The Microfilm Newsletter 001

P.O. Box 215 4 / Grand Central Station / New York City, New York / 1 0 0 1 7 / Tel: (212) MU 7-0890 May 1969 NMA Convention Preview Issue INDUSTRY BOOM CREATES INFORMATION "GAP". Though all agree microfilm uses and sales are soaring, no true figures available on industry-wide activity. Major suppliers --Kodak, 3M, etc.--have non-disclosure policy.

Inquiries draw educated guestimates from NMA., industry leaders. Current total for equipment sales, service, in-plant purchases pegged at $300-500 million, thanks to upsurge in business applications which move microfilm off archival, engineering plateau. Field growing at 18% annual rate says NMA. Industry execs look for $1 billion-plus in 1975, perhaps $5 billion in 1980. Rosy view reflects rise of microfiche systems, microfilm publishing and computer-output-microfilm (COM) as significant factors. Borne out by increase in number of such exhibitors and visitors at NMA convention. Setting up program for solid statistical data-- like American Iron & Steel Institute, Society for Industrial Security, other major industry associations-- should be vital for new NMA administra­ tion. Ultimately necessary step to give industry "big league" status.

Some sources. Obtaining data a multi-faceted job. Vendors supply some figures; systems staffs good for application ideas. Trade magazines useful to watch for uses, trends in specific areas. Business: Administrative Management, Information and Records Management, Modern Office Procedures, The Office. Data Processing: Business Automation, Datamation, Data Processing, Data Systems News. Engineering Reproduction: Business Graphics, Plan and Print, Reproduction Methods, Reproductions Review, Repro­ graphics.

Industry: IMC Journal, (NMA) Micro News Bulletin, (NMA) Journal.

The Microfilm Newsletter. Monthly report of news about industry suppliers and users, new applications, products, literature and trends to watch begins in Septem­ ber. Preview issue keyed to NMA convention. First industry-wide newsletter. Annual subscription $35, charter subscriptions (before September 1) $25.

NMA CONVENTION ACCENTS "INSTANT INFORMATION". Theme of 18th annual National Microfilm Association Convention (Boston May 6-8) stresses new developments which expand micro­ film's usefulness in active systems. Big emphasis on COM and information storage and retrieval systems. More COM-oriented companies present (exhibitors or onlookers) than ever before. List includes Beta Instrument, Control Data, Computer Industries, East­ man Kodak (KOM-90 group), Information International, RCA, Stromberg DatagraphiX, 3M EBR Systems.

Information storage and retrieval similarly represented by HF Image Systems, Microform Data Systems, Mosler Information Systems, NCR (PCMI), Remington Rand Div., Sperry Rand, Sanders-Diebold.

CONTENTS Microfilm Industry Information Gap.... .1 NMA Convention Accents COM, systems... 1 Microfilm in Finance/Education.......... 2 Microfilm Publishing Developments.......2 Growth of Seminars...................... 3 Trends to Watch......................... 3

COM Service Companies Sprout.......... 4 Magazine Digests....................... 4 Worth Getting.......................... 4 Sources for Standards Data.............5 Company Profile/Atlantic Microfilm.... 5 Selected Microfilm Stocks..............6

(c) 1 9 6 9 by T h e M ic ro film N e w s le tte r. Published m o n th ly b y th e B adler G ro u p , e ffe c tiv e S e p te m b e r, 1 9 6 9 .

N o t to be reprod uced w ith o u t perm ission.

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Big on COM. Opening day features paper on COM systems. Second day session on COM interface. Exhibits include COM output units (readers and reader-printers). NMA Standards Committee for COM, headed by Dr. Carl Nelson, meets during convention, aims to submit technical standards recommendations by Sept. 1. NMA also conducting com­ prehensive survey of COM experiences and interests among microfilm users; Don M. Avedon heads project.

In addition to COM output units, exhibitors emphasize low-cost desktop readers; diazo duplicators; visible fiche housings binders and open files.

MICROFILM IMPACT STRONG IN FINANCE, EDUCATION, PUBLISHING. New systems, applications, software and hardware packages increase usage at geometric rates.

Big finance thinks small. Recent develpments: conversion of Merrill Lynch's 4-million page Securities Research Division Library to microfiche by NCR with dis­ tribution rights to Microcard Editions.

Includes a decade's data on all NYSE and Amex companies, the Fortune 500, and 1,200 selected over-the-counter companies. Prices average 50<: per 4x6" fiche, average of seven fiche needed per company....Leasco's contract to offer microfiche copies of all SEC filings.... University Microfilm's contract to do same for all NYSE files with quarterly updates.

Education takes close look at microfiche. US Office of Education gives $119,520 grant to Denver Research Institute for 1-year study of ultra-documentation systems.

