04/19/2021 09:25 AM EDT

County/Local Records Management
402 W. Washington St. Rm W472
Indianapolis, IN 46204
e: cty@iara.in.gov | ph: 317-232-3380

Hello County/Local Agencies,

In this digital age, microfilm may seem like an obsolete or antiquated medium. Nothing could be further from the truth. Microfilm is actually one of the most cost effective, sustainable, reliable, and standardized storage media available. For the following reasons, the Indiana Archives and Records Administration (IARA) continues to recommend microfilm as a trusted medium for the long-term preservation of permanent and critical records:

Microfilm has a life-expectancy of hundreds of years.
Storage costs are minimal when compared to digital images – microfilm only requires a cool, dry storage location.
When produced in accordance with best practices microfilm is legally admissible as evidence in court.
Microfilm can be scanned in order to create a digital access copy for ease of use.
Equipment needed to read microfilm is simple, particularly in comparison to the equipment and software needed to read digital images.
Microfilm is an analog format, meaning it can be read without the aid of an information technology device.
Microfilm continues to be recommended as a long-term storage medium by the Library of Congress and the National Archives and Records Administration.

IARA realizes that not everyone has a microfilm reader, and may have trouble locating one. Because of this the State Imaging and Microfilm Lab (SIML) has begun producing Digital Access Copies. For a minimal fee, the Lab will create Digital Access Copies of your film, either while filming new records or from existing microfilm. The film can continue to be safely retained over the long-term, while you can use the Digital Access Copy for your day-to-day records needs.

If you have electronic records that do not have a microfilm back-up, SIML is also able to create film from digital files. To learn more about this process, please see Conversion of Electronic Records to Microfilm.

If you have any questions about microfilm, please reach out to SIML Director Kim Hagerty, khagerty@iara.in.gov.

AMY CHRISTIANSEN JANICKI

Records Management Liaison

Indiana Archives and Records Administration

o: 812-929-3882

e: achristiansenjanicki@iara.in.gov |

w: www.in.gov/iara

a: 402 W Washington St, Room W472, Indianapolis, IN 46204

This message was sent to you because you are the Secretary of your county Commission of Public Records (County Clerk or Recorder), or you are a county/local records custodian who has requested to be added to this list. If you no longer wish to receive these messages, please let us know at cty@iara.in.gov, and we'll remove you from our distribution list.