Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938

WPA Slave Narratives MICROFICHE COLLECTION

What is microfiche? Microfiche is a flat piece of film containing microphotographs of the pages of a newspaper, catalog, or other documents.

WPA Slave Narratives on Microfiche

The WPA Slave Narratives is available as microfiche. The microfiche collection can be found at the Kelley Center in the basement of Fondren Library. 

Contact the Kelley Center at Fondren Library for any questions or additional assistance: 

Email: govhelp@rice.edu

Phone: 713-348-5483

Located in Fondren Library's basement, the Kelley Center holds over 200 major microform collections, comprised of over 3 million items. The expansive collection covers a wide range of topics, from Congressional Hearings and Department of Energy Reports to the personal papers of Jane Addams and W.E.B. DuBois.

Please note: Most microfilm has been moved to the off-site Library Service Center (LSC). The Houston Post, Houston Chronicle and New Orleans Times-Picayune, and selected others remain. For more information about checking out microfilm from the LSC, see the instructions below or the LibAnswer.

We highly encourage you to contact Kelley Center staff to schedule an appointment for microform assistance via email, govhelp@rice.edu, or phone, (713) 348-5483. Before your visit, please check the Fondren Library and the Kelley Center websites for hours and service changes.

When you are on site,

1. If you need assistance operating the microform equipment:
   • See this LibGuide's Equipment tab for information about operating the machines.
   • Request help from the Reference Desk staff.
   • Call the Kelley Center at (713) 348-5483 or visit the staff offices (B38, Fondren Library basement).
   • If the Kelley Center reference desk is closed or no one is in the office, Digital Media Commons (DMC) professional staff can provide immediate assistance when available. 
   • Email govhelp@rice.edu.
2. If you need assistance retrieving microfilm from the off-site Library Service Center:
   • First review the box "LSC Retrieval Requests" on this page.
   • Contact the Circulation Department for further assistance: (713) 348-4021, circ@rice.edu.
3. If you need assistance with searching and/or locating microforms:
   • Use this LibGuide. Navigate with the tabs at the top and the boxes on each page; review the resources for tips and help on finding and searching microform materials. 
   • Contact the Kelley Center at (713) 348-5483 or visit the offices (B38, Fondren Library basement; ring the doorbell).
   • Contact your subject librarian or email ask@rice.libanswers.com, which can reach all subject librarians.

Microform Equipment Available in Fondren Library

• 2 ST ViewScan Microform Scanners
  • Reads and scans all micro-formats (PDF enabled)
• 1 Minolta MS7000 Microform Reader/Printer
• 1 Minolta MSP 2000 Microform Reader/Printer

        A Kelley Center ST ViewScan microform reader and scanner

We encourage all visitors to use the modern ViewScan machines directly connected to computers. Members of the Rice community may access the computers using their NetID. Other visitors may request a general microform username and password from Kelley Center staff (DMC if unavailable). The digitally-enabled microform scanners are free to use. If you have a preference for the older microform viewing machines, please be aware that they are only capable of displaying and printing microform contents and there is a small fee to use the printers.

For help, please contact the Kelley center at (713) 348-5483 or govhelp@rice.edu.