Study on "Characteristics of Ultrafiche Systems and Their Application to Colleges and Universities" will review state of art, then design and perform experiments to test user response, analyze psychological, social and economic factors relating to use in schools.... OE has also funded study on microforms use in libraries by Association of Research Libraries, contemplates study on microforms for junior and community colleges .... RAND Corp. issues proposal "A Billion Books for Education in America and the World" based on still-continuing research on application of ultrafiche to college and university needs. Proposal sees 1,000 libraries of 1 million volumes each. Cost: $581 million.... Encylopedia Brittanica announces plan to develop comprehensive series of source and research libraries in ultrafiche. First series, "Library of American Civilization, Beginnings to 1914," due in Fall 1970. Final format undecided. Esti­ mated cost: $15,000 compared to $450,000 for equivalent hard copy volumes.

Microfilm Publishing. Service data books (parts catalogs) on film create whole new industry. Five leading publishers. Thomas Register utilizes fiche system, lists specs for 75,000 manufacturers' products, also government and military specs....

Information Handling Services Inc. (VSMF) uses cartridge system, strong in aerospace industry, offers 1%-million pages of catalog data; also sells publishing service to companies for their own use. Clients include multi-location corps, such as York Div., Borg-Warner, Sylvania, Gas Utilities, Inc.... McGraw-Hill/Sweets Industry Div. uses cartridge system, also strong in aerospace as well as general manufacturing....

Showcase Corp. accents architecture and construction and has over 250,000 construction plans and product specs from 2,600 companies in cartridges.... Pandex Div., Crowell Collier and MacMillan Inc., hits science field, maintains science subject fiche for 2,000 scientific journals and 6,000 books.

Leading vendors also in microfilm publishing. University Microfilms (Xerox) has close to 600,000 volumes for scholarly library field on film.... Bell & Howell Micro-Photo Division offers extensive library of leading US newspapers (except NY Times which films and sells on its own).... 3M International Microfilm Press moving into educational market, putting reference collections of NY Public Library (100,000 volumes, 37 million pages) on film, will make up 25,000 reels on completion.... other vendors sell micro-publishing systems to industrial companies for internal, external distribution-- i.e. NCR PCMI parts catalogs for Ford dealers.

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KNOW-HOW NEED SPURS SEMINARS. Quest for microfilm knowledge boosts growth of quick courses for uninitiated. Some industry-sponsored, most offered by consultants. Accent is on retrieval systems and COM technology. Typical are sessions held at Association meetings, at hotels on open-to-paid public basis, and on company premises for execs.

Examples are seminars at NMA convention, AMA's NY-based microfilm information retrieval systems series, road show on information retrieval and microfilm techniques sponsored

by Information Education Institute (IEI and NMA to join forces shortly; Dave Wolfe, former NMA seminar director to develop new seminars with Freeman Dyke, IEI). Others include 2%-hour sessions held on client premises by Yerkes-Wolf Associates; 3-day microfilm program (COM tie-in) given by CEIR, computer services firm, at their Insti­ tute of Advanced Technology. Specialized microfilm seminars also offered by GSA (National Archives & Records Service); Special Libraries Association; Institute for Scientific Information, American Association of Medical Record Librarians; American Library Association; American Society for Information Science.

Consultants move in. Some chair seminars to gain exposure, others work strictly for fee. Among best, most knowledgeable are Dataflow Systems, Document Systems, David Marder Associates, Naremco Services, Sharp & Oughton, Wm. P. Southard & Assoc­ iates.... well-known individual consultants include Carl Nelson, distinguished micro­ film pioneer; Edward Rosse, designer of US Social Security microfilm systems; Milton Reitzfeld, management information specialist with US Navy.

Users create own seminars. Gather to exchange know-how, problems, solutions.

Boeing Aircraft has held two sessions with suppliers, other aerospace users to thrash out problems, come up with new fiche format for drawing systems.... US Office of Edu­ cation held similar sessions with government agency and microfilm association reps to seek recommendations for manufacturers on development of simple, low-cost microfiche reader. Jim Prevel, Acting Chief, Equipment Development Branch, Division of Informa­ tion Technology and Dissemination, USOE, Dept, of Health, Education and Welfare, Washington, DC, seeks user experiences, suggestions, recommendations.

Seminars boost permanent local microfilm groups. Special meetings highlight need for regular local-level discussions. To fill such need, NMA has chartered local chapters. First were Minneapolis, Boston. Wash.(DC), NY, Phila., St. Louis and San Francisco set to be next.

So. Calif. Microfilm Assn., largest independent local group, and Mid West Microfilm Assn., another independent group, likely to affiliate with NMA shortly as well as new Chicago group.

