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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Institutional History Division Appendixes
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Exhibitions and Exhibition LoansThe Institutional History Division installed a new exhibit on the balcony outside the SI Archives on "The Smithsonian at the Turn of the Century," providing a glimpse of the Institution some 100 years ago. SIA loaned one item to the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden for its exhibition on Horace Pippin. SIA also extended an existing loan on one item to the National Museum of American History and returned items from two borrowers during this fiscal year. A complete list of outgoing loans and returned loans is located in Appendix H: Exhibition Loans (Outgoing). Electronic Access and OutreachNational Collections Program The NCP website (www.si.edu/archives/NCP/ncphome.htm) is an invaluable tool for information dissemination that reaches national and international audiences, including users from such diverse locales as Japan, Russia, and Africa. One of the most notable inquiries pertained to the resolution of an "old loan" of artifacts relating to the American Civil War, Mexican and Cuban Campaigns. Using the office website, a relative of the original lender was able to locate the objects, which were originally loaned to the Smithsonian in 1899, and helped solve an outstanding collections management concern. In addition, the website continues to be of service to Smithsonian and professional staff as they conduct their own research regarding federal policies, endangered species laws and regulations, and general collections management. Institutional History Division Jennifer Nichols created a virtual exhibit, "The Smithsonian at the Turn of the Century," (http://www.si.edu/archives/century/index.htm), providing a glimpse of the Institution some 100 years ago. "This Day in Smithsonian History," a website on both the Web and the Smithsonian's intranet, Prism, taught the public and Smithsonian staff about the Institution's history (http://www.si.edu/archives/thisday/index.htm). In addition Frank Millikan prepared two web features, "Joseph Henry and the Telephone," Joseph Henry Papers Project website (www.si.edu/archives/ihd/jhp/joseph23.htm), and "Joseph Henry Namesakes," Joseph Henry Papers Project website (www.si.edu/archives/ihd/jhp/joseph22.htm). The "Smithsonian Expeditions" exhibit also opened in electronic format at (http://www.mnh.si.edu/anthro/laexped/). Additions to the Joseph Henry Papers Project website (http://www.si.edu/archives/ihd/jhp/index.htm) included a selection of Henry documents, an essay on "Henry and the Telephone," and a survey of Joseph Henry namesakes. The JHPP participated in the Model Editions II Partnership, a cooperative effort to develop standards for placing documentary editions on the web. Selections from Volume 7 of The Papers of Joseph Henry were made available on the MEP website (http://adh.sc.edu/jh/jh-table.html). Henson, Nichols, and contractor Pilar S. Montalvo prepared images and text entries for the Smithsonian Digital Library project, and by year's end 200 images and text records were available on the Smithsonian website (http://digilib.si.edu/digilib/main.asp). During FY2000, the Smithsonian Institution Research Information System (SIRIS) migrated to a Horizon platform. The migration of the oral history collection catalog, history of the Smithsonian bibliography, and chronology of Smithsonian history went very smoothly (http://www.siris.si.edu). Nichols made the SI Archives 1999 annual report available at (http://www.si.edu/archives/report/fy99/index.htm). Archives Division During FY 2000 the Arrangement and Description Team HTML-coded a substantial number of finding aids previously available only in printed editions and added them to the Smithsonian Archives' website, including Charles P. Alexander Papers, c. 1870-1979 (Record Unit 7298); S. Stillman Berry Papers, 1880-1984 (Record Unit 7335); Paul D. Hurd, Jr., Papers, 1938-1982, and undated (Record Unit 7311); George Sprague Myers Papers, c. 1903-1986, and undated (Record Unit 7317); Edward William Nelson and Edward Alphonso Goldman Collection, c. 1873-1946 (Record Unit 7364); Waldo LaSalle Schmitt Papers, 1907-1978 (Record Unit 7231); Robert E. Silberglied Papers, 1960-1982, with related materials to 1984 (Record Unit 7316); Alexander Wetmore Papers, c. 1848-1979, and undated (Record Unit 7006); Guide to the Exposition Records of the Smithsonian Institution and United States National Museum, 1867-1939 (Record Unit 70); Guide to the Records of the National Zoological Park, 1887-1965 and undated (Record Unit 74); Guide to the Records of the Department of Aeronautics, National Air and Space Museum, 1965-1986 (Record Unit 330); Guide to the Records of the Office of the Director, National Collection of Fine Arts, 1892-1975 (Record Unit 311); Guide to the Records of the Office of the Secretary (Samuel P. Langley), 1866-1927 (Record Unit 31); and Guide to the Records of the Office of the Secretary (Charles D. Walcott), 1890-1929 (Record Unit 45). Guide to the Charles D. Walcott Collection, 1851-1940 (Record Unit 7004), on which work began in 1999, was also completed and added to the website. All these finding aids can be accessed on the Worldwide Web at (http://www.si.edu/archives/archives/2fatocpp.htm). Workshops and Information DisseminationNational Collections Program The National Collections Program disseminated information and provided professional assistance to Smithsonian museums, offices, and research institutes, as well to the national and international museum community, regarding Smithsonian collections and collections management policy, practice, and standards. The office continued to serve as a lead advisor and faculty member to the annual Center for Museum Studies workshop - "Introduction to the Management of Museum Collections" - held September 18-22, 2000. NCP staff also served as an advisor and faculty member for a series of workshops