Penrose Library has two Microfilm ScanPro 2000 workstations, located outside the Research Center, which can be used to view, print, and digitize images from all types of microforms, including microfilm, microfiche, and microopaque. (For more about microforms, see our What is microfilm or microfiche? Good Answers blog post.) 

The scanner allows cropping so that you can capture the whole page of a newspaper or just the desired portions of a document.  Multiple pages can be saved into a single PDF document, which can then be transferred to a jump drive or emailed.  The PDF can be viewed in Adobe Reader to take advantage of the zoom feature.

Deposition concerning Mary Dodd, pamphlet shop keeper, 1714. Portion of scanned image, from the Complete Hanoverian State Papers Domestic, 1714-1782 microfilm collection.

We have instructions posted at the workstations, and, when open, staff at the Research Center desk can assist.

Sometimes when you are searching the catalog, you come across an intriguing book, DVD, or other interesting material but don’t have time to request it at that moment.  How do you mark that particular item so that you can get back to it at another time?  Here are some suggestions for creating a retrievable list of favorites:

1)  Every item in the library catalog has a permanent URL attached to its record.  You can bookmark this permanent URL for when you want to get back to the record in the future.  Start at the library’s homepage, go to the “Books, Journals, and More” tab and search for your item.  If you are in the Encore version of the catalog, you will need to select the “Classsic catalog” link to the right under “Other Sources” in order to retrieve the record with a permanent URL.

Once you have identified the permanent link, paste it into your browser and go directly to that page.

Now you can save that page as your favorite!

2)  If you have a RefWorks account, you can export the item’s record from the Encore version of the catalog and save it in a “Favorites” folder.  From the record, click on the “Export to RefWorks” link in the top toolbar.  (If you don’t see this option at the top of the record, you are probably in the Classic catalog.  Search for the title of your item as a keyword search from the main search box under the “Books, Journals, and More” tab.  This will search for your item in Encore and retrieve the record with the “Export to RefWorks” option).

3)  Use the “Community Tags” feature in Encore to mark your favorite records, which can be retrieved later with a keyword search.  In order to make this effective, you will want to choose a unique tag, so that you don’t also retrieve other unrelated material.

From the title’s library record, scroll to the bottom and select “Add a tag.” After logging in with your ID and passcode, you will be able to assign your tag.  Now when you want to return to the record, search in the Encore version of the catalog (main search box under the “Books, Journals, and More” tab) with your unique tag.

When you execute a search in the classic library catalog on a regular basis, try saving it as a “Preferred Search” in your library account so that you are notified of new arrivals on that topic by email.  You can save any sort of search:  keyword, author, call number, and Library of Congress subject headings.

For example, if you are interested in receiving emails whenever materials about seventeenth-century Dutch art are added to the collection, find the Library of Congress subject heading for seventeenth century Dutch art, which is Art, Dutch 17th Century, and then:

•  Log into your account via the View Account link and click on Search the Catalog:

• Follow these steps:
  1) Verify you are logged in to your library account.
  2) Select the type of search and enter the search terms. Click Search.
  3) Click the “Save as Preferred Search” button.
  4) Click the “Return to Your Record” link.

• In your account, click on Preferred Searches on the left side of the screen, then click in the “Mark for Email” box, and then on the “Update List” button:

• Thereafter, whenever new materials with this subject heading are added to the classic library catalog, you will get an email notification.