INFORMATION SYSTEMS DIVISION

Question. Explain

your

request for $54,000 additional for the Information SystemsDivision. Thiswillprovide

an

additionalfourpositions

Answer.

The

Smithsonian Institution's National Collections in art science

and

history

now number

in excess of 60 million _objects.

Even

with increasing selectivity, these collections, especially in the natural science area, are

growing

at the rate of 1 million objects a year.

Not

only are these collections the basic resource for the Smithsonian's exhibit program, but each year thousands of school children, scientists, historians,

and

collectorsask questions pertaining to the wealth of information associated with _individual _objects.

Many

of these questionscutacross subjects, time periods, etc. Itis impossible toprovide quick responsive answers to these questions by attempting to maintain

and

refer to traditional file cards, log books,

and

other paper records

which document

speci- mens.

Every museum and

gallery of the Smithsonian needs to apply

modern

information recording, storage,

and

retrieval techniques to its collections

and

research.

The

analysis, design,

and

installation ofeffective

and

efficient systems arethe responsibility of theInformation Systems Division. Existingstaffcannot cope with the

number and

difficulty of problems.

The

failure to

make

improve-

ments

will resultin a situation

where

the collections arevirtually unusable as an information resource for reference

and

research purposes.

Smithsonian

Institution Libraries

Question. Tell the

Committee how an

increase of $10,000

and

four positions willhelptocorrectdeficiencies inthe Libraries.

Answer.

Four

positions

and

$70,000 will help in correcting the deficiencies within the library

by

assisting in closing the ever-widening gap between effec- tive buying

power and

requirementscreated byrisingbook

and

salary costs

and

by providing

manpower

effectively utilize the available information resources outside theInstitution.

The

Libraries are not able to

meet

the

growing

needs of the stafffor books, journals,

and

reference services. Its staff could not be increased in 1969

and

higher individualbook

and

journal costshave substantially reduced itscapacity to

meet

requests for materials.

To

effect savings, the Libraries cancelled a

num-

ber of journal subscriptions in 1969, but a cost increase of about13 percent in those subscriptions

which

have been

renewed have more

thanoffset the savings.

The

Libraries

have

sufficientfundsthisyeartopurchaseonlyonebasicreference book for every four

members

of the professional staff.

The

utility of book pur- chase funds also is being reduced by the continued increases in their prices.

Through

1967, prices for art, history, science, and technology honks have risen an averageof80percent. Specifically,anincrease of $36,000forlibrary materials will enable the library to acquire about MK>

new

journals and 410

new

books a

minimal

increase (onlyaboutoneadditional book peryear ^torthe professional staff).

The

four positions ^will assist the Libraries in meeting the

overwhelming

cur- rent workload, while (JG.iwH) transactions for reference and circulation services

were

handled in fiscal year 1968, an additional io percent or 6,600 requests for service

had

to be turned aside. Three additional librarians

and

one messenger will assist in handling the reference work, analysis of ami Identification <>r

materials, interlibrary loans and Interlibrary cooperative services.

National

Zoological

Park

Question

Can you

provide for the

Committee

breakdown

^indicating

how

yoTZZ^em!

^remaining $300,000 (not heating) of your budget estimate for

^AnSwer. ^Funds

^are^requested^to^repair

^and

^renovate ^roofs,^gutters,

^downspouts

sidewalks stet>s fences,

guard

rails, hot water tanks, mechanicaUy-operated

doorT

^{^}

outdoo?

cages detfriorated plaster

and

masonry,

underground

Utility ines cagefloors

and

interior walls,

and

similar facilities.

Many

of these repairs are urgently needed for reasons of public safety

and

to prevent serious deteri- oration of buildings.

Smithsonian

Tropical

Research

Institutk

Question,

Do

you have

any

^special

comment

concerning the $25,000 included inthe

STRI

request

which

icillbeused

on

existing buildings?

\nswer.

During

the past year a comprehensive ^inspection of exusting

BTB1

buildings

was

completed

and

a report

was

prepared listing $(5 000

worth

of repairs essential to their continued ^safety

and

use. This budget request

was

Sored ^from

^that ^list ^to ^provide for only the

most

critical of he itemslisted in that report. If essential

improvements

are not

made,

the buildings ^will ^ulti- mately

have

tobereplaced.

Chesapeake Bat Center

for Field

Biology Land

Acquisition

Question. With ^respect to the land to be acquired for the

Chesapeake Bay

Center for Field Biology,

from

ivhom ^trill ^the land be acquired; at

what

cost,

what

is thesourceoffunds;

when

^is the acquisitionto take place?

What

is the operating expense there

now and what

^will ^be the increase in

operating expenses ^after acquisition; appropriated or non-Federal funds.

Does

acquisition of land entail

any

obligations on the part of Smithsonian Institution otherthantheoperating expenses?Ifso,

wh

^a^t?

