Brian

I am not sure that a straight comparison would be useful because there
are so many variables.  Just a few things off the top of my head...

If you need to reuse a document at some time in the future, there will
be a cost in retyping the information from microfilm. This might not be
a problem if you only have to do this once in a blue moon, but the costs
would add up if you needed to do it regularly. You would also get a
higher document density if you used a DVD which would affect the cost
per page. An even greater economy of scale would occur if you kept the
documents on a file server or in a digital recordkeeping system.

Search costs. Far more efficient to search digital files than filmed
images.

Equipment costs.  If you have a microfilm reader, you will need to
maintain it. The cost of doing so over time will be much greater than
the proportional costs of maintaining a working computer (ie, you will
be using the computer for other tasks when you are not accessing the
documents)

I will ignore the costs of ensuring that the documents on a CD-ROM can
still be read.

I am not even sure that the cost per page would be a meaningful metric.
Why do you need the information?

John Lovejoy
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My own views, not my employers.


>From: Records Management <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Records Management Program <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Per Page Cost Of Microfilm vs. CD-ROM
>Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 16:22:43 -1000
>
>Aloha All,
>
>Just wondering if anyone has a lead on any studies or research done on 
>"per page cost" of storing an item on CD-ROM v. Microfilm.  I found 
>capacity figures on Saffady's book, but I'm trying find out what is the

>cost per page comparison based on prevailing industry costs, etc.
>
>If anyone has this information or where to find it, I'd truly 
>appreciate it...Mahalo!
>
>Brian
>
>
>Brian A. Moriki
>Records Management Officer
>First Hawaiian Bank
>[log in to unmask]

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