Photoduplication Services
G/F Rizal Library, Ateneo de Manila University
Loyola Heights, Quezon City 1108 Philippines
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The Photoduplication Services Section of the Ateneo de Manila University Rizal Library started in the late 60's with one staff. Ford Foundation's seed money paved the way for its humble beginnings. The grant funded the first acquisition of a step-and-repeat camera and training of one staff at the Inter-Documentation Company (IDC) in Netherlands. During the training in IDC, it was decided that the Section would also need to acquire a planetary camera. This was lent by a professor from the history department/archives of the Ateneo de Manila University that enabled the Section to microfilm larger documents aside from the regular-size books that can be handled by the step and repeat camera.
In the late 60's and early 70's, before the imposition of martial law, newspapers and magazines were sought-after research materials by students and researchers. Printed copies were fast deteriorating because of its heavy use and a number of them became unserviceable. The most widely read newspapers were the Manila Times and the Philippines Free Press and these were available only in microfilm from the Library of Congress. Microfilming was the only solution to preserve these materials and to provide service copies to clients.
Microfilming of current and old newspapers gave birth to Current Newspapers Project in Microfilm. Newspapers were made available to students, researchers and libraries, both local and foreign, in positive copies. Revenues were generated and keep the Section afloat, enough to recover the cost of labor and supplies. Also, savings from the operations were sufficient to acquire new equipment to improve production of quality microfilms.
The Library of Congress, Australian National University and Cornell University, to name a few, were the first foreign subscribers to the Project. With this the Section were able to take off smoothly. Through word of mouth and letters sent to foreign and local libraries about the activities in microfilming, the Library became well known and subscription for copies in microforms started to trickle in. The Project became a model of a self-sustaining microfilming activity.
Aside from microfilming, the Section in now into digitization to make microforms in the collection available in digital format for library use. Because of the high cost of readers and printers to view microform images, the digitization of four major dailies, namely: Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Philippine Star, The Manila Times and Malaya, was conceptualized. This will also help local libraries develop their newspaper collection in digital format. The Project was made possible through the help of the Philippine Library Material Project Foundation in terms of financing and marketing the Project.
The Current Newspaper Project in Digital Format is distributed in DVDs with a software for searching and an index.
Mission
• To preserve, through microfilming, historical and educational materials for research.
• To make rare Philippine materials in microforms readily accessible to students of the Ateneo de Manila University.
• To produce quality microform that conforms with international set standards on preservation microfilming.
• To migrate service microfilms to digital format for fast and easy retrieval of information.
• To make available upon request, through duplication in microforms and digital format, material in the collection to researchers and libraries.
Vision
In line with latest technology, the Photoduplication Services, through microfilming, seek to become a center for preservation and distribution of research materials with historical value.
STAFF
Jose Patricio B. Lagumen jlagumen@ateneo.edu
Head, Photoduplication Services
Guillermo Manlapaz gmanlapaz@ateneo.edu
Roderick Seruelas rseruelas@ateneo.edu
Juan Gallardo Moreno gmoreno@ateneo.edu
Ramil Puaso rpuaso@ateneo.edu
Eduardo Corpuz ecorpuz@ateneo.edu