Metamorfoze Preservation Microfilming Guidelines, Blueprints

Introduction

The Metamorfoze Preservation Microfilming Guidelines are the guidelines applied by Metamorfoze, the Netherlands' National Programme for the
Preservation of Paper Heritage. They are to be regarded as representing
a standard for 'preservation microfilming', which means that the
microfilm serves to preserve the content of the original for posterity.

Metamorfoze started in 1997. The programme - a cooperative effort of the
Koninklijke Bibliotheek (the National Library of the Netherlands) and
the Nationaal Archief (the National Archives of the Netherlands) - is
financed by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. The
programme is coordinated by the National Preservation Office at the
Koninklijke Bibliotheek. The programme focuses on the preservation of
collections that suffer from autonomous decay, ink and copper corrosion
and acidic paper. The types of material vary widely: books, newspapers,
manuscripts, letters, photographs, maps. The heritage institutions
involved are libraries, archives, museums and cultural or historical
heritage institutes. The method chosen is to preserve the information by
capturing the content of the originals on microfilm. In addition, the
originals are securely packaged and stored and withdrawn from use.

At the start of the programme, in 1997, quality standards for microfilming were developed to ensure optimum quality of the microfilms produced as part of the programme. These standards were in keeping with the international standards for preservation microfilming in place at the time. Since 1997 these standards have been repeatedly adjusted in detail. Some sections have been elaborated, based on ongoing practice
and research. In the latest versions of the guidelines these adjustments
and new insights have been incorporated.

The fundaments on which we have built the guidelines throughout the
years, is the aim that the preservation microfilm has to be as good as
the original. All information that is visible on the original must be
visible on the black-and-white preservation microfilm, all following
generations' microfilms, as well as the analogue and digital user
copies. To achieve this aim we apply our knowledge of sensitometry.
Sensitometry is the photographic science which studies the relationship
between light, contrast, density and the development of a film. The
gamma, the contrast, can be regarded as the most important technical
aspect of an image. That is why sensitometry plays a crucial part in
these partly renewed guidelines.

For preservation microfilming, Metamorfoze only permits low-contrast
microfilms.

If you have any questions or comments about these Metamorfoze Preservation Microfilming Guidelines, please contact:

Hans van Dormolen
Quality Manager Microfilming Metamorfoze
Koninklijke Bibliotheek
The Hague, The Netherlands
Phone +31 (0)70 3140 129
Hans.vandormolen@kb.nl <mailto:Hans.vandormolen@kb.nl>
www.metamorfoze.nl