Overview
Most of the University Library's microfilm and microfiche collections are located in the film stacks of the History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library. Microfiche is also housed in the subbasement of the Main Stacks. The microfilm is arranged in call number sequence starting on the first floor of the HPNL film stacks and continues on the floor above. Most of the film is organized using Dewey Decimal Classification, but you will also find a small number of reels at the beginning of the collection that are organized using Library of Congress Classification.
Some of our microfilm is also located off-site at the Oak Street Library. Patrons may not browse these materials on the shelf, but Oak Street's microfilm may be requested via the online catalog. Most items can then be picked up within 1-2 business days.
Many of the microfilm and microfiche sets have printed guides that will help you locate the material you need. These guides usually have the same call number as the associated microfilm or microfiche, even though they are paper guides. They are located on the shelves to your right as you enter the film stacks.
Where to Search
- University of Illinois Library Newspaper DatabaseA catalog of newspapers at the University of Illinois Library. Lists newspapers in all formats--print, microfilm, and digitized. You can search for newspapers by title, or identify newspapers by place of publication, date of publication, or by the newspaper's subject or intended audience. Only includes newspapers that are either the original print publication, or else facsimile reproductions of the original print publication.
- University of Illinois Library CatalogUse the Library Catalog to identify books, journals (but not journal articles), microform collections, and digital collections owned by the University of Illinois. The Library Catalog is the primary tool for exploring the collections of the University of Illinois Library, the second largest academic library collection in the United States. In the Library Catalog you can search for books by subject, and you identify the location within the Library of a particular book or journal. Books and journals are organized in the library by subject. Each item is assigned one or more subject headings and a unique call number. Subject headings are standardized terms from the Library of Congress. The call number is based on the Dewey Decimal Classification or Library of Congress Classification. Boolean operators must be capitalized if used: AND, OR, NOT. Interface automatically truncates some search terms unless Boolean operators are used within the same query line. You can also browse catalog records by call number, creating a "virtual shelf browsing" experience.
- I-Share CatalogSearch libraries throughout Illinois.
Interlibrary Loan
As part of the Interlibrary Loan program, you can request microfilm from other libraries and use our machinery to view them. To search other libraries, use the links below.
- Center for Research Libraries CatalogThe Center for Research Libraries (CRL) specializes in collecting obscure sources, mostly non-U.S., to support advanced research. CRL lends these resources to member institutions. Supported by member dues, CRL buys material that is out of reach of individual libraries due to cost, mainly large microform sets. CRL lends items from its collections for up to one year if there are no other requests for the item. Requests to borrow CRL materials should be placed using the regular ILL web form (add a note indicating that the material is held at CRL).
- Library of Congress NewspapersSearch the Library of Congress's newspaper holdings.
- WorldCatUse WorldCat to find books and other library resources not available at University of Illinois or through I-Share. WorldCat is a union catalog of more than 9,000 libraries from around the world. North American libraries most heavily represented.
Identifying Microforms in the University Library
As a general rule, microfilm copies of individual works are cataloged separately, just like books. These can be searched normally in the online catalog by title and/or author. An example is:
- Nowrojee, Jehangeer. Journal of a Residence of Two Years and a Half in Great Britain. London: W. H. Allen, 1841. (FILM 942.081 N868j, Oak Street Library)
The University Library owns many large microform sets, however, that are represented in the online catalog only under a collective title, without records for the individual works in the collection. Two examples of this type of set are:
- Eighteenth Century French Fiction. Microfilm of 18th-century French books in the Library of Congress, Newberry Library, Bibliothèque nationale, and other libraries. (FILM X840.8 Ei44, RBML)
- American Women’s Diaries (Western Women). (FILM 305.40978 Am35, HPNL)
In some cases, sets with collective or generic titles have been fully cataloged (especially those acquired more recently) and are therefore included in the Library’s online catalog (e.g., Records of Antebellum Southern Plantations), so you should always start your search by looking in the online catalog.
Newspapers on Microfilm
The University Library has an extensive collection of historical newspapers on microfilm. In addition to the online catalog, historical newspaper titles on microfilm can be found by searching the University of Illinois Library Newspaper Database. This database features searching by place and date of publication.
Newspaper titles may also be included within microfilm collections, such as:
- Underground Press Collection 1963-1985 (FILM 071.3 Un3)
- Periodicals by and about American Indians 1923-1981 (FILM 973.049705 P418)
- Early English Newspapers (FILM 072 EA76)
- Newspapers from the Russian Revolutionary Era (FILM 057.1 NE)
For more information about finding newspapers, see our newspaper guides.