THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION IN THE 21ST CENTURY
The Smithsonian was established in 1846, thanks to a generous bequest
from British scientist James Smithson, with the mission: “the increase and
diffusion of knowledge.” Over the years, the Smithsonian has become the world’s
largest museum and research complex. The Smithsonian is, and wishes to
continue to be, the world’s most respected provider of museum experiences,
supported by authoritative scholarship to connect Americans to their cultural
heritage and enabling the Institution to act as an international leader in scientific
research and exploration.
The Smithsonian’s collections are staggering in their breadth and depth.
Consequently, more people visit us than any other museum complex on Earth,
by a wide margin. The Smithsonian offers the world a picture of America and
America a picture of the world. Visitors come to the Smithsonian to get that
picture and to get in touch with their historical, scientific, and cultural heritage.
The Smithsonian takes its task of serving the American public very
seriously, and the Institution’s reputation rests on that strong foundation. Two
important openings in 2004 continue to enhance that reputation. In September
2004, the Institution opened the stunning, new, quarter-of-a-million square foot
National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) on the Mall, with its incredible
collection of artifacts from all over North, Central, and South America—the finest
collection of its kind in the world. With this new museum, the Smithsonian is
keeping its pledge to Native peoples across the hemisphere to honor their cultural
traditions and achievements. The NMAI is much more than a celebration of the
past; it will be an ongoing living testament to the vitality of Native cultures.
In November 2004, we opened a powerful new exhibit, The Price of
Freedom: Americans at War, the military history of the United States from the
French and Indian War up to the present, at the National Museum of American
History. This is the only exhibit of its kind ever done on the military history of our
country. It even includes a Vietnam-era Huey helicopter as one of the key pieces
in the exhibit.
Yet, unfortunately, the Smithsonian is also an institution with a severely
deteriorated infrastructure, outdated technology, and many aged, outmoded
exhibits. International and domestic events of the last few years have adversely
affected attendance. Today’s challenge is to build on the Smithsonian’s
reputation, rebuild the physical plant, increase the number of our visitors, and
thereby expand the reach of a great and trusted institution.
The Smithsonian is a unique entity—an independent trust
instrumentality—that depends on the federal government for nearly 80 percent of
its funding (approximately 66 percent from direct appropriations and 14 percent
from federal agency grants). Ever mindful of and grateful for this support from the
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American public, the Smithsonian will continue working with both the
Administration and Congress to provide each with the information necessary to
justify their continued support. The Institution is also working to improve its
performance consistent with the President’s Management Agenda, and has a
number of initiatives under way to advance financial management, use egovernment wherever possible, improve human capital planning and
management, and more closely integrate budgeting with long-term performance
goals.
The Institution is also making great progress in revitalizing science at the
Smithsonian. Today there are more than 500 world-class scientists on the staff of
the Smithsonian, augmented by roughly an equal number of fellowship
appointments. They work at an astonishing array of worldwide field stations,
laboratories, and research centers, using collections and databases that together
constitute one of the world’s greatest sources for scientific research. Two of
Science magazine’s top 10 scientific discoveries of 2004 were made by
Smithsonian scientists, and we are committed to making sure that the
discoveries continue, in keeping with the Smithsonian’s tradition of supporting
scientific excellence.
We have completed a five-year strategic plan for science that sharpens
the focus of our scientific efforts and builds on the strengths of the four
Smithsonian science themes recognized by the Science Commission: the origin
and nature of the universe; the formation and evolution of the Earth and similar
planets; discovering and understanding life’s diversity; and the study of human
diversity and cultural change.
The reach of everything the Smithsonian does, both the research and the
museum activities, is expanded exponentially by educational activities, websites,
and outreach programs.
The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service is the largest
traveling exhibition service in the world and reaches more than five million people
across the country every year. This year we have 50 exhibits that will go to about
250 locations throughout the country.
Our Web presence has expanded dramatically in a short period of time.
Five years ago, we had half as many visits to our websites as physical visits to
our museums. Now, visitation on the Web is more than 300 percent of our
museum visitation, and we expect to receive approximately 100 million visits to
our websites by the end of 2005.
To expand our ability to further public knowledge, we have been engaged
in a major national outreach program. We now have 138 affiliates located in 39
states, Panama, Puerto Rico, and Washington, DC. Since the Smithsonian can
display only 1 to 2 percent of its artifacts at any one time, funding for efforts such
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as this outreach expands our public displays and results in an even greater
degree of achievement for our time-tested mission.
The Smithsonian agenda is ambitious and focused. Given budget realities,
Smithsonian priorities fall into several categories. The first is funding to keep
Institution museums in operation, collections safe, and research programs intact;
in other words, what can be referred to as mandatory costs. These include
requirements for staff salaries and benefits, legislated pay raises, utilities,
postage, and rent.
The Smithsonian’s second priority is funding for security-related items.
This includes providing security to the Institution’s staff, visitors, collections, and
facilities, and protection against terrorist actions. Facilities Capital funds are
included for additional security improvements and to continue construction of the
new Pod 5 at the Museum Support Center for the storage of the National
Museum of Natural History’s collections kept in alcohol.
The Smithsonian’s third priority is to secure funding increases for National
Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) recommended activities, such as
addressing the Institution’s critical facilities revitalization and information
technology needs. This budget includes funding to continue to repair and
renovate some of our oldest and most frequently visited museum facilities and to
continue to improve maintenance of the Institution’s facilities. The Institution’s
request also responds to reports from the National Academy of Sciences and the
American Zoo and Aquarium Association to continue ongoing improvements at
the National Zoo. In addition, the budget includes funds to reduce the backlog of
collections processing and conservation and to improve collections storage.
The Institution’s fourth priority is to prepare for the reopening of the
Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery in the
renovated Patent Office Building. Also included in this priority are funds for the
congressionally directed planning and program design for the National Museum
of African American History and Culture.
The Smithsonian plays a vital role in our country’s civic, educational, and
cultural life. Using art, artifacts, history, and science, the Smithsonian tells a
comprehensive story—America’s story. Now, more than ever, this is an important
service to perform. To reach more Americans with such seminal stories, the
Smithsonian needs to transform itself into a true 21st century institution. The
Smithsonian Institution faces significant challenges if it is to continue to serve the
public in an exemplary manner, with both engaging, modern exhibitions backed
by authoritative scholarship and groundbreaking scientific research and
exploration. What follows is our plan to meet these challenges as efficiently and
effectively as possible.
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