Reports of the Administrative Offices 



57 



The first media "event," held in October, was the in- 

 frared examination of the flag by National Aeronaurics and 

 Space Administrarion scientists. The after-hours raking 

 down of the flag was shared with national television via a 

 video news release sent out on satellite the following after- 

 noon. Science media had a briefing on rhe project and a 

 tour of the special conservation lab where the flag is in- 

 stalled for three years. 



OPA provides regular support tor the public relations 

 efforts of Smithsonian museums and offices. This year's proj- 

 ects included publicity and an advertising plan for "Microbes: 

 Invisible Invaders, Amazing Allies" in rhe Internarional 

 Gallery. The exhibition brought record numbers of visirors 

 to the S. Dillon Ripley Center and additional evening visitors 

 to other museums that were part of the Summer Science 

 Nights on the Mall program. In addition, OPA played a lead- 

 ing role in rhe publicity campaign surrounding the ground 

 breaking for the National Museum of the American Indian 

 on Seprember 28. 



The office continued implementation of the Smithson- 

 ian's new visual identity program, which was iniriated last 

 year with the introduction of a new logo, by working wirh 

 sraff around the Insritution to apply the logo to everything 

 from brochures and newsletters to product labels, signs, and 

 stationery. 



Three publications produced by OPA won First Place in 

 the National Association of Government Communicators' 

 publications competition: Smithsonian Year 1997, jointly 

 produced with Smithsonian Institution Press; Smithsonian 

 Institution Research Reports, a. quarterly newslerter; and The 

 Torch, the monrhly employee newspaper. During rhe year, 

 OPA produced two additional brochures to assist visitors 

 in touring the Smithsonian — an update of "Smithsonian 

 Access," a guide for disabled visitors, and a visitor brochure 

 titled "Exploring African American Heritage at the Smith- 

 sonian," which was supporred by a grant from the 

 Educational Outreach Fund administered by the Smithson- 

 ian Office of Educarion. 



As part of OPA's Institution-wide promotion program, 

 the office bought commercial time for six months begin- 

 ning in September on WTOP radio, the dominant 

 news-talk station in the Washington area. The station's lis- 

 tener demographics match those of Smithsonian visitors, 

 Associate members, and donors. The spots, called "Inside 

 the Smithsonian," were broadcast every Friday morning 

 during drive time and featured informarion for area resi- 

 dents on everyrhing from whar's new ar the museums to the 

 latest artifacr acquisition. To promote the museums' fall 

 season of exhibitions and programs, OPA ran rwo half-page 

 advertisemenrs in rhe Washington Post's fall preview section 

 on Sunday, September 12. 



Near the end of the fiscal year, rhe Board of Regents was 

 ready ro name a new Smithsonian Secretary, and OPA han- 

 dled the September 13 announcement in the Enid A. Haupt 

 Garden and the publicity for the event. Secretary-designate 

 Lawrence M. Small's biography and other materials were 

 available to staff, the public, and the press. 



Visitor Information and Associates' 

 Reception Center 



Mary Grace Potter, Director 



Throughour fiscal year 1999 the Visitor Information and 

 Associates' Reception Center (VIARC) pursued its mission 

 to broaden the public's knowledge, appreciation, and enjoy- 

 menr of the Institution and to facilitate and promote 

 participation in its programs and acrivities 



As a central supporr organization and the principal con- 

 ract point for informarion about the Smithsonian, VIARC's 

 work was carried out through the Smithsonian Information 

 Center (SIC); the Interner; museum information/member re- 

 ception desks; response services for public and member mail, 

 telephone, and electronic inquiries; outreach to the tour 

 and travel industry; outdoor wayfinding stations; two large 

 volunteer programs providing primary support for rhe Insti- 

 tution's public information activities and for sraff project 

 assisrance behind-the-scenes; and a docent program for the 

 Castle. 



VIARC observed an ambitious schedule of activity during 

 the year to ensure rimely conrracting, implemenrarion/ 

 installation and completion of major projects affecring the 

 Institution's public information activities, for example, a 

 new phone system, new backht panels for the Smithsonian 

 Information Center, and re-engineered outside wayfinding 

 pylons; firsr-rime digirizarion and photographic enlarge- 

 ments of the Informarion Center's elecrronic maps; and 

 design and installation of a new software program for rhe 

 rouch screen interactives in the Center, including the pur- 

 chase of new hardware. 



Fiscal year 1999 also marked the 10th anniversary of rhe 

 Smithsonian Informarion Center, which over the decade has 

 provided assisrance ro some 20 million visitors. Most of the 

 Center's primary informarion components were redesigned, 

 refurbished, or replaced. The system for generating promo- 

 tional graphics between theater shows was perfected and 

 utilized extensively to highlight various exhibitions, serv- 

 ices, and acrivities across the Institution. 



Operating from 9:00 a.m. ro 5:30 p.m. daily, rhe Center 

 served some 1,854,903 visitors. Reception services were 

 provided ro 19,562 Associate Members and rheir families; 

 3,267 memberships were sold represenring $101,593.00 

 in revenue for membership programs. Casrle Docents led 

 2,881 participants on 268 tours of rhe Smithsonian Build- 

 ing, which included the special biannual tours for TSA 

 members. 



Informarion desk services were provided in 13 museums 

 by a corps of 664 Volunreer Information Specialists. Ninety 

 new volunteers were recruired, trained, and placed in desk 

 and telephone informarion assignments to maintain estab- 

 lished staffing levels; 106 continuing education programs 

 were provided to keep volunteers abreasr of new exhibirions 

 and activities and to enhance their knowledge of ongoing 

 work in rhe museums. The "InfoSpecial" newsletter for Vol- 

 unteer Information Specialists was produced quarterly. 

 Volunteer contributions Institution-wide were acknowl- 



