[Yosemitest]

Source:

"... Microfilm first saw military use during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71.

... Libraries began using microfilm in the mid-20th century as a preservation strategy for deteriorating newspaper collections.
Books and newspapers that were deemed in danger of decay could be preserved on film and thus access and use could be increased.
Microfilming was also a space-saving measure.
In his 1945 book, “The Scholar and the Future of the Research Library,” Fremont Rider calculated that research libraries were doubling in space every sixteen years.
His suggested solution was microfilming, specifically with his invention, the microcard.
Once items were put onto film, they could be removed from circulation and additional shelf space would be made available for rapidly expanding collections.
The microcard was superseded by microfiche.
By the 1960s, microfilming had become standard policy.

... "

[Utilizer]

*sigh* I shall try to explain once again. (not a personal attack, by the way). The town in which I currently dwell much of the time within is very poor. There are a total of two streetlights in the town, along the main road which is also the main highway leading into and out of town. Which is actually slightly better than the first tiny town I lived in when I moved into this area. That one had a total of four actual stopsigns -not stoplights! None of which was on the main road going through town.

Here, we have two grocery stores. Two petrol stations. Three banks, one of which exists only in this county. One Post office, which does not offer free home mail delivery. You are not a government agency, you need to get a PO Box.

The local paper where I grew up had a daily edition, and the Sunday edition was the most read because it had the greatest sales ads in it, despite it being a complete waste of ink for a blatantly biased and unapologetically leftwing rag. Here, there is ONE newspaper, issued every Wednesday, with a typeface at least three times the one I was used to in San Jose. Large pictures as well. There is NO "Sunday" edition.

Now extrapolate that back to the mid-1900s. Microfiche might have existed somewhere, along with V-12 engines, functional stoplights, anything other than a Chevy or Ford car or truck, or any plumbing beyond that necessary for an outhouse or an outdoors wringer-washer if you could afford it. Assuming you were one of the lucky few that could afford electricity.

Anything other than that, well, you might read about it in the Encyclopedia Brittanica at the county library, or hear about it in school, but it certainly did not exist in the rural areas. You might have wanted some of the newer technology, but the money to pay for it was certainly not within whatever meagre excuse for a budget the local county was able to scrape together.