radio, and a related book is also planned. "Slaves No More," a 

 new radio project featuring the recollect ions of former slaves 

 recorded in the 1930s by the Works Progress 

 Administration, received major funding from the National 

 Endowment for the Humanities and the Corporation for 

 Public Broadcasting. 



Expanded Public Awareness 



Engaging the public in the Smithsonian requires another 

 kind of educational effort: building awareness of the 

 Institution, its educational mission, and its multifaceted 

 public service. Throughout the year, we used various 

 strategies to generate public interest and understanding. 

 When people plan a visit to the Smithsonian, they need 

 accurate and complete information. This year, VIARC staff 

 reviewed descriptions of the Smithsonian for the 1998 editions 

 of 35 major Washington, D.C., guidebooks. On the 

 Smithsonian website, VIARC provides a current 

 Institution-wide calendar and exhibition listings, along with 

 suggestions for planning a visit and information about how to 

 volunteer. VIARC also strengthened its links with the local, 

 national, and international tour and travel industry by 

 participating in key national meetings where the 

 Smithsonian's representative met individually with nearly 250 

 tour operators. 



Teachers, students, and researchers can turn to the useful 

 "Resources" brochures, produced by OPA, for information on 

 collections, databases, publications, fellowships, internships, 

 and more. This year, a fourth title, "Asian Pacific American 

 Resources at the Smithsonian," was added to the series. 



OPA also published four issues of the newsletter 

 "Smithsonian Institution Research Reports," which informs 

 members of Congress, scholars and scientists, library users, 

 and Smithsonian Contributing Members about the many 

 research efforts around the Institution. Smithsonian Year ipp6, 

 prepared by OPA with Smithsonian Press/Smithsonian 

 Productions, was a special thematic annual report focusing on 

 the 150th anniversary and its related activities and programs. 



Special events and conferences drew thousands of people to 

 the Smithsonian this year, extending the Institution's 

 connections to a variety of organizations and individuals. The 

 Office of Special Events and Conference Services produced 

 nearly 400 events that increased public awareness and often 

 raised revenue. Among the highlights were a reception 

 honoring the president of Honduras, hosted by the 

 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; the 1997 

 Computerworld Smithsonian Awards presentation ceremony; 

 a World Wildlife Fund environmental preservation 

 symposium; a dinner celebrating the dedication of the 

 Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial; and the first Great 

 Smithsonian Press Sale, which drew several thousand shoppers 

 over three days in June. 



The Smithsonian's congressionally mandated activities 

 stressed its core educational mission and programming. 

 Through presentations at hearings, live demonstrations, site 



visits, lectures, and distribution of program materials, the 

 Office of Government Relations raised congressional 

 awareness and enlisted the assistance of members of Congress 

 and their staff in promoting their constituents' participation 

 in Smithsonian programs. During the year, members of 

 Congress joined in bringing the National Museum of Natural 

 History's Natural Partners Initiative and National Science 

 Resources Center programs to their communities. 



Products with an Educational Message 



The Smithsonian is committed to developing and licensing 

 products that reflect its educational values and extend its 

 message. From a business point of view, offering merchandise 

 of high quality helps strengthen the Institution's financial 

 base. From an education point of view, an exhibition 

 catalogue, a CD-ROM, or a product carrying a descriptive 

 card contribute to people's knowledge of our collections and 

 research and stimulate interest in the Smithsonian. This was a 

 banner year for the Museum Shops, with sales exceeding $33 

 million, a 16 percent increase over fiscal year 1996. Shops 

 supporting the exhibitions Red. Hot & Blue: A Salute to 

 American Musicals at the National Portrait Gallery and Amber: 

 Window to the Past at the National Museum of Natural 

 History (NMNH) were especially successful. At NMNH, two 

 new shops opened in November, with spacious and inviting 

 designs that incorporate actual museum artifacts and make 

 the shops integral to the museum visit. Off the Mall, a new 

 shop with a varied selection of merchandise opened in the 

 new Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport terminal, 

 operated in partnership with concessionaire Lanta 

 Concessions, Inc. The successful shop at 

 Baltimore- Washington International Airport continued to 

 offer aviation-related merchandise. Both airport shops also 

 provide information designed to attract visitors to the 

 Smithsonian and promote membership. The Smithsonian 

 Catalogue, like the Museum Shops, continues to reflect the 

 educational values and the rich diversity of the museums and 

 research institutes. Every product receives curatorial approval. 

 The catalogue enjoyed its best sales year ever, with the 

 holiday 1996 edition posting record sales. 



Through licensing agreements, the Smithsonian also 

 promotes its educational mission. This year, Natural Science 

 Industries, Inc., expanded its line of children's science kits, 

 and Soundprints began issuing teachers' guides to accompany 

 its children's books and tapes. The Institution signed a new 

 agreement this year with Scientific Explorer, Inc., for 

 educational activity kits. 



Strong Infrastructure 



In support of the Smithsonian's educational mission, crucial 

 work goes on in finance, administration, facilities, and 

 information technology. A spirit of teamwork guides these 

 service-oriented divisions, which often work in concert with 

 museums, research institutes, and offices. 



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