Microform Collections In Arl Libraries

This report describes the background of the Association of Research Libraries Microform Project and summarizes results of the survey from which the database of the project's clearinghouse on the bibliographic control of microforms has been constructed. The Microform Project was established in 1981 to assist libraries, microform publishers, and the bibliographic utilities in their efforts to achieve bibliographic access to titles in microform sets. The primary tool in providing this assistance is a Microform Cataloging Clearinghouse, the main purposes of which are to facilitate the cataloging of titles in microform sets and prevent duplication of effort. The clearinghouse database is based on the results of a survey sent to participants in the four major bibliographic utilities as well as the few major libraries that do not participate in them. The 535 useful survey returns which were received show that a large number of libraries catalog titles in microform sets and that most of them create machine-readable records for at least some of the sets they catalog. A copy of the survey questionnaire and additional information on the survey and the clearinghouse are appended. (DMC)