Many school librarians now-a-days take care of more than just books. Some have even been given the title “Media Specialist” (rather than the more traditional “Librarian”) as they wrangle other things like Chromebooks. This might seem like a shift away from books and towards technology, but audio-visual information sources have a long history as part of the school librarian’s collection.
In 1971, Waynesboro High School’s yearbook The Skyline noted that the school library had “9,435 books, 372 film strips, 153 disc recordings, 94 slides, and subscriptions to eight newspapers and ninety-seven periodicals,” while the 1960 Tiger from Luther Jackson High School named some specific projectors in use at the school including a Bessler “master VuGraph” and “Ken-o-Vision” (likely referring to a Ken-a-Vision microscope).
As long as there has been technology in the classroom, there has also been fear about balancing the aid it can provide with worries about supplanting student’s own thinking skills. Librarians, as information specialists, have often been part of these conversations – helping teachers and administrators navigate and curate technology that best suits the students in different age groups.
The Virginia Digital Yearbook Collection and the Department of Education Slide Collection give us a glimpse into that history. Even if the formats are long gone, hopefully the information conveyed with them remains in the student’s brains!
Virginia Department of Education Slide Collection, Visual Studies Collection, Library of Virginia.
Take a look at some of the commonly used school technology of the past and see which ones you recognize. Hovering your cursor over each image will provide you with an answer!
Sound Recorders
Whether tape, reel to reel, or digital – sound recorders help language learners correct their pronunciation.
Personal Computers
From Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 4s to IBM 3270 Series, “PC”s took over school libraries and computer labs starting in the 1980s.
Laser Discs
A mix of analog and digital technology, these 11.8-inch optical discs had great resolution and supported surround sound.
“Dry” Copiers
Using toner instead of ink, these copiers were able to duplicate without wet ink surely saved many from stained clothes.
Slide Projectors
Slides let teachers project photos large enough for an entire class to see. Guest slide shows were common on a variety of topics.
Opaque Projectors
A precursor to the document camera, an opaque projector used mirrors, lenses, and bright lights to project images of small objects.
Typewriters
Both electric and non-electric typewriters were important tools for writing papers before personal computers.
Borg-Warner System 80
Popular in the 70s and 80s, this combo slide viewer and record player used punch cards for interactive activities.
Film Strip Projectors
Before slides, the order of images in a film strip could not be changed and they were more susceptible to wear.
Microfiche/Microfilm
These formats, which held micro images of many documents, allowed Department of Education staff to keep many forms organized.
Apple IIc/Apple Macintosh SE/Macintosh Plus
Another popular type of PC, many schools favored these in 80s and 90s.
16MM Film Projector
Before YouTube, educational films were shown on film reels. Student projectionists often helped set up the machines.
Overhead Projectors
Using transparencies, overhead projectors did not need the mirrors and lenses (or the brighter bulb) of opaque projectors.
Mimeographs/Ditto Machines
These two related duplication methods left many students with purple-tinted pages and a distinct smell.
VHS/VCRs
A millennial favorite, the TV/VCR cart rolled into the classroom to show a video recording via this magnetic tape based medium.
Image Citations
Header Image
“THE AUDIO VISUAL AIDS CLUB is sponsored by Mr. Segear and Mrs. McGuinn.” The Dragon, Maggie Walker High School, page 76.
Sound Recorders
Front: “The French Club often makes use of the tape recorder in order to improve French pronunciation. Mrs. Dickens here supervises the work of Madison Cummings.” Crystal, Lexington High School, 1961, page 64.
Back: Virginia Department of Education Slide Collection, Cabinet 5, Slide #15219, Visual Studies Collection, Library of Virginia.
Personal Computers
Front: “”Where do I go from here?” Baniki Brown follows notes for making her program work. This BASIC class was taught by Miss Kim Davidson.” Cougar Pinnacle, Pulaski County High School, 1990, page 42.
Back: Virginia Department of Education Slide Collection, Cabinet 5, Slide #15057, Visual Studies Collection, Library of Virginia.
LaserDiscs
Front: Virginia Department of Education Slide Collection, Cabinet 5, Slide #15693, Visual Studies Collection, Library of Virginia.
Back: “UTILIZING the resources of the Career Center, senior Roger Haynos studies the screen of the L.R.N. machine. The L.R.N. machine is a laser disc player that gives information on selected colleges around the United States.” The Antenna, Annadale High School, 1986, page 49.
