Undergraduate Use Patterns of Newspapers on Microfilm

This analysis, based on undergraduate use patterns of newspapers on microfilm at the University of Illinois, presents criteria, such as number of titles, dates requested, and existence of indexes, that should be considered when purchasing microfilmed newspapers for the highest possible benefit in terms of money spent. Statistics on use suggest that a user satisfaction level of almost 85 percent can be attained with a twenty-year backfile of twenty titles. The analysis presented is offered as one step in development of an acquisitions policy for newspapers on microfilm.