Chances are your company, or an organization
close to you, has an old microfiche viewer sitting around in a back room
gathering dust. They used to be common when they were used to read documents
stored on microfiche (microfilm), but since the advent of computers, more
and more companies and institutions are finding them merely a useless relic
of a bygone era. Perhaps you've seen them being disposed of at surplus
sales for a few dollars each, or just tossed out for lack of need. When
that happens, the children in your community are missing out on a wonderful
opportunity to learn about science, and experience the joy of discovery
that few other educational tools can deliver.
Opening up new worlds to explore: Children
are naturally curious about the world around them, and love to share their
discoveries with their friends. By tapping into that natural curiosity
in a way they can share with classmates, the use of microfiche viewers
in the classroom can build an interest and enthusiasm for science and discovery
that can change a child's life forever. Just imagine the new discoveries
to be made and lives that can be saved if just a few more young people
follow that path of enthusiastic learning!
Many scientists, doctors and naturalists developed their passion for
their field as children, when they dicovered the joy of discovery through
something as simple as a microscope. A microfiche viewer can be used much
like a very expensive video (or projection) microscope system, but it's
so simple even a kindergardener can use one, and the equipment can often
be obtained for free!
If you used a microscope in elementary school, do you remember
how difficult it was to use, and how you were never sure you were seeing
the same thing as someone else? With a microfiche viewer, the students
just pull the sliding plate forward, which causes the top glass plate to
lift up. Then they put a sample (or several samples) between the plates,
where the microfilmed document would normally have gone, and push it back
in. In this picture, a sample of pond water with algae in it is ready to
be viewed. The image is projected onto a screen which a large group of
students can see at once. Tiny, wriggling insect larvae fill the entire
screen, one-celled organisms swim through rope-sized strands of algae,
and students point excitedly at what they see, while rapidly scanning over
a large sample to find something that might be even more interesting. Studying
the microworlds was never so fun and easy when we were in school!
The Bozeman Kiwanis initiated a program
of collecting donated microfiche viewers from area businesses, and distributing
them to local schools. This information is posted to help other community
service organizations around the country to start similar programs in their
area, so their children may benefit as well. But you don't need to wait
for group action - if you're a teacher or an individual who wants to help
your local school, look around for a spare microfiche viewer that you can
donate to a school or classroom. You can find them at state
and federal surplus sales, insurance agencies, banks, government offices,
even auto parts stores. Tell them what you're doing (for the local school),
and they're very likely to be glad to donate any machines on hand. Just
getting started and telling others about it is often enough to get a lot
more of the community involved. For further information, please contact
Ray Friesenhahn of the Bozeman
Kiwanis.
Copyright Notice: Individuals and not-for-profit
organizations may use all microfiche images and related information from
this web site for purposes of promoting similar free distribution programs,
provided the Bozeman Kiwanis is cited as the source of images and/or information.
Use of these images or reproduction of literature contained herein for
any for-profit purposes is expressly prohibited.