organized by NMNH for collections staff on laws, policies, and permits relating to Natural History's collections. Staff spoke at the National Affiliations Conference held at the Smithsonian June 14-16, 2000 on collections management policies. Institutional History Division The Historian's Office provided general information on Smithsonian history and information on oral history practice to a wide range of people from the United States and abroad. Inquiries came from such sources as the British Broadcasting Corporation, Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York, the Navy History Office, the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, the office of Maryland Senator Paul Sarbanes, and a military museum in British Columbia. Henson and Nichols taught workshops on Smithsonian history and primary sources in SI Archives at the Smithsonian Office of Education's June National Faculty Workshop and July Teacher-Partner Program. Technical Services Division The Preservation Team offered preservation advice within SIA and was frequently called by reference and the public to answer preservation concerns. The team contributed advice and assistance to other repositories throughout the Smithsonian which prepared items for NUS/IM, including the Archives of American Art (New York branch), Hirshhorn Museum Library, NMAH Archives Center, African Art Museum, and others. Archives Division The Division hosted an SAA workshop, Advanced Concepts in Archival Authority Control, in June 2000. Assistant Archivist Tammy Peters made a presentation in July 2000 concerning records transfer procedures and activities to the move coordinators from several SI units who were relocating to the Victor Building. Archives Division staff distributed 153 copies of the Guide to Smithsonian Institution Archives (1996) during FY 2000. Researchers from as far away as Japan and New Zealand submitted requests. Numerous copies of SIA finding aids and brochures were distributed through personal visits, mail and professional meetings. Lectures and PresentationsInstitutional History Division Pamela Henson presented several lectures during the year: in November, a lecture on James Smithson to the James Smithson Society and, in June, an introduction to Smithsonian history at an Intern Brown Bag Lecture. In September, Henson lectured at a session of the University of Maryland's collections seminar held at the National Museum of American History and participated in a Start Program Teacher Teleconference with the Miami Museum of Science, in conjunction with the "Smithsonian Expeditions" exhibit. Research Collaborator Pruna presented a lecture on the Cuban malacologist, Carlos de la Torre, at the 6th International Congress of Medical Applied Malacology in Havana, 4-8 September 2000. Pamela Henson and Jennifer Nichols coordinated the Smithsonian Institution Archives Research in Progress Lecture Series. Two lectures were delivered in FY 2000. A list of the topics and speakers can be found in Appendix H. Technical Services Division Sarah Stauderman presented "Collecting Video Art: What are the minimum accession requirements," at a general session of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) annual meeting, June 2000 and served as a lecturer on magnetic media conservation for the University of Maryland MLIS program, summer 2000 session. Archives Division In October 1999 Archives Division staff participated in the D.C. Archives Day annual event, sponsored by the D.C. Caucus of MARAC and hosted by the Christian Anthony Sommers School. Assistant Archivist Ellen Alers made a presentation in April 2000 to thirty-five staff members of the National Museum of American Art regarding their official records, best practices in record keeping, and the procedures for transferring records to SIA.
VisitorsDuring FY 2000 Director Edie Hedlin received professional visits from Sarah Engledow, Historian/Archivist for the National Portrait Gallery of Australia; Larry Hackman, Director of the Truman Presidential Library; Robert Horton, Head of State Archives, Minnesota Historical Society; Eleanor McMillan, Conservator Emeritus, Smithsonian Conservation Analytical Laboratory; Benjamin Shute, Treasurer of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund ; Timothy Slavin Delaware State Archivist and Records Administrator; and a delegation of visiting archivists from Anhui Province, China, accompanied by Shuguang Zhang, Professor of Diplomatic History, University of Maryland. Institutional History Division A number of visitors came to the IHD to learn about its work and methodologies. Henson hosted two representatives from the Swedish Academy of Sciences, which is developing an archival and institutional history program. She also provided training to Oksana Dragoon of the Voice of America, which is initiating an oral history program with long term staff. She provided advice on oral history to Glenn Baldovitch of the Heinz Center, for a history of oceanography project he is coordinating. Archives Division In October Alan Bain met with Tetsu Muto, Chief Manager, Research Division III, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan, to discuss the program at the Smithsonian Institution Archives, and archival problems, in general. In August 2000, Bain met with Wayne Coleman, Archivist, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, to discuss promoting archival programs and SIA activities. SIA also hosted three visits from a group of Japanese guests who conducted preliminary research and made loan arrangements with SIA for the exhibition, A Retrospect of Okinawan Scenes in the 1950s and Dr. E.H. Walker, a Smithsonian Botanist in the Ryukyus. Visitors included Dr. Tetsuo Koyama, Director of the Makino Botanical Garden in Kochi, Mr. Kazuhiko Satomi, curator of the exhibition, and Dr. Hiroko Sho, former Vicegovernor of Okinawa and Chairperson of the Exhibition Steering Committee. ![]() Smithsonian Institution Archives || Archives Division Institutional History Division || Joseph Henry Papers Project National Collection Program |