Find the reel you need in the cabinet. To retrieve the reel, pull the main tray towards you using both hands
Put reel on the spool with the film going over the top of the reel
Go under the white wheel, and slowly feed the film under the 2nd wheel and under the glass.
Keep sliding the film under the glass until you feel resistance on the 2nd spool on the right.
Once you feel resistance, press the blue lever just before the glass starts. This should prompt the machine to pick up the film onto the second reel. If it doesn’t… press the film towards the 2nd reel a bit more, and try again.
Once the film is on the 2nd reel (you’ll hear it) turn the machine on. Push the main tray back using both hands until you see an image on the screen.
You’ll use the knob on the very front right of the machine as your ‘steering wheel’ . The farther you turn it to the right, the faster the film will forward. The farther to the left, the faster it will rewind. Go slow until you learn the machine.
Once you find what you are looking for, then you’ll turn the computer next to it on. It’ll take a few minutes. Turning the computer on too soon will cause an error between it and the microfilm machine.
You’ll need a jumpdrive/usb drive for saving files.
Because the computer is older, you’ll have to follow the prompts on the screen to get it to the windows desktop. Once there, you’ll click on the scanning software.
Open the scanning software, and you’ve got the image you need on the microfilm screen, you’re going to find ‘scan to screen’ in one of the drop down menus and click on it. The microfilm screen will go blank for a minute or so, and then what was on the screen will come back and it will appear on the computer screen as well.
If the image on the computer doesn’t look right, play with your microfilm settings a little then rescan to screen.
Once you’ve got what you need and it looks ok, click on file- save as- and find your usb drive. Save the file. (for an obituary, I usually save it as the person's name, the date of the paper, and what page of the paper it was on. So johnsmithbdt23jan2025pg1.jpg that way when I email the file to someone, I don’t have to look for notes on where I found the obituary)
Once you’re done, rewind the film, remove it from the machine, and put it back where you found it.
Please please the used microfilm in the basket on top of the filing cabinet.
