the-Scenes Volunteer Program, a registration and placement 

 activity for volunteers working in independent pro|ects pan- 

 Institution; a Pre-Visit Educanon Program which provides 

 the principal Smithsonian interface with the local, national 

 and international tour and travel industry; an Exterior 

 Graphic Information System through which our-of-doors 

 wayfinding assistance is provided to visitors; and an Informa- 

 tion Resource Division which maintains computer-based in- 

 formation systems and produces the variety of printed 

 reference materials, information aids and publications that 

 support all VIARC public information activities and service 

 programs. This division is also responsible for the pre-publica- 

 tion review of all Smithsonian visitor information materials. 



Operating from 9 a.m.— 5:30 p.m. daily, the Smithsonian In- 

 formation Center artracted well over 1.6 million visitors. Both 

 electronic maps were updated and reinstalled before heavy 

 spring visitation; and the theater onenranon program video 

 intro was revised to include the new Secretary. Reception ser- 

 vices were provided to 43,4.12 Associates and their families. 

 3,291 memberships were sold with Contributing membership 

 sales up 45%. 288 Castle tours engaged 3,323 participants up 

 slightly from 93. 



Museum information desk services continued daily at 16 lo- 

 cations in 13 museums. Desks were closed rarely even during 

 severe weather. Automated information retrieval was extended 

 to 6 more desk sites; news desks were installed at AfA, 

 NMAH, and HMSG to accommodate same. 104 new Informa- 

 tion Specialists were added to the corps. 



Incoming public mail inquiries numbered 42,029. Out- 

 going mail escalated again to 88,448 an increase of +23% in 

 2 years. Public telephone inquiries totaled 296,945 down 9% 

 from '93 despite reinstatement of Sunday service. As the result 

 of sheer staff perseverance, telephone information was main- 

 tained for the public throughout bad winter weather via our 

 remote control system. 



z8l new volunteers were recruited and placed in projects be- 

 hind the scenes, a 12.4% increase over '93; 392 were registered 

 for other staff. Total volunteers participating in behind the 

 scenes projects numbered 1,223.139 documents representing 14 

 different languages were translated for SI staff. Evaluations 

 from volunteers completing projects were positive with few 

 exceptions. 



The Institution-wide volunteer survey conducted annually 

 by VIARC counted a total of 5,256 volunteers who contrib- 

 uted some 574,816 hours of service to the Institution during 

 FY 94. The January supplement of The Torch recognized the 

 contributions of volunteers Institution-wide and focused upon 

 new areas in which volunteers were participating. 



Appreciation events were held for both VIARC's behind- 

 the-scenes and information volunteers. Enrichment programs 

 provided for volunteer information specialists featured behind 

 the scenes tours of several support organizations. OH, OEC, 

 and CAL which increased the volunteers' understanding of 

 the work done by the Institution and the interrelationship of 

 conservation and exhibition in the museum environment. The 



InfoSpecial newsletter produced quarterly highlighted a cross 

 section of Institution exhibitions and programs while also re- 

 porting on volunteer acrivities. 



Efforts continued in FY 94 to extend VIARC's on-line 

 "Info Tools" program to museum information desks. Six 

 new sites were added during the year. The introduction of 

 an "Ask the Smithsonian" feature on VIARC's America 

 Online segment resulted in a 40% increase in electronic 

 public inquiries. 



VIARC's outreach activities with the tour and travel indus- 

 try were recognized by the Washington Convention and Visi- 

 tors Association in May when the annual Capital Ambassador 

 Award was presented to our Outreach Coordinator. 



Efforts to address the Institution's accessibility and cultural 

 diversity goals were on-going. Both volunteer corps increased 

 minority participation among new members to 22%. Printed 

 information in the form of "Samplers" was produced for all 

 Heritage Celebrations and 24 hour recorded information tapes 

 were also provided. Publications were revised to reflect adher- 

 ence to accessibility guidelines as new updates were required. 



Two printed pieces were of particular note, Smithsonian Mu- 

 seums At-A-Glance was produced in Italian in time for the 

 World Cup; and Take Metrorail to the Smithsonian Museums was 

 designed by VIARC and produced by rhe Washington Metro- 

 politan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to promote the use 

 of public transportation to reach Smithsonian attractions. 



Institutional Initiatives 



Office of the Assistant Secretary for 

 Institutional Initiatives 



Alice Green Burnette, Assistant Secretary 



The wide-ranging development activities of the Smithsonian 

 are the responsibility of the Office of the Assistant Secretary 

 for Institutional Initiatives. The office coordinates the 

 Institution's broad efforts with those of the bureaus and of- 

 fices to ensure that the Smithsonian receives the fullest possi- 

 ble private support for its research, exhibitions, and 

 educational and public service activities. The office also con- 

 ducts special studies and demonstration projects on behalf of 

 the Institution. 



During 1994, the assistant secretary led the planning and 

 implementation for marketing the Institution's 150th anniver- 

 sary celebration in 1996. The marketing plan encompasses 

 public relations, advertising, communications, fund raising, 

 visitor services, membership, telecommunications, and busi- 

 ness activities. 



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