Microfilm

Did you know? Nearly 2 million items in the Wisconsin Historical Society Library exist on some sort of microform, including 35mm and 16mm film, microfiche, and microcard, and these represent virtually all the subject areas in which the Library collects.

The Library's collection of newspapers is second largests in the United States, surpassed only by that of the Library of Congress. Many of the newspapers in the collection are on microfilm. In addition to newspapers, you will also find in large numbers on microfilm:

• manuscript collections
• PhD dissertations
• pre-1820 American books
• archival series
• pre-1850 American magazines

Also on microform is the Library's collection of family history records, including published and microfilmed family histories, church and cemetery records, birth, death and marriage registrations, federal and state census, local histories, and military information covering the United States and Canada.

Many of these holdings may be found through searching the Library Catalog (formerly MadCat), although currently you will have to use the card catalogs at the Library to locate a complete list of our newspaper holdings. To reach the Microforms staff, call 608-264-6536.

How to Access WHS Microfilm

Interlibrary Loan:
Many WHS microforms may be checked out for home use, but some heavily used materials (including genealogical resources) do not circulate. The Library has duplicate circulating copies of some Wisconsin county histories and Wisconsin censuses on microfilm. The duplicate copies can be sent via interlibrary loan. Photocopies of non-circulating resources can be obtained through interlibrary loan (depending on copyright compliance and/or physical condition).

Research by Mail/Fax:
For more information on requesting for microfilm by mail or fax, visit Library Services page.

Purchase Online:
You may search for and purchase WHS microfilm of newspapers, magazines, and other material in the Society's collections. Our sales catalog currently lists 12,000 titles of newspapers and periodicals, with more added monthly. In the future you will be able to purchase microfilm of manuscripts, archival collections, or monographs.

To discover if the library owns a particular title, search the Library Catalog (formerly MadCat). For more information, contact the Microforms staff by email at asklibrary@wisconsinhistory.org or call us at 608-264-6536.