The University Library holds over three million items available in microform, including some major collections. All microform is located on the second floor of the Murray Library.
In this article:
How to know if an item is microform
In a USearch search result:
- The material type will be Microform
- The location will be Murray Library Microforms Collection
In a library catalogue record:
- Look for [microform] in the title
- The location will be Murray Library - Microforms Collection
- The description or note may list the material type
RG-10 and RG-15 collection
Record Group 10 (RG-10) is the designation for the group of records that have been transferred from the Department of Indian Affairs to Library and Archives Canada. RG-10 includes census and land records, correspondence, maps, pay lists, transcripts and other resources covering all aspects of Indian Administration (terminology of the day) for both the headquarters and field offices. The University Library’s holdings are strongest for Saskatchewan and Western Canada (2,500 reels).
Record Group 15 (RG-15) is the designation for the group of records that have been transferred from the Department of the Interior to Library and Archives Canada. RG-15 is comprised of historical records dating from the late 19th through the early 20th centuries and contains Métis Scrip and related material (63 reels).
The University Library has extensive holdings of these materials on microfilm. The Indigenous Studies Research Guide has more details about this collection and how to search for specific records within it.
Newspapers
The library has over 140 newspaper titles available on microfilm, including newspapers from many major Canadian cities, and complete coverage of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix up to 2024. Titles are shelved alphabetically by newspaper name. See the pdf document attached to this article for a listing of all newspaper titles available on microfilm.
Search for a newspaper by title in the catalogue to see date ranges covered in the library's collection.
CIHM microfiche collection
The Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions (CIHM) was established in the 1970s to locate and microfilm a representative collection of documents from Canada's early history. It includes thousands of books and periodicals from the mid-sixteenth century to the 1920s.
All items in the collection are catalogued individually, so will come up on a keyword or title search in the catalogue or USearch. Use the CIHM number to locate the individual fiche in the drawers on the second floor of the Murray Library.
Many items in the CIHM collection have been digitized and are also available in the Canadiana Online database.
Early English Books, Parts I and II
Early English Books was a project with the goal to preserve the full-text of English-language books and other materials, from the invention of the printing press to the 1700s, on microfilm. Titles were selected based on their inclusion in Short-title catalogue of books printed in England, Scotland and Ireland and of English books printed abroad, 1475-1640 by A. W. Pollard and G. R. Redgrave, as well as Short-title catalogue of books printed in England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and British America and of English books printed in other countries, 1641-1700 by D. G. Wing.
Items in the microfilm collection are not catalogued individually. To find out what is available at the University Library, use the print guides and cross indexes, located on the second floor near the newspapers.
Early English Books, 1475-1640: Z2002 .U58E12M
Early English Books, 1641-1700: Z2002 .U58E128M
All items in the Early English Books microfilm collection have been digitized and are also available in the Early English Books Online database.
Government documents
While most of the University Library's collection of government documents is in print, there is also a substantial amount of material available on microform. Some of these materials are uncatalogued.
Microfiche:
- Microlog: Z1373.M5
- A collection of depository and non-depository Canadian federal, provincial, and local government publications from 1979 to 2018 on microfiche
- To search for items from 1979-1982, use the print Microlog index, located on the microlog cabinet
- To search for items from 1982-2018, use the online Canadian Research Index database
- Canadian federal government and Statistics Canada documents: CA1 AES to CA1 XC 200
- Great Britain House of Commons Papers (from late 1970s to 1997): UK1 XD
- Includes House of Commons sessional papers, British parliamentary papers, Command papers
- United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) journals, reports, research etc.: UN FA 12
- United Nations General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade: UN 9 TT
- World Bank Annual Reports of the World's Central Banks: ZZ CN
- European Union official journals: ZZ EM
- European Union parliamentary reports: ZZ EM 106
- National Statistical Compendia and country profiles: ZZ GP
Microprint:
- American State Papers 1789-1838
- US Congressional Record 1963-1972
- US Government Publications Depository Jan. 1956-Dec. 1980 (continued on microfiche until the 1990s)