Microfilm Duplication, Miller Collection
Statewide Historic and Cultural Grants. $5,250,000 the first year and $5,250,000 the second year are for history programs and projects operated or conducted by or through local, county, regional, or other historical or cultural organizations; or for activities to preserve significant historic and cultural resources.
The target was greatly exceeded, thanks to the information provided by the vendor (Northern Micrographics). The original cost of $190.00 was derived from prices at the MHS website, but at the time of duplication, MHS no longer provided microfilm duplication services. MHS staff helpfully provided the vendor that it now uses, and after weighing the options, the volunteer decided that Northern Micrographics was the best choice.
Mr. Pechacek was also very helpful in negotiating a change in the project: while the minimum rate for any job was $250.00, the cost to duplicate one reel of 35mm microfilm was only $25.00! Therefore, Mr. Pechacek helped the volunteer negotiate a contract of 10 duplicate reels (5 each of the 2 original negative microfilm reels) to make best use of the grant funds. The volunteer ultimately decided upon 8 positive duplicates (4 each of the 2 original negatives) and 1 negative safety copy (2 each of the 2 originals). The volunteer paid via credit card a fee of $261.16 and received a $190.00 reimbursement, absorbing the remaining $71.16 herself as a gift to the museum.
Special Collections accessioned and cataloged the microfilm, and also offered to digitize it as PDFs to eventually be hosted on the library's website.
Not only did this allow the museum to send 1 set (1 reel each of the 2 originals) of positive microfilm to Hennepin County Special Collections as planned in the original grant, satisfying the purpose of greater (public) access to the microfilm, it also allowed the administration area of Hennepin County Library (at Ridgedale Library) to hold one set of positives and the safety copy of negatives in the administration area for safekeeping. The Museum is considering getting a safe or a safety deposit box. The other 4 sets of positives have been placed with the originals in the Miller Collection and cataloged.
In addition, with the help of the Hennepin County Library's microfilm printer (at Ridgedale Library), a complete hard copy printout of both reels will be made with the library's microfilm printer at no cost to the museum, and the hard copies can then be foldered, placed with the Miller Collection at the MNANG Museum, and cataloged. Therefore, at least a hard copy version of the two microfilm reels will also be available for reference at the MNANG Museum.
Thanks to the vendor, who encouraged the volunteer to get the most value for the grant dollars awarded, extra copies were made for the same amount of money as would have cost to merely make one duplicate each of the two original reels. Four each in the Miller Collection is rather a lot, but there seemed to be no justification for making fewer copies than the minimum charge ($250) would allow.