CSJ-S-M Microfilm-fiche sets saved! Archive to preserve them

By Cindy Safronoff

Not all of the used items that pass through our doors are paper. Recently, we received large collections of film materials from Christian Science Reading Rooms. These rare items were saved from the trash bin, and then this joint activity was able to find an appreciative new archival home where they will be preserved for posterity.

We received a set of the Christian Science Journal and Sentinel on microfiche, transparent cards that have rows of tiny photographic images of pages of the periodicals. To view them, you need to have a microfiche viewer, which we also received.

A sheet of microfiche of The Christian Science Sentinel

A century of The Christian Science Sentinel on microfiche film sheets, organized by year

From another donor we received a set of the Christian Science Monitor on microfilm, similar tiny photographic images of newspaper pages, but on a roll of film, similar to a movie reel. To read these pages you need to have a microfilm viewer, which are more commonly available at public libraries.

Boxes of microfilm of decades of The Christian Science Monitor (daily!)

Close-up of Monitor microfilm page images on a roll

Both the CSJ and CSS microfiche and the CSM microfilm went to the archival collection at Daystar Foundation and Library in Oklahoma City, OK, a relatively new Christian Science history archive and research facility which has been recently expanding its Christian Science materials collections since expanding its archival storage space. Check it out next time you are in OK City.

We still have a microfiche reader that needs a new home. Please let us know if you know anyplace that needs one?

This Compact 4000 microfiche reader needs a new home