A HISTORY OF THE INDIANA UNIVERSITY AUDIO-VISUAL CENTER: 1913 TO 1975

The 1913 Indiana University Bulletin indicated the existence of visual aids in the Extension Division. In 1914 the Visual Instruction collection consisted of fourteen lantern slide sets with content in various subject areas. By the 1970s the Audio-Visual Center had developed a major collection of non-commercial evaluated films; the value of Center equipment and materials was estimated at ;This information was synthesized to provide a composite picture of the Center from 1913 to 1975; six historical periods formed the organizing focus of the study. The final phase of the analysis compared the Center's activities and changes across the six periods. Study of the objectives and activities of the Audio-Visual Center indicated little actual change in the basic purposes of the Center. Service to the state of Indiana and Indiana University remained primary objectives. However, the Center's scope did change drastically. The Center's service developed far beyond its original boundaries with emphasis in the last 30 years on national and international missions. Changes in educational technology, two world wars, and federal programs all provided more opportunities for expansion than did influences within the University during the period studied.;Within the Center, the management of personnel, facilities, and the budget stabilized under the direction of L.C. Larson, who became Director in 1940. His retirement in 1972 caused changes in the Center's structure but no drastic changes took place in the nature of services or programs. The Materials Library expanded from a service offering numerous forms of media to a 16 mm film rental library. The success of the Center's Film Library and the marketing program of National Education Television provided capital for the development of other programs.;Professional and public services at the Center also focused on campus and state activities and expanded to national and international levels. Federal funding was an impetus in the Center's growth. The international training program and government grants and contracts enabled the Center to move ahead in such areas as Instructional Development and the promotion of the professional education program which was partially sponsored by the Audio-Visual Center.;While aspects of the Audio-Visual Center have been studied, its entire history had never been analyzed. Moreover, published histories about the Center did not include reference to events prior to 1940. The Audio-Visual Center files and the Indiana University Archives provided primary sources on the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the Center's development. Additional information was gathered by interviewing and corresponding with leaders of the Center, former students, and past and present faculty members.