On June 30th, the exhibition "Fangcun Zhenwei Collection Wanxiang Longevity for Thousands of Years - Forty Years of Chinese Library Document Microfilm Industry" hosted by the National Library and organized by the National Library Document Microfilm Reproduction Center opened at the National Library. Taking paper documents into film can greatly reduce the storage space of information, and through the digitization of film images, a document can be transformed into thousands and benefit all sectors. A roll of polyester film can be stored for over 500 years. ”At the exhibition, Zhang Yangzheng, Deputy Director of the National Library Document Microfilm Reproduction Center, patiently explained the significance of microfilms to the visitors. The exhibition comprehensively reviews the practical exploration and achievements of China's library industry in the field of document microfilm protection over the past forty years through various forms such as physical documents, technical equipment, historical archives, image materials, and immersive interactive experiences. Guarding the classics of Chinese civilization for five thousand years, leaving behind a vast sea of classics. How to preserve these classics has become a difficult problem. Microfilm "- converting various types of paper documents and digital resources into microfilms through photography for long-term non-destructive preservation, is a method. In 1948, the predecessor of the National Library, the Beiping Library, purchased a set of microphotography equipment from abroad. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, this set of equipment was used to microform and reproduce rare books and documents in the library. However, micro technology has not been widely adopted nationwide. In 1982, scholar Ren Jiyu went to Qufu, Shandong to search for the archives of the Confucius Mansion. After witnessing precious documents on the brink of destruction due to inadequate preservation conditions, he became extremely anxious. He put forward a suggestion and advocated the use of microfabrication technology to rescue ancient books, which received attention from the country. In 1985, the former Library Management Bureau of the Ministry of Culture established the National Library Document Microfilm Reproduction Center, marking the beginning of the use of microfilm technology to rescue precious document resources in public libraries across the country. ”Zhang Yang reviews. According to the exhibition introduction, after the establishment of the National Library Document Microfilm Reproduction Center, based on national planning, establishment of regulations and procedures, it has joined forces with 25 member libraries and 19 archives nationwide to build a nationwide network for document rescue and protection. As of now, the National Library Document Microfilm Reproduction Center and its member units have taken nearly 200000 types of ancient books, Republic of China documents, precious documents of ethnic minorities, and more than 80 million photos, including several national treasure level classics such as "Dunhuang Manuscripts" and "Yongle Encyclopedia". At the exhibition, the reporter saw dozens of extremely precious microfilms - microfilms of Dunhuang scriptures taken by Wang Zhongmin, Xiang Da, and others in the 1930s in countries such as England and France, microfilms of rare ancient books such as the "Eastern Han Literature Mirror" gifted to the Beiping Library by the Library of Congress in the United States, microfilms of Dunhuang manuscripts exchanged between the Cambridge University Library in the United Kingdom and China, microfilms of trial records of the Far East International Military Tribunal, and so on. In the digital age, facing an increasing number of storage technologies, what are the advantages and necessity of microfilm? Microfilm is not affected by electromagnetic radiation and network attacks, and can achieve secure storage of information. Polyester film has a lifespan of over 500 years and can achieve lossless storage. The finished product format is standardized and easy to manage, with immutability and legal effect, greatly saving space for document storage. ”Yang Xiaowei, the head of the filming and technical service team of the Microfilm Literature Department of the National Library, answered the reporter's questions. Is the pursuit of excellence in microfilm literature just as simple as capturing and preserving film? The answer is, far from it. Before shooting, it is necessary to organize the literature. If the literature is incomplete, it should be completed first. It is reported that after the establishment of the Microfilm Center, a special survey of the collections of member units was carried out nationwide. In order to complete the precious literature, the staff of the Micro Center have traveled throughout the country, creating a record of 9 days on business trips to 11 places, sleeping on trains every night, and not staying in hotels for a single day. ”Zhang Yang introduced. The work of supplementing the library collection has also received strong support from relevant units across the country. For example, when the Tianjin Library was filming the "Xinhua Monthly Report", they sought assistance from the Beijing Library due to incomplete issues. However, the Beijing Library also had a