Educational screen & audio-visual guide (c1956-1971])

Milwaukee's grandiose Exposition Hall, (Left) on the site of the present Milwaukee Auditorium, oiKe housed the City Public Museum before the new library-museum was opened in 1899. Action was taken by the Board of Trustees to rent the ground floor of the Exposition Hall, when the Academy presented its collection to the city. Over the years, the horse and buggy delivery system gave way to more modern means of distribution. Extended city-wide service for the loan of films to schools and organizations, and a complete cooperative service between the Museum and Milwaukee Public Schools, kept audiovisuals "on the move." brary, until in 1931 there was a total of 332, 35 mm films. The first twenty (20), 16 mm (silent) films were added in 1931; these were black and white Eastman Science and Geography films. Acting upon a suggested plan made in the May, 1935, issue of Educational Screen Magazine: a method by which educational motion pictures could be made available for distribution at a minimum cost and providing that any school wishing to participate, deposit one 16 mm film, they would then have the privilege of borrowing one film per week for two years. A cooperative plan to purchase films was presented to the Milwaukee Public Schools and funds were allocated by the Milwaukee Public Museum and Milwaukee Public Schools for the purchase of prints. This resulted in extended city wide service (at that time there was a total of 26 films projectors in the City; these were loaned to schools and organizations who were brave enough to use the "moving pictures"). The "magic" of "talking" or "sound-on" 16 mm films was brought to the schools in 1937, 15 sound motion pictures were purchased with funds set up by the Milwaukee Common Council. As a result of the expanded curriculum-coordinated programs, the increasing number of school visitor programs, and the increased use of Audio-Visual materials, a complete cooperative service between the Milwaukee Public Museum and the Milwaukee Pubhc Schools was instituted in 1951. This service has been of mutual benefit; in that it enables us to better serve the needs of all the schools: public, parochial, private, colleges, groups and organizations, and to provide a Materials Center for the City. The school services of the Milwaukee Public Museum have continued to increase, so that to-day the Milwaukee Public Museum Audio-Visual Center makes available approximately 14,000 films, 5,000 filmstrips, 3,000 objects, models, specimens, and collections; plus recordings, tapes and shdes, to: 308 schools and 6,400 registered groups within the City of Milwaukee. A total of 100,634 Audio-Visual units were booked and used during 1961. As the use of Audio-Visual materials continues to increase, so also does the request for scheduled school visitation programs; in the year 1961 over 27,827 Milwaukee school children participated in the school curriculum programs at the Museum. As of a survey done in 1961, the Center is one of the largest in the country, and the only one operated as a City tax supported service. And, as with the same spirit of 1851, we shall continue to "pioneer" in better methods of use and provision in the Audio-Visual teaching media, and to better meet the needs of the new Museum, the schools and the community in this— The space Age! Now Milwaukee's Public Museum Audiovisual Center iruikes thousands of films, filmstrips, objects, models and sj)ccimens, plus recordings, tapes arid slides, available to 308 schools and 6,400 registered groups within the City of Milwaukee. It is operated as a City tax-supported service. Educational Screen and Aidiovislal Guide — November, 1962 655