How does OCLC handle old microfilm produced 30-40 years ago?
The film used to create image-microfilm is either acetate or polyester. Acetate was developed first and is still available today. Polyester is the film base approved as a preservation standard. Acetate has proved to have several disadvantages – it tends to develop vinegar syndrome (decomposition of the emulsion indicated by a vinegary smell), it scratches more easily, it can become brittle along the edges, and it can crack and split very easily with extended use or abuse. Acetate is and was less expensive than polyester. Because of its quality deficits, we recommend that digitization be done from polyester film. If your film is acetate we can make you polyester copies for a modest fee. This gives us a more dependable roll to work with, and helps you remove the acetate film from your collection. However, regardless of the film used, the quality of a digital image is directly related to the quality of the original source material when it was filmed, and the quality of the filming process
