teer participants as a means of increasing their knowledge and 

 understanding of the Institution's work and collections. 



Incoming public inquiry mail including electronic in- 

 quiries numbered 34,411. Capability to respond online 

 facilitated answers to some 4,710 inquiries originating 

 primarily from The Worldwide Web. The lattet represents 

 more than a 100 percent increase in electronic inquiries. Fifty- 

 five new bibliographies, fact sheets, and leaflets were created 

 and uploaded to the Web on subjects ranging from anthropol- 

 ogy to zoology; 51 others were created or revised for individual 

 responses. The Sales Reference List was updated and published 

 three times. Outgoing mail in response to both mail and 

 phone inquiries numbered over 74,000 pieces. 



Public telephone inquiries documented by VIARC num- 

 bered more than 377,466, the heaviest volume experienced in 

 the history of the program. Although this number is high, 

 the actual number handled was even higher as phone data 

 could not be retrieved during rwo when periods when the call 

 management system crashed. To maintain service for Institu- 

 tion callers during these periods required labor intensive 

 measures by staff and volunteers. Factors influencing the 

 volume of calls included the "Star Wars" exhibition and the 

 IMAX film Everest, both at the National Air and Space 

 Museum; and Black History Monch activities. 



Total volunteers participating in the Behind-the-Scenes 

 Volunteer Program during the year numbered 1,240. Transla- 

 tions completed by volunteer translators numbered 107 in 9 

 languages. These volunteers contributed over 176,000 hours 

 of service to projects in departments, divisions, and programs 

 across the Institution. 



Efforts to address the Institution's accessibility and cultural 

 diversity goals were ongoing. Eighteen percent of new Volun- 

 teer Information Specialists represented minority constituencies; 

 23 percent of new volunteers placed in projects behind the 

 scenes were known to be minorities. Printed activity 

 "Samplers" were produced for all Heritage Celebrations and 

 24-hour recorded information tapes were also provided. 

 Telephone requests for Black History Month calendars were 

 the highest ever received (4,512), a 52 percent increase over 

 1997s then record number of requests. The unprecedented 

 volume of requests was attributed to a misunderstanding of 

 the term "calendar" in promotional materials. As updates 

 were required, publications were revised to reflect adherence 

 to accessibility guidelines and primary publications were 

 provided in alternate formats at all information desks for dis- 

 tribution to visitors. In addition, tours of the SIB were offered 

 in Spanish during Hispanic Heritage Month and on a request 

 basis throughout the year. The Tourism Outreach Coordinator 

 attended Nuestra Gente, a U.S. -Latino Awareness Conference 

 to enhance skills in marketing to Latinos and the annual 

 LaCumbre marketplace to promote travel to the Institution/ 

 D.C. from Latin America. Other efforts included the design 

 and installation of the A&I information desk, production of 

 an open-captioned version of the SIC video, supply of Braille 

 Metro maps to all information desks, uploading all Heritage 



Month activities to the Web, and promotion of same in the 

 SIC theaters. 



The Institution-wide volunteer survey conducted annually 

 through VIARC counted a total of 5,724 volunteers who con- 

 tributed some 495,551 hours of service during FY 98. Volun- 

 teer participation was acknowledged appropriately through 

 appreciation events, service pins, the annual January supple- 

 ment to The Torch, and inclusion in the various staff open 

 houses sponsored through the Community Committee. 



Appreciation events for participants in VIARC's rwo volun- 

 teer programs included remarks by Secretary Heyman at the 

 spring event for behind-the-scenes volunteers when one of the 

 Institution's oldest volunteet groups, the Ham radio 

 operators, and one of the newest volunteer groups. Voices 

 2000 from the Accessibility Program, were awarded special 

 service plaques. The Secretary also spoke at the holiday recep- 

 tion for Volunteer Information Specialists. Volunteers also 

 received gift calendars, and NMAH and SIC volunteers were 

 invited to the Sectetary's Fourth of July picnic. 



Work with the tourism industry continued through par- 

 ticipation in major marketplace activities including the 

 American Bus Association; National Tour Association; Travel 

 Industry Association; and La Cumbre, the principal visit U.S. 

 travel trade show for Latin American tour operators and travel 

 agents. Liaison with local hospitality, convention, and visitors 

 associations was ongoing, as was online promotion of the 

 Smithsonian through TravelFile and NTA Online. To 

 promote the Smithsonian as a major tourist destination, 

 VIARC also assisted the Washington, D.C. Convention and 

 Visitors Association in atranging a reception at the National 

 Museum of African An for African American Heritage tour 

 operators. In addition, VIARC was instrumental in facilitat- 

 ing the display of SITES and Museum Shop items in the 

 newly opened Reagan Building and hosted a monthly meeting 

 of the D.C. Chambet of Commerce's Convention and Tourism 

 Committee, at which NASM's Dulles Center Ditector of 

 Major Gifts was the featured speaker. 



Additional activities during Fiscal Year 1998 included 

 creative and productive internal and external communication 

 systems and networks that enabled VIARC to improve and 

 enhance information services for all audiences. Highlights 

 included, but were not limited to, the following initiatives; 

 researching and contracting for replacement of the telephone 

 system, completion of research for digitization of "Super- 

 guide" map and contracting fot same; completion of the 

 Exhibits Archives Project fot ten museums (2,912 exhibits); 

 content review of 36 SI and non-SI publications; redesign and 

 updating of the Smithsonian convention display unit; finaliza- 

 tion of new alternatives for outdoor wayfinding pylons; com- 

 pletion of site identification on SIC models; completion of 

 Y2K changes to VIARC's custom database programs; con- 

 figuration and installation of Pentium computers at informa- 

 tion desks; cabling and connection of Sackler and NASM 

 information desks to SINET; numerous office network and 

 custom software improvements/enhancements including the 



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