Microfilm Reader Offers Macro Appeal

Historian Barry Morton gives a thumbs-up to the Waukegan Public Library’s new microfilm reader.

He says the new machine is quicker than other models, and offers better and more control options for manipulating images. He’s one to know. In his research, Morton spends a big chunk of his time poring over old archived newspapers. After a point, the old microfilm readers would often make him feel a bit seasick, he says. The flash drive is another huge bonus, says Morton, because it allows him to download what he needs and work on it later.

The library’s microfilm collection includes archived issues of the Chicago Tribune and the Lake County News-Sun and its predecessors, the Waukegan Daily Sun and the Waukegan Daily News, dating back to the 1800s. See the Reference Desk for assistance.