Section 2: Microfilm Procedures

The following table describes the procedures involved in a typical microfilming project. Depending on the details of the service purchase, individual steps may be performed by either the customer or the vendor. Vendors who perform the service of microfilming for TxDOT official records should follow the recommended practices issued by American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and/or the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM) as minimum requirements for all microfilming of official records where this chapter does not specify a standard or practice. Texas State Library and Archives Commission
Bulletin Number 2 - Adopted National Standards
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Standards for Original Microfilm

The following standards are established for first-generation “silver microfilm” also known as Silver halide. Silver halide is a specific type of silver gelatin film composed of very finely divided grains of silver. Silver halide is the most light-sensitive of all the films used in microforms, hence it can record the greatest amount of detail and provides the richest tonal variance. It provides the most faithful reproduction of the source document. American National Standards Institute and/or the Association for Information and Image Management have established standards for the production, processing, and storage of this film as an archival medium:
  • First-Generation, silver microfilm – ANSI/AIIM MS23
  • Microfiche – ANSI/AIIM MS5
  • Roll Microfilm – ANSI/AIIM MS14
  • Splices of Microfilm – ANSI/AIIM MS18
  • Quality-Index Graph – ANSI/AIIM MS23
The quality-index graph is standard ANSI/AIIM MS23 must be used to determine the minimum quality index for all microfilm of essential and permanent records and for 10% of the total volume of microfilm of other records. All microfilm of permanent and essential records must meet a minimum quality index level of 5.0. Microfilm of other records must meet a minimum quality index level of 3.6

Standards for Microfilm Duplicates

Microfilm duplicates can be a variety of film, including diazo, vesicular, or silver-halide types. The following standards are required for duplicate film as applicable:
  • Duplicate Baseline - ANSI/AIIM MS43
  • Diazo Film – ANSI IT9.5
  • Vesicular Film – ANSI IT9.1
  • Silver Film – ANSI/NAPM IT9.1

Film Specifications

Original microfilm must meet Standard ANSI/NAPM IT9.1. Film with a polyester base must be used for records having a retention period of 10 years or more. Any film type may be used for official records having a retention period of less than 10 years, provided the microfilmed records will last for the required retention period.

Microfilm Project Procedural Outline

The steps TxDOT (Customer) should consider when selecting the microfilming vendor to ensure specifications are established for the filing project include the following:
Procedural Outline
Step
Responsible
Action
1
Customer and Vendor
Develop specifications for the film job to include the following:
  • Film type (roll film or microfiche).
  • Reduction ratio.
  • Orientation of documents on film.
  • Indexing and electronic image count (blip) marking.
  • Density or resolution requirements.
  • Number of duplicate (back-up copies).
2
Customer or Vendor (According to Service Agreement)
Prepares records for filming by
  • Removing fasteners, buck slips, and unnecessary documents, repairing torn pages, taping small documents to letter-sized sheets and photocopying photographs on a copier capable of producing a usable image.
  • Preparing targets to certify record authenticity, identify the job/file and specific files or folders and places them in front of the folders.
  • Preparing a detailed index of folders.
  • Boxing and shipping records to the vendor.
3
Vendor
  • Films the records and enters the blip (frame) count on the index, which is then filmed and spliced onto the beginning of the roll.
  • Sends the filmed product to Records Management.
  • Retains the records in case any document needs to be re-filmed.
4
Customer
  • Inspects the microfilm and advises vendor of acceptance of the microfilm or corrections needed.
  • Arranges disposition of the hard-copy originals.
5
Service Bureau
  • Films the records and enters the blip (frame) count on the index which is then filmed and spliced onto the beginning of the roll.
  • Sends the film product to Records Management.
  • Retains the records in case any documents need to be re-filmed.

Microfilm Job Specifications

Microfilm job specifications direct the vendor on job requirements and should include information describing:
  • Record series.
  • Microfilm format (roll film, microfiche, or another microform type).
  • Reduction ratio (size of the microfilmed image), which is related to the user's microfilm reading equipment.
  • Orientation (arrangement of images on the film).
  • Filming cycles (if appropriate for frequently scheduled jobs).
  • Distribution of microfilm original copies.
  • Special filming, indexing, or handling instructions.

Preparing Records for Microfilming

Documents are normally filmed on an automatic camera that works like a high-speed copier. Remove any fasteners and use transparent tape to repair tears that will jam the camera. Tape small documents to an 8½ x 11- inch sheet of paper and make photocopies of photographs on a copier with a setting that will produce a usable image.
Purge and Organize - Remove all duplicate copies and unnecessary materials. If there is a choice between original documents, carbons or photocopies use the original documents to ensure optimal image quality. Arrange all folders in the sequence in which they are to be filmed.
Prepare an index of the records - List each folder or subdivision of records to be microfilmed in its proper order. It is convenient to create and insert target sheets while indexing the records.

Original Microfilm and Security Back-Up

Typically microfilm jobs specify production of an original and a duplicate. Use the duplicate for any reference purposes and store the original in a separate location as a security backup.

Disposition of Source Documents

All official records may be maintained on microfilm. Microfilmed records created in compliance with this Records Management Standard is an original record and the microfilmed record or a certified copy of it shall be accepted as such by any court or TxDOT. A microfilmed official record that was produced in accordance with any state law in force before September 1, 1997, is considered an original record.
TxDOT may arrange for the vendor to destroy the original records on acceptance of the microfilm job or may choose to have the originals returned and to manage the destruction internally. The destruction does not have to be documented on the 1420 Records Destruction Form, since the records themselves still exist, and only the media containing them has changed.