Fun with Microfilm

Last week for five days, all day, we had two old ladies searching for obituaries on microfilm. They did nothing else. Each day my co-worker and I were surprised they had more to do; and each day we sighed with resentment because of all the work WE would have to do.

After the first day, their pile of used microfilm looked like this:

Here's the second day:

 And third:

 Mind you, this is a lot of microfilm for our historical society. So each morning we had to put all of these away. Unfortunately the boxes aren't numbered like at the Salt Lake City Family History Library. They are in alphabetical order by town and then the name of the newspaper. It takes a little while to figure out were they go. So you can imagine how excited we were to put all of these microfilm, from all over Oregon, from all time periods back in all of their drawers.

It really isn't that big of a problem but the best part of the story is when after their fourth day of doing this they finally come to us and ask, "Do you have an obituary index for all of Oregon?"

 Now you are asking??

 I guess the millions of microfilm were getting to them too.

 "Sorry, no..."

 Now that would be nice, now wouldn't it?

 So back they went to the microfilm room, and back we went to wondering where they got all of these names. The next day I finally asked them what was going on, and it was exactly what I thought.

 "So you're looking for obituaries?"

 "Yeah."

You've just done a lot of research and are finally having the chance to look for obituaries?"

 "Yeah."

 Cool. Ok...

 "So you're family's from all over Oregon?"Hence all the newspapers from Tillamook to Grants Pass. 

"No, Mostly from North Dakota."

Pause. Flash back to all of the microfilm from the past five days. 

"Ah. Well, let us know if you need anything."

They have gone now, and I will secretly miss the suspense of them coming in. But I do have to say, it's nice not having to put all the microfilm away. Perhaps now the librarians at the North Dakota Historical Society are having fun with microfilm. Yet again, they could have a master list of obituaries in their library.

Now that would be nice, now wouldn't it?

Moral of the Story: 

Ask for an obituary index before searching through hundreds of microfilm.
 Just in case.