Product Developmenr and Licensing signed several import- 

 ant new licensing agreements in 1995, including an agreement 

 with Avon Products, Inc., for jewelry based on Smithsonian 

 collections. This division also spent significant time in prepar- 

 ing for the licensed merchandising opportunities that will re- 

 sult from the Institution's 150th Anniversary- celebration in 

 1996. 



Office of Communications 



David J. Umansky, Director 



The Office of Communications is responsible for the public 

 face of the Institution. Its Office of Public Affairs is dedicated 

 to media relations, publications, and public relations. The Vis- 

 itor Information and Associates' Reception Area serves the 28 

 million people who visit the Smithsonian each year. Both 

 groups began intensive preparations for the observance of the 

 Institution's 150th anniversary in 1996. 



Office of Public Affairs 



Through media relations and publications, the Office of Pub- 

 lic Affairs (OPA) informs the American public, people around 

 the world, and Smithsonian employees about the exhibitions, 

 programs, and research activities of the Smithsonian. The of- 

 fice provides the news media with press releases (more than 

 600 this year), photographs, written material, videotapes, and 

 public service announcements. Its publications include Re- 

 search Reports (a quarterly bulletin), Smithsonian Runner (a bi- 

 monthly newsletter about Native American activities at the 

 Smithsonian), and the Torch (a monthly employee newspaper), 

 as well as brochures for the public. 



When it was launched on May 8, the Smithsonian's Home 

 Page (http://www.si.edu) instantly became one of the most 

 popular sites on the World Wide Web. The Home Page fea- 

 tures a rich variety of online exhibitions, services, informa- 

 tion, images, and sound recordings. 



The opening of the "Enola Gay" exhibition at the National 

 Air and Space Museum was covered intensely by U.S. and for- 

 eign news media. More than 200 journalists, including 85 tele- 

 vision crews, attended the media preview on June 27. 



Earlier in the fiscal year, OPA organized the publicity cam- 

 paign for the opening of the New York facility of the Na- 

 tional Museum of the American Indian on October 30. A 

 week of special previews for the media, donors, members, and 

 other guests culminated in a Native American blessing on the 

 steps of the building. Extensive media coverage reached mil- 

 lions of Americans. 



This year, the office issued a number of updated publica- 

 tions, including the Smithsonian's general information bro- 

 chure, "Latino Resources at the Smithsonian," and "Native 

 American Resources at the Smithsonian." Information from 

 these and other OPA publications is available on the 

 Smithsonian's Home Page on the World Wide Web. 



OPA continued its program designed to reach new audi- 

 ences with a radio advertising campaign geared to local 

 African American listeners and a print advertising campaign 

 targeting Latino readers. 



Activities for the commemoration of the Smithsonian's 

 150th anniversary in 1996 began with a news conference on 

 March 27. Secretary Heyman described plans for the celebra- 

 tion, from a major event on the National Mall to a traveling 

 exhibition of treasures from the collections. 



Visitor Information and 

 Associates' Reception 



Mary Grace Potter, Director 



Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Visitor Information and 

 Associates' Reception Center (VIARC) continues to operate as 

 a multi-program information and support organization respon- 

 sible for Institution-wide information and assistance services 

 for the public, Associate members, Smithsonian staff, and vol- 

 unteers. Several VIARC programs operate seven days a week 

 and involve the coordination and direction of two large corps 

 of volunteers who constitute a primary source of support for 

 the Institution's public information activities and for project 

 assistance behind the scenes. 



Responsibilities of the Visitor Information and Associates' 

 Reception Center include: the Smithsonian Information Cen- 

 ter, the Institution's primary orientation and information facil- 

 ity for visitors; Public Inquiry Mail and Telephone 

 Information Services, the Smithsonian's central information 

 and referral point for public correspondence and phone inquir- 

 ies; the Volunteer Information Specialist Program through 

 which volunteers are recruited and trained to staff telephone 

 information stations and information desks in most of the 

 Institution's 14 Washington, DC museums; the Castle Docent 

 Program through which tours of the Smithsonian Institution 

 Building are conducted; the Behind-the-Scenes Volunteer Pro- 

 gram, a registration and placement activity for volunteers 

 working in independent projects pan-Institution; a Pre-Visit 

 Education Program which provides the principal Smithsonian 

 contact with the local, national and international tour and 

 travel industry; and an Exterior Graphic Information System 

 through which out-of-doors wayfinding assistance is provided 

 to visitors. VIARC s Information Resource Division main- 

 tains multiple computer-based information systems and pro- 

 duces the variety of printed reference materials, information 



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