Internet resources: National Archives of Norway makes all microfilm archives available online to public

National Archives of Norway has scanned around 13 million microfilm images as part of an innovative project to digitize a considerable part of its holdings and make all information contained on microfilm readily available to the public via the Internet. 

In total, it is expected that around 15 million microfilm images will be scanned with the project expected to be completed soon. A huge and varied range of records will be made available online including probate and court records, parish church registers which list births, baptisms, still births, death and burial records, along with marriage registers, immigration and vaccination information. Initially 12,000 parish church registers dating back over 300 years from 1920 to the mid 1600s were converted. Church books were then followed up with other popular records such as census, probate, court and property records which will all be converted in the next couple of years. The service has proved hugely popular and each day hundreds of thousands of documents are downloaded by around 50,000 unique users. 

With 250,000 linear metres of documents in its possession, the National Archives of Norway holds information dating back to the Middle Ages right up to the present day.  Based in Oslo, it has eight branches throughout the country.