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Should the "Times," 1914-1918 Be Filmed?
IS THE library world witnessing transition from the volume form of the book to roll form, a reversal of the change that came nearly two thousand years ago when book makers turned from the roll form to the codex or volume form? This may not be the precise time for settling such a question, but some such query comes to mind when the Recordak Company offers to furnish a reproduction of the New York Times on 35 mm. cellulose acetate film (a safety base, non-inflammable) for the years 1914-1918 for $600-$650 (five years) if sufficient orders are received by March 15, 1935. Since 1927, the Times has printed an edition on rag paper that sells for $170 a year for twenty-four bound volumes. For the critical years of the war the only copies of the paper available for consultation are printed on wood pulp stock, now in distressingly fragile condition. A year or so ago the Times suggested that it furnish a photographic reproduction of current issues, reduced one-half (making a volume of about 11" x 18") if subscribers agreed to take it instead of the full-scale rag stock edition. Headlines were legible for ordinary eyesight but the text would require use of a magnifying glass, several types of which are available at prices between $5 and $15. Nothing was done, however, because the response to the offer was not sufficient. Now comes the new offer to reproduce these war years for approximately $125 a year. In addition to the cost of films must also be reckoned a charge for a projector. This would cost $200 to $250, the more made, the smaller being the unit cost. The new form has certain obvious advantages: (1) saving of space; (2) cost of binding eliminated, or at least represented only by the cost of the tin boxes needed to store the films; (3) lessened wear and tear. On the other hand, it must be considered that it has certain disadvantages: (1) librarians and readers are accustomed to the use of the printed page in volume form, and will need psychological as well as physical changes to fit themselves for the new conditions (although nine months' trial in the New York Public Library has indicated a ready acceptance of the new form); (2) the old form can be used with no additional expense for equipment (unless the half-scale reduction should be adopted); (3) lack of definitive assurance of permanency of the film although the Bureau of Standards ascribes to it roughly the same life as pure rag paper. Inquiries about the proposed film reproduction should be sent to C. Z. Cese, Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y. If ten subscriptions are received by March 15 the films will be made. It should be kept in mind that this is frankly an experiment, and in itself does not affect the rag paper edition of the Times. Current copies of the paper will continue to be available in that form.
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