Microfilm Stations

• The Library is open for in-person research Thursday through Saturday (10am to 4pm).

Researchers can access many microfilmed items from the collection, including newspapers, death certificates, Twin Cities city directories, and microfilmed archive/manuscript collections. 

(Interested in making a Research Table appointment to access physical collections items like books, manuscript materials, State Archives, photographs, and more? Visit https://mnhs.libcal.com/reserve/readingroom)

Station Types:

• Viewer
  For viewing materials only; not connected to a printer or scanner.  Researchers may use a camera without a flash to take photos of most microfilm. 
   
• Reader/Printer
  Viewer is connected to a printer to make paper copies from microfilm.  The price is 35 cents per print. 
   
• Scanner

  Use a computer to adjust poor-quality images or for easily reading small print.  Researchers save to a USB drive (bring your own USB).  The price is 20 cents per scan. 

All stations have wifi access for personal devices through "MHS Public," and no wifi password is required while in the Library. 

About appointments:

• See the main page of our appointment system for more information 

How to use the Schedule Grid:

• Scroll down to see the schedule grid.  It defaults to the current day. 
   
• For the next day with available appointments, click the Next Available button
   
• For available appointments on a particular day, click the Go To Date button and select a day on the calendar.  
   
• For a description of a particular station, click on the blue "Info" button next to its name. 
   
• To make an appointment, select an available (green) appointment time so that it turns yellow, then scroll beneath the calendar grid and click Submit Times.  Then enter all required information and click Submit My Booking. 
   
• To correct a booking error message (usually too many, too frequent, or concurrent appointments), scroll down to the list of appointments below the schedule grid until you see the list of appointment times selected. Then click the trashcan icon to remove one or more appointment.  
   
• To research all day, make appointments for both morning (10am to 1pm) and afternoon (1pm to 4pm).   
   

• If there are no open/available appointment slots (all appointment blocks are red, rather than green)...

  • and it is within 8 hours of the appointment start time: Appointments close in the self service system 4 hours prior to the appointment.     

  • and it is more than 8 hours from the appointment time: All appointments have already been claimed by other researchers. Please check the scheduling site again later; if a researcher cancels their appointment it will open back up for another researcher to claim.      

• If you cannot find an appointment time and you have a true research emergency (e.g. an immediate court filing deadline) and cannot find an appointment time, call us at 651-259-3300.  We will do our best to assist you on a day we are open to in-person research.