Folks, just a thanks for all of your kind responses on my questions
regarding scanning of microfilm. Multnomah County started microfilming
in a big way in 1949. As a result, the film varies greatly in quality.
Particularly in the 1960s, there were significant problems with density
variation and splicing (often using scotch tape!). Density readings can
often go below .50. At one point they were actually trying to "save
money" by cutting 35 mm film lengthwise in half to create 16 mm film (or
so I've been told - I still have a hard time understanding how this
could be done, but, looking at some of the film we have in storage, I'll
believe anything!). BTW, I often use this old film as an analogy for
what happens when our sole goal in implementing a conversion process is
"going paperless", with no other thought for process, retention,
metadata, etc...

Fred, thanks for passing on the standards references. We will be
retaining all original film. A good compromise might be to send out
diazo film instead of original film that meets current quality
standards. In the case of poorer quality film, original silvers probably
should go. However, once scanned it might be worth looking into
generating new film from the scanned images, assuming that the new film
could be adjusted to compensate for the poor quality density (and
assuming that this would not result in too significant a loss in
resolution, as mentioned by Ginny).

Dwight Wallis, CRM
Records Administrator
Multnomah County Fleet, Records, Electronics, Distribution and Stores
(FREDS)
1620 S.E. 190th Avenue
Portland, OR 97233
Phone: (503)988-3741
Fax: (503)988-3754
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