TEXT_Yan Lam
PHOTOS_Panda Lei
Would you like to find out what Macao newspapers were like a few decades or even a century ago? Would you like to know what had happened in Macao on the same date in years gone by? The answers can be found in the microfilms collected by the Macao Public Library. The black-and-white images contained in microfilms and shown on the computer screen will lead you through the tunnel of time and introduce you to more of the city’s valuable documents and past newspapers.
Filip Vu says that the process of arranging microfilms has deepened his understanding of Macao in the past.
According to Filip Vu, a senior technician of the Division for Developing Bibliographic Resources responsible for the microform collection, the Macao Public Library started to make microfilms for valuable documents and newspapers in the 1990s. Given the huge size of the Library archives, microfilms were produced as a substitute in order to preserve these documents more effectively and save more space. He noted that there were only some 200 boxes of microfilms when he joined this project and now there are over 900 boxes. The box contents were hand-written by library staff to make the search for information easier. ‘Reproduction of documents and archives with microphotography techniques is a way of keeping authentic records and faithfully presenting them to readers,’ said Vu.
The microfilms of the Macao Public Library collections cover rare books in Chinese and foreign languages, Macao local documents, back issues of periodicals in Western languages between the 19th and the early 20th centuries, and old gazettes of Portuguese colonies dated the 19th century, and include microfilm records of old local newspapers during the Second Sino-Japanese War, such as Southwest Journal and Shimin Daily. Vu noted, smilingly, that reading microfilms is also an enjoyable family activity, recalling that he saw parents and their child searching for microfilm newspapers, in order to finish the child’s school homework ‘Today in Macao’s History’. ‘Both the parents and the child were very surprised during the search. The microfilms were rolling fast on the viewer, which worked as if it was a time machine taking them back to the past to see the old Macao through news reports and even advertisements.’
Electronic resources have become increasingly popular with the advancement of technology. The Macao Public Library has further digitized microfilms and established the Database of Foreign Language Periodicals Collection, enabling readers to easily access materials inside the branch libraries.
Filip Vu demonstrates how to use microfilms.
The 900 boxes of microfilms not only serve as historical records of Macao, but also a testimony of efforts made by two generations of library staff.
Tips for Using Microfilms:
- Readers can first check with library staff about the resources they are looking for and access the materials in Senado Library or the Macao Collection Room in the Macao Central Library.
- Microfilms are available for viewing or printing onsite only.
