The educational screen (c1922-c1956])

June, 1943 Page 199 of scenarios for classroom films. The writer, therefore, l)redicts that producers of educational films will follow the pattern that has been developed by publishers of textbooks. In 1876, 33 percent of the authors of textbooks were members of editorial staffs or pro- fessional writers, and by 1926, this proportion had de- creased to 8 percent.'^ At the present time, certainly 95 percent of the authors of textbooks for all edu- cational levels are engaged either in college or public school work. Heretofore, specialists in the academic fields have had little or no experience in the use of the film medium. A number of the younger men now in the service will have had the opportunity to work eitlier with film production units or to use films for train- ing purposes. Producers will undoubtedly select authors for preparation of scenarios from these men, on their return to teaching and research positions in colleges and schools. The author of the scenario in the subject matter field will cooperate closely with the director of audio-visual aids in the college or school. The production company will pay the subject matter .specialist and director of audio-visual education a royalty based on .sale of prints. Production companies are interested in the number of prints which may be sold of a film which correlates closely with units included in representative courses of study on the elementary and secondary levels. For example, about eighty thousand elementary classes will deal each year with "Man's Adaptation to Physical Environment in Low Lands."' Approximately sixty thousand .secondary classes will study each year "The Function of the Heart in the Circulation of Blood." Consequently, the writer predicts that within the first post-war decade the sale of prints of film subjects which deal with the more important concepts will reach 3.200 prints for elementary films and 2,500 prints for secondary films or a ratio of one print for each 25 classes. Organization of Educational Film Libraries. Trends in organization of film libraries during the pre- war decade will continue in an accelerated fashion during the post-war decade. StafT members now in the military services who have used audio-visual aids for training purposes will provide leadership and, as directors of audio-visual instruction, will be able to help teachers in the selection and use of these aids. Larger .school systems will organize film libraries rapidly as soon as restrictfbns on the sale of projectors are re- moved. Smaller schools will increase instructional budgets to enable the director to order needed films from educational film lending libraries. Schools will probably follow the policy of buying a print of a subject when the annual service and tran.sportation charges for the use of any subject exceed from one- tenth to one-fifth of the cost of a print. Cities with a population of 25,000 will have 10 to 15 teachers for each of the elementary grades. Therefore, the writer predicts that a' substantial number of the 405 cities with a population of over 25,000 will establish film libraries within the first post-war decade. 'Richey, Herman G. "The Professional Status of Textbook Authors." The Textbook in American Education, National Society for the Study of Education, Thirtieth Yearbook, Part II, 1931. p. 74. Since evidence points to the truth of the maxim, "Teachers teach as they were taught, rather than as they were taught to teach," instructors in teacher- training institutions in both the academic and pro- fessional areas must be encouraged to use films. Higher institutions operate on limited budgets. A study of library facilities of sixty teachers colleges, by Rosenlof, in 1928, revealed that selected teachers colleges were spending annually an average of $2,129.31 for books, periodicals and new equipment.'* Even if the teachers colleges were to s])end as much money for films as they are now spending for books, the amount would be insufficient to organize a film library. The writer believes that teacher-training institutions in organizing film libraries will follow the pattern estab- lished by colleges of medicine maintaining hospitals for instruction and research purposes. While some colleges will budget annually more than a million dol- lars for hospital service, income from patients wull reduce this amount to one or two hundred thousand dollars, to be charged against training and research. There are several hundred institutions preparing teachers for the elementary and secondary grades. The writer predicts that by the close of the first post- war decade approximately five hundred public and private universities and colleges will have film libraries. These institutions will operate film lending libraries on a service charge basis for schools in the immediate geographic areas. Teaching aids services which operate on a budget of $30,000 to $50,000 should have an in- come from service charges of $25,000 to $35,000. leav- ing a balance of $5,000 to $15,000. to be charged by the institution to training and research. In order to serve cities and villages with a population of less than 25,000, which comprise approximately sixty percent of the total population, the five hundred institutional film libraries serving these schools will need to buy an average of three to five prints of more outstanding classroom films to provide a ratio of one print to each 25 classes covering the concept which the film treats. The five hundred film libraries will also serve or- ganized adult groups. The writer further predicts that an increasing number of state and public libraries will extend the scope of their free service to include films and radio transcriptions. The state library will be a source of films for smaller jjublic libraries that can- not afford to purchase films. A nvmiber of libraries will organize a film information service for organized adult groups. Requests for aids not owned by the public or state libraries will be referred to an in- stitutional or commercial film lending library. Departments or Bureaus of Teaching Aids. The scope of the services of a film library must be ex- tended beyond the physical distribution of films to in- clude guidance and instruction in selection, utilization, and production of all types of aids. The director of the department of audio-visual aids, either on the college or school level, must expect to devote a portion of his time to working with teachers in selecting audio- visual aids on a basis of potential usefulness in par- *Rosenlof, George Walter. Library Facilities of Teacher-Train- ing Institutitns. Bureau of Publications, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City. 1929, n. 119-123. {Concluded on page 205)