edition), selected for its usefulness to the world research com- 

 munity, was published, and Recommended List of Books and 

 Other Information Resources for Zoo and Aquarium Libraries (1994 

 print, 1997 digital edition) was launched in July. Abundant 

 reference resources are offered on the branch libraries' home 

 pages, along with the online exhibition, Science and the Artist's 

 Book, and current issues of Information, the illustrated Libraries' 

 newsletter, on the website. The Preservation Services Depart- 

 ment and Systems staff scanned three natural history rare 

 books at very high resolution and produced a CD-ROM as a 

 pilot for future digital products. Some of the digital initia- 

 tives underway are a project on the trade literature in the 

 Libraries' collections on 19th-century sewing machines, an 

 English translation of The Residency of the Ternate in the Moluc- 

 cas (1890 print, 1998 digital edition) by S. F. A DeClercq, and 

 an online version of the Libraries' 150th -anniversary exhibi- 

 tion, From Smithson to Smithsonian: The Birth of an Institution. 



The management services staff met challenges in major 

 areas. New Institution-wide computer programs involved 

 staff being trained and then developing expertise. Libraries' 

 staff maintained financial tracking of personnel and procure- 

 ment costs at an unprecedented level of accuracy and 

 credibility. SIL's personnel turnover rate during the year hit an 

 unprecedented 17%, leading to the hire in record time of 21 

 new staff. Renovations commanded attention, and the 

 Libraries planned space for the branch library at the National 

 Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) Cultural Resources 

 Center and the NMAI Mall museum. In the Natural History 

 Building, plans progressed for the new Natural History Rare 

 Book Library, and renovations began for both HVAC (heat- 

 ing, ventilating, and air-conditioning) and SIL's Central Refer- 

 ence and Loan Services, all connected with East Court 

 construction. 



The Smithsonian Institution Libranes/Dibner Library Resi- 

 dent Scholar Program welcomed three scholars this year who 

 conducted research in aspects of the history of science. A 

 Ph.D. student at Johns Hopkins University studied 16th-cen- 

 tury German vernacular medical texts; a history professor 

 from Western Washington University studied climate and 

 culture in 19th-century America; and a lecturer at the 

 American University in Paris worked on a study of Isaac Bar- 

 row, 17th-century mathematician and Isaac Newton's mentor. 

 Interns from Romania (sponsored by a Soros grant), from Ger- 

 many, and from the University of Maryland, and a graduate of 

 the University of Oklahoma received significant professional 

 training at the Libraries this year. 



A Libraries' exhibition, Audubon and the Smithsonian, which 

 opened in the SIL Exhibition Gallery in May, presented high- 

 lights of the publishing history of John James Audubon's 

 (1785-1851) seminal works, The Birds of America and Viviparous 

 Quadrupeds of North America. The exhibition featured a variety of 

 Audubon-related objects from various Smithsonian collections. 

 The centerpiece, the National Audubon Society's double- 

 elephant folio edition (27" X 40") of The Birds of America, was 

 displayed with artworks, memorabilia, and specimens, a num- 



ber of which came to the Smithsonian as a direct consequence 

 of Audubon's friendship with Spencer Baird, according to 

 guest curator Helena Wright of the Museum of American 

 History. 



For its public programs, the Libraries, a member of the 

 Washington Collegium for the Humanities, cosponsored with 

 the National Air and Space Museum a program for the WCH 

 lecture series "Belonging and Acceptance in History, Culture, 

 and Art." Presented to an audience of 260 people on March 5, 

 "Star Wars: Belonging and Acceptance of the Hero" was 

 delivered by Mary Henderson, curator of the National Air and 

 Space Museum's exhibition, "Star Wars: The Magic of Myth," 

 and examined themes of ancient mythology recreated by 

 George Lucas in his film trilogy. "Hello, Lindy!" a free public 

 concert of popular songs presented jointly by the Libraries 

 and NASM was held on May 21 to celebrate the 70th anniver- 

 sary of Charles Lindbergh's solo trans-Atlantic flight. Sung by 

 the U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters, the songs written in 

 Lindbergh's honor in 1927 are from the Libtaties' Bella C. 

 Landauer Collection of aeronautical sheet music. 



Smithsonian Institution Traveling 

 Exhibition Service 



Anna R. Cohn, Director 



The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service 

 (SITES) is the largest traveling exhibition service in the 

 world. Its mission is to extend the Smithsonian collections, 

 research, and exhibitions to "sites" across the nation and 

 beyond. SITES organizes and circulates exhibitions of all 

 shapes and sizes on the arts, sciences, and humanities. Since 

 the first exhibition went on the toad in 1952, SITES has 

 traveled thousands of exhibitions for the education and enjoy- 

 ment of museum goers in every state and several foreign 

 countries. 



To expand the Smithsonian's outreach, SITES has contin- 

 ued to seek out alternative partners and spaces to create and 

 host exhibitions. Throughout its tour, the exhibition "Vanishing 

 Amphibians" traveled to science centers, conferences, and 

 libraries in order to teach audiences that might not visit tradi- 

 tional science or natural history museums. SITES also con- 

 tinues to work the Ametican Library Association to create 

 poster versions of exhibitions to hang in libraries across the 

 country. 



SITES' Rural Initiative Program is designed to reach under- 

 served communities in rural areas throughout the United States. 

 In addition to providing these venues with exhibitions, SITES 

 works with the Federation of State Humanities Councils to 

 provide the venues with professional development programs 

 and training, as well as assisting in the development of site- 

 specific public programming. 



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