MICROFILM ^[1]

Microfilming can offer as much as a 98 percent reduction in storage space over storing records in their original paper format. ^[2] And by having a back-up copy of microfilm stored off site, a government can almost immediately recover from any disaster or occurrence that damages its vital records. Produced correctly, microfilm is considered to be archival quality, meaning it is a suitable format for storing permanent retention documents.

But microfilm has disadvantages. No alternative format is going to be a perfect solution for all your records management problems. Microfilming is not cheap. It is a labor-intensive process that requires expertise of the person doing the work. Additionally, if microfilm is not properly produced, developed and stored, it will not stand the test of time.

^[1] In this text, the terms “microfilm” and “microfilming” are used generally to discuss the various micro-photographic processes available.

^[2] Using Microfilming, p.1.