TRENDS: Microfilm interest among records managers. Conference programs of records groups like Association of Records Executives and Administrators and American Records Management Association rely more and more on microfilm. Local chapters seek out speakers with microfilm savvy. ARMA Pittsburgh chapter recently held full-day program on microfilm for 200 area business execs, included demonstrations of systems. Vendors like 3M host meetings for such groups.

Selling the women’s angle. Many top records administrators are women; selling them is often key to successful systems sale. They direct female staffers who do tedious lookup involving heavy ledgers and other hard-to-access records. Ease of microfilm operation and morale benefits quickly apparent to them and reflected in interest they show at meetings of associations at which they are strong (ARMA, AREA, SLA, AAMRL). Knowledgeable microfilm salesmen are wooing female records managers and administrators as well as their male bosses and purchasing agents.

Growth of color microfiche. Now being used to demonstrate color ads and desti­ nation photography (Pan American Airways), by salesmen to show mens' clothing lines to buyers, and to disseminate medical data on healthy and diseased tissue.

Increased

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interest demonstrated by attendance at NMA show displays.

COM SERVICE COMPANIES SPROUT. Rise of COM services spurs growth of new companies, re-orientation of existing ones. Data processing service giants look to enter field; move of Statistical Tabulating Corp. into COM services considered imminent. Main reason, cost. For those who eye leases, new firm, Interface Sciences Corp., special­ izes in leasing COM systems along with peripheral storage and retrieval equipment.

Leaders in COM services. Atlantic Computer Microfilm; Computer Micro Systems; Computer Micrographics; Computer Microfilm Corp; Data Micro Corp; Data Sciences; Datafilm Corp; General Computing Corp; IBM Micro Records Centers; Micromation Systems; Micromation Technical Corp; National Microfilm Corp; Stromberg DatagraphiX; Terminal Data Corp; Xerox Systems Centers.

MICROFILM IN MAGAZINES: A DIGEST OF WHO'S WRITING WHAT WHERE. Information, office and systems industry business papers exploit NMA convention interest, preview show and devote extra space to microfilm in March, April issues. Reader bonuses include handy charts, equipment roundups in addition to usual case studies.

Administrative Management (April). "Guide to Microfilm Readers and ReaderPrinters," 4-page comparison table gives specs on 105 units. Also "Guide to Micro­ film Cameras," chart giving comparative specs on 27 cameras.

Data Systems News (April). Comparison chart on reader-printers covers 73 units from 19 manufacturers.

Issue also includes several case studies of microfilm uses.

Information and Records Management (April-May). Offers five microfilm features, including "When To Use Microfilm," a checklist of pros and cons; a case study of AT&T Treasury Dept's COM system for handling shareholder inquiries; the background behind new microfiche system for Boeing's 747 jumbo jets; a detailed summary of the Mosler 410 computer-microfilm system; and profiles of leading microfilm managers.

IMC Journal (Issue #6). Highlights World Conference on Records, summarizes microfilm association activity around the world, offers a report on microfilm inves­ tigations of the International Council on Archives, and features articles about Eastern Airlines cartridge system for maintenance manuals and microfilm records systems at two hospitals in The Netherlands.

Reproduction Methods (April). April is RMs annual microfilm issue. Features include: "Guide to Microfilm Processors," 3-page listing of 31 units with guide to important characteristics in making a choice, explanation of COM systems, story on how microfilm was used in Apollo 8 mission, and several user case studies.

WORTH GETTING: Microforms: A Growth Industry, 24-page study done for Business and Defense Services Administration, US Dept, of Commerce. Not totally comprehensive (see p.l) but as good as anything around. From Superintendent of Documents, US Govt Printing Office, Washington DC 20402 at 30c per copy.... Microfiche Fact File from NCR Industrial Products Division, Dayton, Ohio 45429.... Glossary of Terms for Microphotography and Reproductions Made from Micro-Images, from NMA, PO Box 386, Annapolis, Md. 21404.... also from NMA is Micro Image Information System, a new booklet describing microfilm forms, applications and systems.... Microfilm: The Form Varies But the Usefulness is Constant, a magazine reprint from Eastman Kodak Business Systems Market Division, Rochester NY 14650.... A Hole In The Card, explanation of aperture card systems, from 3M, Business Systems Division, St. Paul, Minn. 55101....

EDITOR'S NOTE: The September 1969 issue of THE MICROFILM NEWSLETTER will include a summary of essential books for any microfilm reference library.

