Report of the Provost 



J. Dennis O'Connor 



Extending the Smithsonian's Reach 



Each year, the reports from the Smithsonian's museums and 

 research institutes present an evolving portrait of an Institu- 

 tion dedicated to its traditional mission — the increase and 

 diffusion of knowledge — and committed to engaging and 

 serving a broad audience. Those complementary emphases 

 are especially apparent this year. On the one hand, the 

 Smithsonian's fundamental activities — research, education, 

 and stewardship of the national collections — seem mote im- 

 pressive than ever in their scope and substance. On the other 

 hand, the Institution is actively looking for ways to broaden 

 access to its exttaordinary resources and intensify its already 

 significant ptesence in the worlds of the sciences, art, and 

 the humanities. As the Smithsonian maintains a focus on ex- 

 cellence in activities of collection and research, we are 

 simultaneously turning outward, seeking greater public en- 

 gagement in all that we have to offer. 



From the Smithsonian's base in Washington, to a barrier 

 reef in the Catibbean, to the far reaches of the cosmos, the 

 Institution's cutting-edge research continues to break new 

 ground. So, too, does our commitment to make research re- 

 sources and research findings widely available. Here in 

 Washington, the Smithsonian has acquired the Victot 

 Building, which will be home to staff offices for the Na- 

 tional Museum of American Art, the National Pottrait 

 Gallery, and the Archives of American Art, as well as a 

 planned Center for American Art. This major research facil- 

 ity will welcome scholars and the interested public who 

 want to study research materials and curatorial records re- 

 lated to the history of American art. On Carrie Bow Cay in 

 Belize, the National Museum of Natural History this year 

 dedicated its rebuilt field station, which is considered one of 

 the world's leading facilities for the study of coral reefs. Re- 

 search from this remote one-acre island contributes to our 

 understanding of the diverse and fragile barrier reef ecosys- 



tem, and ultimately to its preservation. The images of cos- 

 mic phenomena now being returned from the powerful 

 Chandra X-ray Observatory are amazing even to scientists 

 at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatoty, home of 

 Chandra's flight operations control center. Anyone with In- 

 ternet access can examine a changing selection of these 

 images on the project's Web site, accessible from the Smith- 

 sonian's home page. 



There is no question that electronic access is revolutioniz- 

 ing the way the Smithsonian does business. By shating 

 resources through the Web or cable networks, we are extend- 

 ing our service in ways that were unimaginable only a few 

 years ago. The online publication of digital editions of rare 

 books, for instance, brings illustrated volumes from the 

 Smithsonian Institution Libraries' collection to a worldwide 

 audience while reducing the handling of ftagile materials. 

 The Libraries' Web site is a fast-growing "elecrronic library" 

 that attracts everyone from curious youngsters to advanced 

 scholars. Elsewhere in the Institution, electronic education 

 initiatives are helping us reach more students and teachers 

 than ever. As an example, this yeat students in more than 

 6,500 middle schools patticipated via cable broadcast in a 

 program on the African American inventor Lewis Latimer, 

 developed by the Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for 

 the Study of Invention and Innovation at the National Mu- 

 seum of Ametican History. 



The Smithsonian's capacity fot research and public educa- 

 tion is linked to stewatdship of the national collections, 

 which require effective management, careful preservation, 

 and continued development. This year, for example, the Star- 

 Spangled Banner Preservation Project in the National 

 Museum of American History invited the public to observe 

 and learn about the complex conservation of this national 

 icon, while every Smithsonian museum added objects to 

 their collections, opening exciting possibilities for research, 

 exhibitions, and education. 