Answer.

The

Smithsonian Institution is attempting to preserve this area, located about seven miles south of Annapolis on the western shoreof the Bay, inits naturalstate for research in terrestrial

and

estuarine ecology.

Through

a bequest

and

foundation grants, the Smithsonian

now has

approximately 700 acres.

A program

oflandacquisition for theCenterwillresultintheSmithsonian controlling a largepartofthewatershed ^for^thisarea aswell as the^entiresmall river estuary. This will enable a series of definitive studies of the long term ecologicaleffects

on

theland areas

and

thesurrounding estuarythat result

from

the uses ofland

and

theturnoverin varioustypes of ^soil ranging

from

agricul- tureto

unused

wasteland.

There

arevery

few

^field^stations^extantfor controlled studies of the intermediate processes resulting

from

specific

management

^prac-

tices that lead to estuarine eutrophication.

The Chesapeake Bay

Center ^for Environmental Studies will provide

an

opportunity ^for research that is unique onthe middle-Atlantic coast

and

verylikelyonthe entireEastCoast.

The

Center has the advantage of being near both

Washington and

^Baltimore

and

therefore ina position toencourage the participation

from

a large

and

diverse

community

Continuing

encroachment

of housing developments

and

industry increase the incidence of pollution

and

interference withthenatural environment

and

conse- quently

would

seriously reduce the value of the Center as a research facility.

There

^'is ^{also the}

imminent

prospect of condemnation ^of ^this property by tne State of

Maryland

for recreational purposes.

The

Smithsonian historically has been concerned with research that enables

man

to understand his relationships with the world

around

him.

Within

the last decade, theproblem of controlling pollution ⁱⁿ theatmosphere, onland,

and

intheoceansresulting

from

encroachmentsofcivilization has

become

acute

and

urgent Its solution depends on the discovery of additional

fundamental

^facts aboutthe

normal

balanceof nature, the interrelationshipsbetween thebiological, the physical,

and

thechemicalfactors that

make up

the natural environment.

The Chesapeake Bay

Center for Field Biology represents one of the

tew

re-

maining natural, relatively undisturbed areas

where

scientists can gather ^sucii basic data.

The

diversitv of habitats

makes

it uniquein thatitenablesscientists tostudvthe

dynamics

^ofwateras wellasthe

dynamics

of land.

As

one example,

905 hh«e~-shss ^r:

estimatea tnat $33,000 will be applied to operating expenses of the Center in eludingoneposition.

An

additional $40,000innonappropriatedf

undVwnl

be^•

usS

reason

mat

tne landis to beleft initsnatural undisturbed state OnpraHno-

^

pensesthisyearas wellasthe increase of $35,000 forfiscaTyear1970 are

eKlv"

tfes at

o e

L CenS

tin

L

7

^Perty^'-^t0

^mainta ™S

^the^very

££ hEESffi

S

ties ot the Center

and

to serving researchers

who

are

coming

to the area for

SXf

^J*¹^.;t^Ud1

^{^"} ^A

^T^CQU^?^Siti0n^0fland does not entail

any

obligations on

S

^part

of theSmithsonianInstitution otherthantheseoperating expenses

HlRSHHOEN

ti,?l

fi° ⁿ \

^SiX^!l^lilU0n^{?° Uars} ^{of the}

^Eirshhorn Museum

request is to liquidate

^ueeuTto ZZTiT ^grmted Vrr- ^WouM ^you

^please ^bri

^%> ^{& ™-}

tSmu^umf

^Progress

^which

^{has been}

^made

in the construction of Answer.

During

the past year the construction drawings

and

specifications for the

museum have

been completed by the architect.

The

General Services

m? ³¹⁰ ^{^!}

^inVite^T

^MdS

^°n

^March

²⁰^' ¹⁹⁶⁹^>

^and

^°Pen ^bids ^on

^Apri™?

1969.

The Armed

Forces Institute of Pathologv

was moved

new

ouartVrs ^ir.

December

₁₉₆₈

and January

1969,

and

the old Medical

Museum buiSg was

razedin

February

1969. therebyclearing thesitefor construction of the

museum

Dalam dokumen [Smithsonian Institution appropriations hearings] (Halaman 149-156)

your

an

The

and

now number

Even

growing

Not

and

Many

and

and

which document

Every museum and

modern

and

and

The

and

and

number and

The

make

ments

where

and

Smithsonian

Committee how an

and

Four

and

by

power and

and

and

manpower

more

The

meet

growing

and

and

and

meet

To

num-

which

renewed have more

The

have

members

The

Through

new

new

minimal

The

overwhelming

were

had

and

National

Park

Can you

Committee

breakdown

how

yoTZZ^em!

^AnSwer. Funds

and

downspouts

guard

doorT

outdoo?

and

underground

and

and

Many

^AnSwer. ^Funds

^and

^downspouts

Sored ^from