“Dry” Copiers
Front: “Mary Dell Frazier uses the new dry copier for records” Blue Devil, Gate City High School, 1967.
Back: “The copier is a lifesaver for Tara Glaze when the information she needs is inside a reference book that can’t be checked out.” Fare Fac Sampler, Fairfax High School, 1995, page 114.
Slide Projectors
Front: “Huguenot foreign exchange student, Akemi Suda, explains the culture of her people, as she shows colorful slides of her homeland, Japan, to the Humanities class.” The Reflector, Thomas Dale High School, 1970, page 41.
Back: “Mrs. Madalene Fitzgerald supplements her teaching of Library Science by using slides. The students were quite interested in the use of the projector.” The Junction, Gretna High School, 1959, page 24.
Opaque Projectors
Front: “At right Mr. Jones and Mr. Kane examine an opaque projector.” The Arrow, Cape Charles High School, 1965.
Back: “A class settles down to watch a program on the projector.” Cavalier, Wilbert Tucker Woodson High School, 1966, page 51.
Typewriters
Front: Virginia Department of Education Slide Collection, Cabinet 5, Slide #15833, Visual Studies Collection, Library of Virginia.
Back: “““QWERTY!”’ Derrick Conway tries to type without looking at the typewriter keyboard. Speed drills and accuracy tests were others of the many typing exercises practiced by students enrolled in personal typing. The Crown, Menchville High School, 1987, page 171.
System80
Front: Virginia Department of Education Slide Collection, Cabinet 5, Slide #16558, Visual Studies Collection, Library of Virginia.
Back: “The 80 color frames, which furnish the visuals for the System 80 individualized learning system, are checked by Martha Rodriguez at Borg-Warner Educational Systems plant at Arlington Heights, Ill.” “Slide Show”, News Journal (Pulaski-Radford, Virginia), April 17, 1977, page 13.
For a demonstration of how the machine worked, check out this Youtube video.
Film Strip Projector
Front: “Bill Roberts investigates the mechanisms of a school projector.” Crystal, Lexington High School, 1970, page 66.
Back: “Mrs. Doris Southerlin adjusts a filmstrip projector during one of her English classes. She teaches English 11 and 12 and is sponsor of the N.H.S.” The Beacon, Abingdon High School, 1972, page 85.
Microfiche/Microfilm
Front: Virginia Department of Education Slide Collection, Cabinet 5, Slide #16184, Visual Studies Collection, Library of Virginia.
Back: Virginia Department of Education Slide Collection, Cabinet 5, Slide #15890, Visual Studies Collection, Library of Virginia.
Apple Products
Front: Virginia Department of Education Slide Collection, Cabinet 5, Slide #15057, Visual Studies Collection, Library of Virginia.
Back: Virginia Department of Education Slide Collection, Cabinet 5, Slide #15449, Visual Studies Collection, Library of Virginia.
16mm Film Projectors
Front: “As operator of a 16mm projector, James Pointer practices the skills of Audio-Visual Club members by showing a film in a biology class.” Haliscope, Halifax County High School, 1972, page 66.
Back: “Next comes getting the machine to work!” Krabba, Hampton High School, 1956, page 101.
Overhead Projectors
Front: “With the aide of “Elmo,” her overhead projector, Mme. Josephine Volzer teaches her 4th period French III class how to conjugate partir in the present tense.” Valhalla, Woodbridge Senior High School, 1997, 157.
Back: Virginia Department of Education Slide Collection, Cabinet 5, Slide #16293, Visual Studies Collection, Library of Virginia.
Mimeographs/Ditto Machines
Front: “With the assistance of Mr. Richard Greene, clerical practice student Cynthia Varva prepares to mimeograph material for a teacher.” Blue and Gray, Washington-Lee High School, 1959, page 26.
Back: “Doris Davis feeds blank sheets of paper to the mimeograph machine while Teresa Ross inspects the finished copies.” The Beacon, Abingdon High School, 1977, page 32.
VHS/VCRs
Front: Virginia Department of Education Slide Collection, Cabinet 5, Slide #15692, Visual Studies Collection, Library of Virginia.
Back: Virginia Department of Education Slide Collection, Cabinet 5, Slide #16170, Visual Studies Collection, Library of Virginia.
