Indiana University. Bureau of Public Discussion

In 1914, the Bureau of Public Discussion was established as a part of the Extension Division of Indiana University to provide information on and to stimulate the intelligent discussion of current political, economic and social questions within the state.

The Bureau of Public Discussion was created as part of the Extension Division at Indiana University in 1915 to promote intelligent discussion of current issues statewide.

The Bureau of Public Discussion, originally known as the Bureau for Public Information, was established in 1914 in connection with the Indiana University Extension Division. The philosophy behind the services was that state universities should serve the people of the state and particularly people in isolated parts of the state. Services included aids to teachers in grade and high school, home reading courses, and package libraries consisting of materials from recent books and clippings on various issues.

By the 1930s the Bureau was serving schools, libraries, extension and correspondence students, women’s clubs, and various civic organizations. The programs also expanded to include a Medical Package Library Service. During World War II, the Bureau of Public Discussion served as a distribution center for the Office of War Information and was relocated to the Division of Adult Education and Public Service in 1945, beginning a time of transition.

Under the directorship of Dr. Mary F. Anderson (1946-1961), the Bureau began to focus more on arousing public interest in current issues and critical problems. Some programs were discontinued and beginning in 1945 more attention was paid to issuing Package Library Briefs. Briefs contained short explanations of important problems with a bibliography and were sent out from September to May. The Bureau attempted to be on the mailing list of all organizations in the English speaking world and in 1961 regularly received approximately 325 periodicals.

Robert W. Hattery served as director from 1962 to 1987. In 1969 the Bureau was relocated to the Division of Continuing Education. The Bureau continued many of the same programs and maintained an extensive library of predominantly non-book materials focused on contemporary issues. During this time the Bureau also hosted conferences, seminars, and workshops on topics of current interest. The Bureau of Public Discussion remained in existence as part of the School of Continuing Studies until Hattery’s retirement in 1987.

In 1914, the Bureau of Public Discussion was established as a part of the Extension Division to respond to all letters to the university requesting information. The new Bureau first functioned as a lending library for the entire state, until this type of service was developed through the Indiana State Library. The Bureau collected materials and lent package libraries consisting of materials from recent books, pamphlets, reports, official documents, and magazine and newspaper articles on topics of current interest. Besides materials on current affairs, files on biography, fine arts, geography, travel and science were also kept up to date with new publications. Aiming to stimulate intelligent discussion of current political, economic and social questions, the Bureau assisted civic discussion clubs, debating societies, and literary clubs with recommendations regarding organizational procedures and suitable questions for debate and topics for study, and with bibliographies on current issues. Furthermore, in an effort to arouse interest in public discussion within the high schools, it conducted a State High School Discussion League.

By the 1930s, the Bureau was serving schools, libraries, extension and correspondence students, forum groups, women’s clubs, and other civic organizations and had expanded to include a Medical Package Library Service; Latin, music, and mathematics contests in high schools; a loan service of classical and dramatic plays and advisory services to assist local dramatic groups; and a service to teachers which provided information regarding the improvement of classroom instruction and aids to the development of school and community programming.

1945 marked a year of transition for the Bureau of Public Discussion in that the Bureau moved from the Extension Division of the University to the more expanded program of the new Division of Adult Education and Public Service. Under the directorship of Dr. Mary F. Anderson (1946-1961) and beginning in1949 with new library services available in Indianapolis, the Package Library Service was reoriented to exclude books and supply materials from specific periodicals and pamphlets carefully selected to represent a wide range of opinions and recent facts on current subjects of discussion. Additionally, special topics briefs were sent out by the Bureau from September to May, each containing quotations from many points of view on a particular subject and a bibliography for further reading on the subject, program suggestions, and other types of materials. In 1956, the Bureau was absorbed into the Office of University Extension.

Under the directorship of Robert W. Hattery (1962-1987) and within the Division of Continuing Education beginning in 1969, the Bureau continued many of these same programs and maintained an extensive library of about a half-million publications of predominantly non-book reading materials focusing on contemporary public affairs. At the time this was one of the largest collections of materials on current affairs in the United States. The Bureau also regularly convened conferences, seminars, workshops, and non-credit short courses on topics of current interest. Furthermore, for those individuals or groups unable to attend meetings away from home, the Bureau developed a number of home-study programs which included guided readings, structured group discussions, and analytical writing exercises.

The Bureau of Public Discussion was last listed in the School of Continuing Studies Bulletin in 1980; however, Robert W. Hattery continued to be listed as the Director of the Bureau of Public Discussion in the Indiana University Register until the 1986-1987 academic school year.