This article discusses the challenges and response strategies for library resource preservation in the face of microfilm production termination.
Manufacturing Company's Production Termination Announcement and Impact
Fujifilm Corporation announced that microfilm (light-sensitive materials) will cease final orders on December 26, 2025, and microfilm processing chemicals on March 27, 2026. Since film materials have a usable lifespan of approximately 2 years, stockpiling is impossible, making domestic microfilm creation virtually impossible within the next 2 years.
The Institute of Developing Economies (IDE) Library has prioritized collecting newspapers and statistical materials from developing countries as local information sources, using microfilming for decades to address paper deterioration and storage space issues. As one of Japan's leading libraries in terms of film holdings, the library aims to share accumulated preservation knowledge with other institutions.
Characteristics of Microfilm as a Preservation Medium
Long-term Preservation and Reliability: PET-based films used since the 1990s can be preserved for 500 years under conditions of 21°C or below and 30% humidity or below. They are extremely difficult to alter, ensuring high record reliability, and require no electricity or special equipment—only a magnifying glass and light for viewing, guaranteeing readability even in disasters.
Comparison with Digitization: While digitization excels in searchability and accessibility, it carries risks of alteration and migration management challenges with system updates, potentially making materials inaccessible without proper management. Currently, digitization costs for large materials like newspapers or deteriorated resources often exceed double those of microfilm, presenting cost challenges.
Deteriorated Film Reproduction Issues and Response Strategies
TAC-based microfilm used until the mid-1990s experiences a deterioration phenomenon called "vinegar syndrome." TAC films showing deterioration such as stickiness or warping cannot be directly digitized due to risks of scanner damage and image distortion/loss, requiring initial reproduction to PET-based film before digitization.
Need for Urgent Response: It is essential to reproduce deteriorated films of high priority in terms of rarity and importance to PET film within the next 2 years. From the library's experience, TAC films created over 50 years ago (before 1975) show notable deterioration, making these priority targets when no alternatives exist at other institutions.
IDE Library's Three-Stage Preservation Strategy
First Stage: Target TAC-based films created before 1975 with no alternatives at other institutions, determining priority based on rarity and importance, and selecting materials for reproduction within the next 2 years.
Second Stage: Advance preservation environment improvements such as separating TAC and PET films to minimize deterioration progression while preparing for future digitization.
Third Stage: Consider disposal for films deemed to have low preservation necessity, including the option of "not preserving" to effectively utilize limited resources.
The article demonstrates that facing the reality of microfilm production termination, libraries urgently need to make priority preservation decisions based on their holdings and usage patterns, constructing realistic and sustainable preservation strategies.