shortage situation and sought assistance from Xinhua News Agency. After learning about the situation, Xinhua News Agency immediately dispatched personnel to search for the original documents and entrusted a dedicated person to deliver them to the Beijing Library for microfilm archiving. ”Zhang Yang said. After completing the literature, it should be photographed and stored according to a unified standard. The Microfilm Center has organized, participated in the formulation and revision of multiple national standards, such as the "Scope and Relevant Regulations for Microfilm Reproduction of Documentary Materials", "Regulations on Microfilm Production of Linear Ancient Books on 35mm Film", "Regulations on the Recording of Microfilm of Ancient Books", "Specification for Newspaper Microfilm Production", "Standard for Microfilm Production of 35mm Silver Salt Non porous Newspaper", etc. Paper documents are stored in different regions, and the staff responsible for filming may vary. Will this affect the quality of the finished products stored in the warehouse? Before the microfilm master is stored, it must undergo quality inspection. Fan Xiangwei, Deputy Leader of the Planning and Coordination Group of the Microfilm Literature Department of the National Library, summarized the quality inspection method as the "four rounds and eight inspections method", which involves four rounds of film inspection in eight aspects - whether the resolution calculation is correct, whether the film density is compliant, whether the physical appearance is neat, whether there is any image content unrelated to the literature, whether the title label and recording label are complete, whether the text is clear, and whether the content is complete. The films that have passed the quality inspection will be stored in the warehouse for a long time. Chen Yueting, Deputy Leader of the Comprehensive Management and Collection Group of the Microfilm Literature Department of the National Library, introduced: "The Microfilm Center warehouse is divided into a master film library and a copy film library. As of the end of 2024, the microfilm master film library has a total of 220000 types and 128000 rolls of microfilm master films, including rare books, ancient books, newspapers, Republican books, periodicals, and books from the early days of the founding of New China. The copy film library currently has a total of 215000 types and 280000 rolls of microfilm films." The reporter saw that the films of precious classics such as Dunhuang scriptures and "Zhao Cheng Jin Cang" were quietly arranged in rows, neatly lying in white iron cabinets. The constant temperature and humidity environment allows them to circulate almost indefinitely. As a highly secure method of document preservation, microfilm not only has the advantages of saving space and having a long storage period, but can also be digitized and published again to make valuable documents more widely disseminated. Digitization of microfilm refers to the process of converting captured microfilm into digital images through scanning and other methods, adjusting them through processes such as cleaning, correction, color and brightness, and organizing literature before making them available to the public. The reporter found that the exhibition has specially set up a "film reading area", where visitors can intuitively experience the real details of microfilm through microfilm equipment. At the exhibition site, there was also an introduction to the development of microfilm resources and the exhibition of related physical books - over the past 40 years, nearly 600 sets of high-quality literature have been compiled and published based on relevant microfilm. Books such as the inaugural issue of early Chinese newspapers, the compilation and research of Chinese architectural historical materials (1911-1949), and the compilation of modern Yellow River literature have brought economic benefits to relevant publishing houses. ”Zhang Yang introduced. It is reported that as of June 2025, the National Library Document Microfilm Reproduction Center has a collection of over 57000 types of ancient book microforms. Among them, there are 1281 types of "Zhao Cheng Jin Cang", 275 rare editions of Song Dynasty anthologies, 6529 local chronicles and documents from the Qing Dynasty (including the Qing Dynasty) and before the Qing Dynasty, 2644 collections in Pingguan (formerly the National Beiping Library's Jia Ku rare edition collection), as well as royal collections such as the Jixi Hall of the Southern Song Dynasty, the Hanlin National History Institute of the Yuan Dynasty, the Wenyuan Pavilion of the Ming Dynasty, and the Great Cabinet Library of the Qing Dynasty, and lifelong collections of many private book collectors since the Ming and Qing Dynasties and the Republic of China. Industry insiders say that it is the responsibility of document microfilm, known as the "spark of human civilization" technology, to properly store paper documents through microfilm technology and then make them public through full-color image digitization technology. It is also the mission of this cause to inherit civilization and spread culture. The exhibition is open to the public for free in the sixth exhibition hall of the National Museum of Classics, and will last until July 31, 2025. (New Society)