The Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions (CIHM) has a
mandate to preserve and disseminate early Canadian publications. In 1978, CIHM began operations by microfilming source materials and distributing copies on microfiche. In 1997, we began a shift to digital
distribution methods. Today, source materials are microfilmed to produce preservation microfiche. The fiche are then digitally scanned and the digital images offered through Early Canadian Online.In the future, we will produce digital images directly from original materials, where feasible. This has raised some questions about the production of preservation microfilm. We are interested in the possibility of producing preservation-quality microfilm or microfiche from a scanned digital image, as this would appear to be more efficient than microfilming the original in addition to scanning it.