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SOURCES FOR STANDARDS. Rapid growth of microfilm has led to a variety of forms, techniques, systems. Standardization follows. Newcomers to microfilm sometimes baffled by multiplicity of terms, apparent (but not actual) duplication. Precise standards data available from several sources. NMA has standing committee on stan­ dards and publishes updates of standards it works out in collaboration with American Standards Association.... Specifics on COSATI (Committee on Scientific and Technical Information) standards from Federal Council for Science and Technology, Wash. DC 20506.... Microfiche stnadards around the world from The Microfiche Foundation, 101 Doelenstraat, Delft, Netherlands.... Archival needs and practices from International Congress on Archives, National Archives, Wash. DC 20408.... News about international standardization from International Organization for Standardization (IOS), 1 Rue de Varembe, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland.

INTERNATIONAL SCENE. Sixteen countries now represented in International Micrographic Congress, world organization of national microfilm societies. Third IMC convention set for Frankfurt, West Germany, Sept. 24-26. Convention details from Mrs. Jess Lang, 3M Co., 220-10W 3M Center, St.Paul, Minn. 55101. Lufthansa and American Express organizing tours, can be seen at IMC booth at NMA show. Info on IMC from Dr. Carl Nelson, Exec. Secy., 13388 Hammons Avenue, Saratoga Calif. 95070.... overseas inter­ est in US market dramatically demonstrated at NMA convention. More foreign companies exhibited or appeared than ever before. Well-known firms include Agfa-Gevaert,Canon, Fuji, Konica, Minolta, Ricoh.... World Conference on Records, sponsored by Genealog­ ical Society (Salt Lake City, Aug. 5-8) expects to draw experts from around globe who are responsible for preservation of vital, statistical, historical and genealogical records.

COMPANY PROFILE: ATLANTIC MICROFILM CORP. Microfilm and financial industries look on proposed merger between Atlantic and Areata National Corp. with great interest.

Atlantic is on move. Sales quintupled in less than four years, now stand at $5 million.

Merger involves exchange of shares (1 Atlantic common for 0.40 Areata common) that totals somewhat in excess of $10 million as effective sales price. Atlantic to con­ tinue as autonomous division of Areata, under president Peter Covert, after merger.

Background. Until five years ago more than 90% of 17-year old Atlantic's business was contract services to medical field. Services and products developed for hospitals were offered to other users in 1963. In 1964 Atlantic introduced Micro-Folio system. Real growth began in 1965 when first branch facility opened.

Early growth built through dealer sales; now Atlantic bolsters own direct sales operation. No long-time dealers cut but no new ones added. Today hospital sales down to 50% of total, will always be important but company also services and sells

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and leases equipment of its own design (introduced what was first under-$100 fiche reader and first portable fiche reader for desktop or wall projection; offers fiche printer/ processor and automatic fiche card-to-roll printer) to other industries.

Major Atlantic facilities operate in New York, Indiana, Ohio, North Carolina, Texas and California. Overseas sales, doubled in 1968 over 1967, handled through indepen­ dent dealer network and through Agfa-Gevaert, EK. 3M. Areata. Big in printing (J.W. Clement Co. subsidiary does work for Life, Newsweek, Readers Digest, others) and information processing services to aviation industry (Butler Data Systems subsidiary). Latter ties in well with Atlantic move into COM. Areata also owns and processes timber and lumber products. Sales and earnings for six months ended Dec. 31, 1968 were $52,982,000 and $3,005,000.

Future. Merger will profit both companies. End goals similar-- to make money by serving the information user. Atlantic gains financial resources of larger, di­ versified Areata who, meanwhile, moves into rapidly growing microfilm field. Fits Areata's stated philosophy of "providing a broad array of integrated services to the information generators." Likely moves: Atlantic into microfiche publishing as well as cartridge-format publishing (signing on of Louis Zeh, formerely with University Microfilms is significant) and rapid development of COM capabilities.

MARKET PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED MICROFILM STOCKS:

Traded Atlantic Microfilm Bell & Howell Computer Microfilm Diebold Eastman Kodak Houston Fearless IBM Information Int'l Keuffel 6c Esser Leasco Data 3M Sperry Rand Xerox

OTC NYSE OTC NYSE NYSE OTC NYSE OTC OTC ASE NYSE NYSE NYSE

High* 14 73 15 52 76 3 318 20 28 54 106 54 272

1/2 3/8 1/2 7/8 3/8 1/2 1/4

1/8

April 25, 1969

Low* 13 64 15 42 68 3 291 20 28 36 94 44 241

1/2

1/4 5/8 1/4 3/4

1/4

Last 13 73 15 51 72 3 317 20 28 41 100 52 258

1/2 1/4

bid bid

3/8 3/4 1/4 3/8 3/4 7/8 1/8

bid bid bid

*0TC high and lows for week ending April 25; NYSE, ASE highs and lows for 1969.

References for more information on any subject reported in this newsletter are available to subscribers. Write directly to THE MICROFILM NEWSLETTER, P.0. Box 2154, Grand Central Station, New York, N.Y. 10017. Please specify issue date, page number and item.

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