Recipe for boiled microfiche

Back in the pre-desktop computer era, the Social Security Administration stored info on microfiche cards. This created a problem of how to dispose of the microfiche cards when the info on them was out of date. The shredders in the SSA district offices weren't up to the task of shredding them.

The solution: district offices were instructed to purchase crockpots and boil the old microfiche cards for 75 to 105 minutes.

In my college/grad school days, I spent many hours sitting at michrofiche readers. Thanks to digitization, I think that's an experience students today won't have to endure.

Omaha World Herald - May 16, 1979