Introduction
The first attempts for using microphotography occurred in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 as a means for transmitting military information. Then, the initial practical applications of microfilm for the security of checks and financial instruments occurred in the US in the 1920s and in British banking system in 1936. Moreover, World War II enhanced the extensive use of microfilm for its logistical reasons, leading to its widespread proliferation in European countries in the 1950s and 1960s. In Iran, during the 1950s and 1960s, producing microfilming was done by the Majles Library and the University of Tehran due to factors such as long-term durability, the preservation of original manuscripts and archival documents, the creation of backups, and the selling of images. Following these two libraries, the Astan Quds Razavi in the late 1960s took initiatives in this regard the first non-governmental religious organization. However, no scholarly research has done in this regard. While European and American organizations initially used microfilm for commercial and military objectives before applying it to historical preservation, but Iranian institutions used it for cultural purposes. This study tried to emphasize the teleological distinction between Iranian and Western approaches and meticulously explore the establishment and evolutionary trajectory of the Microfilm Department of the Astan Quds Razavi Library between 1969 and 2005.

Materials and Methods
To achieve the aforementioned objective, this study used a descriptive-analytical approach, drawing upon oral histories and archival documentation as well as existing library resources. The main data corpus consists of 575 minutes of interviews with Mr. Naseri Mehr (the first official head of the Department of Filmtheque). Moreover, 1,050 documents pertaining to the department's operations were reviewed.

Results and Discussion
During the period of 1969-1971, under the custodianship of Pirnia and the administration of Dr. Rajaei (the General Director of Cultural Affairs at Astan Quds Razavi), the proposal for founding a microfilm department was formally presented. The major objectives were providing specialized services to researchers and generating backups of rare and invaluable manuscripts. In 1969, following an initial valuation of required equipment at 262,000 Tomans, the decision was made to buy technology from the Microbox Corporation. However, the first formal requisition for equipment was December 3, 1972 (12 Azar 1351). In following years, additional apparatus was purchased from different international firms such as Microbox, Zeutschel, Leitz, and Agfa, through domestic intermediaries or in some cases, directly from these corporations. Finally, the Microfilm Department was officially inaugurated on January 21, 1973, under the custodianship of Zahedi (1971–1974) and Dr. Rajaei, and Ali Ayria was appointed as director. Both before and after the Islamic Revolution, meticulous standards were maintained regarding the purchase and preservation of equipment and materials. Accordingly, the department remained a focal point of interest for visiting domestic and international authorities. In the pre-revolutionary period, despite an official emphasis on microfilming the manuscripts, the selection process often depended on researchers’ requests. The clientele was restricted to a limited group of scholars and organizations. During this period, the highest volume of requests was from the Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies and the Faculty of Letters and Humanities of the University of Mashhad (now known as FUM), as well as the Central Library and Documentation Center of the University of Tehran. The Library of Astan Quds bought modern technology, but it lacked a robust long-term support for the systematic microfilming of manuscripts, documents, and endowment deeds. As the Pahlavi era approached its end, the department’s operations were increasingly marginalized. Under the administration of Valiyan, photography dominated other fields of the microfilming. Photography and microfilm operations remained integrated until the Islamic Revolution. The Islamic Revolution marked a definitive paradigm shift in cultural perspective and can be considered a historical turning point in this field. Beyond the library’s custodianship, high-ranking state officials paid special attention to this department. The photography and microfilm departments were separated. The former continued under the Public Relations Department, while the Filmtheque, following the reevaluation of the library’s organizational chart, came to be part of the manuscripts. This restructuring resulted in a more rigorous approach to microfilming manuscripts, archival records, and endowment deeds. Furthermore, the department transitioned from an exclusive venue for a limited group of researchers or visiting dignitaries to a service-oriented entity catering to a wide range of people. International collaborations with regional countries were also significantly made. From its beginning until early 2002, the department produced roughly 35,000 to 40,000 microfilm reels, which is very remarkable considering the non-governmental nature of this organization.