for:

P

L

A

N

N

I

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Interpretation

And

Visitor

Experience
PLANNING FOR INTERPRETATION

AND

VISITOR EXPERIENCE

Prepared by the

Division of Interpretive Planning

Harpers Ferry Center

Harpers Ferry , West Virginia

1998
Good planning ensures that interpretive facilities, media, and programs work

together.

Well-planned developments can protect resources and serve visitors.
Interpretive planningvisitor experience planningidentifies what experiences

should be accessible to visitors.
Interpretive planning can recommend strategies for promoting positive visitor

interactions with wildlife.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

OVERVIEW.................................................................................................................... 1

WHAT IS IT?.................................................................................................................. 2

WHY DO INTERPRETIVE PLANNING? ................................................................... 4

WHO DOES IT?............................................................................................................. 5

WHAT SHOULD AN INTERPRETIVE PLAN INCLUDE? ...................................... 6

Goal-Driven Planning .......................................................................................... 8

Purpose.................................................................................................................. 9

Significance ..........................................................................................................11

Interpretive Themes ............................................................................................13

Visitor Experience................................................................................................16

Goals and Objectives ...........................................................................................20

Visitors..................................................................................................................23

Resources..............................................................................................................26

Subject Matter Knowledge..................................................................................30

Recommendations ...............................................................................................33

Interpretive Media ......................................................................................33

Facilities .......................................................................................................40

Landscapes ..................................................................................................45

Evaluation ............................................................................................................47

ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS..............................................49

APPENDICES...............................................................................................................53

Appendix A: Harpers Ferry Center Services.....................................................53

Appendix B: References ......................................................................................61
1

OVERVIEW

This document describes current perspectives and

approaches in interpretive planning by the Harpers

Ferry Center, National Park Service. It discusses

approaches, criteria, options, and philosophy. It is not a

"how-to" manual or directive.

Interpretive planning comprises a spectrum from shortrange through long-range planning. This document

addresses mostly long-range planning.

Intended Audience

Although much is written from a National Park Service

perspective, it is designed to be relevant for other

agencies and organizations. It was written with several

audiences in mind:

> staff on planning teams considering visitor-related

issues

> interpretive planners

> interpreters

> planning and design professionals such as architects,

landscape architects, and media designers and

producers

> other partnersincluding the private sectorin the

planning process

Goals

A reader will be able to:

be a productive

member of an

interpretive planning

team, representing

his/her specialty and

contributing to the

quality of the process

and the products

describe a general

outline of goal-driven

interpretive planning,

and modify that outline

to best suit a specific

project

discuss the general

capabilities and

limitations of different

interpretive media,

programs, and facilities
2

WHAT IS IT?

Interpretive planning is a

process that identifies and

describes significant visitor

experiences in a park, forest,

zoo or other resource-based

recreation area; and

recommends ways to provide,

encourage, sustain, facil-itate

or otherwise assist those

experiences.

"The Experience" is what visitors

take from a park. Providing

opportunities for visitors to

interact with park resources in a

manner that is both safe for

visitors and leaves the resource

un-impaired3⁄4what has been

termed "visitor experience

planning"3⁄4is the core of park

planning and development.

Dave Dame

Everything that visitors do, think, sense, and feel in

a park constitutes their park experience.

Interpretive planning describes desired experiences

(outcomes) and recommends ways to encourage

them. Some of these recommendations involve

interpretive media or activities; some experiences

are facilitated through facility design or by just

getting out of the way.

Interpretive planning is nearly synonymous with

visitor experience planning. To simplify, we’ll use

the term interpretive planning to include visitor

experience planning.

Interpretive planning teams seek to answer many

questions, which include:

Why is this area set aside and made accessible

to the public?

What are the likely and desired visitor

experiences? (What will visitors want to do,

feel, learn, experience; and what does the

agency hope they will do, learn, etc.?)

What are current conditions affecting visitor

experience and interpretation? What are the

essential stories and experiences to make

available to area visitors and neighbors? What

are the laws, mandates, policies or guidelines

that affect this project? What information and

resources are available, and what are needed?

What are significant relationships between

resources and visitors? What are key issues?

How can the agency make desirable

experiences more accessible to more visitors?

(What are impediments to visitor enjoyment of

significant area resources and values? Should

the agency match or redirect visitor's

motivations and expectations? How can the

agency serve diverse audiences?)

How can the agency discourage activities that

are detrimental to resources or other visitors'
3

experiences, and promote activities that enhance

resource protection and visitor enjoyment?

How can the agency meet visitor experience goals in

the most cost-effective manner, considering longterm costs and sustainable values?

Most interpretive planning teams go through some

version of the following steps.

1. Prepare for planning: read or review legislation,

other plans and guidelines, and key resource and

audience information; solicit input from others who

won’t be in the planning group.

2. Identify and achieve consensus on the scope of the

plan, and on overall goals and issues; include visitor

experience, themes, resource, and management goals

and issues.

3. Collect information and assess current conditions;

include information on visitors, cultural and natural

environment, media, programs and other visitor

activities, issues, goals, other plans, etc.

4. Determine the best ways to achieve goals and

provide desired experiences through interpretive

media, facilities, activities, and contact with

resources.

These phases may overlap, change, multiply or divide.

Planning is both sequential and cyclic: a project has a

beginning and an end, but earlier phases will often be

revisited.
4

WHY DO INTERPRETIVE PLANNING?

Good interpretive planning

ensures that essential park

values and experiences are

accessible to visitors, and that

facilities and media are

designed to accomplish visitor

use and resource preservation

goals.

Interpretive planning will help park staff:

> develop consensus on a long-range vision for

interpretation and visitor experience

> provide key visitor experiences while

protecting resources and enhancing

stewardship

> develop the most cost-effective and sustainable

solutions to visitor and resource issues

> effectively use interpretation and education to

meet management goals (outputs and

outcomes)

> fulfill mandates to serve the public AND

protect resources

Good interpretive planning ensures that essential

park values and experiences are accessible to

visitors, and that facilities and media are designed

to accomplish visitor use and resource preservation

goals.

Planning should be a dynamic, continuing

process not only tied to development or solving

the issue of the day, but a continuum that supports

daily operations in the context of realizing a longrange vision for visitors and resources. On the

other hand, planning is not an end in itself; good

planning directs us to do smart, effective things,

and helps us avoid doing ineffective or damaging

things. Interpretive planning is needed because

visitor enjoyment is part of the NPS mission,

because there cannot be parks without visitors, and

because resource preservation requires public

understanding and support.
5

WHO DOES IT?

There are many ways to structure an effective

interpretive planning team; it is doubtful that any one

approach will prove superior in every situation. Team

members should have the experience, knowledge, and

time to do their assigned tasks.

The following groups may be involved to varying

degrees in the planning effort:

> park staff (preferably including management, field

staff, various disciplines and divisions; consider

including staff from another park)

> an experienced interpretive planner as team captain,

leader, and/or facilitatior

> media, facility, or landscape design specialists

> current and potential partners (especially Native

Americans and/or other ethnic groups related to the

park story)

> representatives of affected audiences, including park

visitors and advocacy groups

> subject matter experts

> publication specialists (e.g., graphics, editing)

It may be wise to try to involve everyone who will play a

role in designing or implementing the

recommendations. The final call on involvement usually

rests with the park superintendent.

Team captains must balance the values of including a

wide variety of expertise with constraints of time,

money and group dynamics. It is helpful to decide on

the roster for the planning team and consultants early in

the planning process; this may be recorded in a scope of

work that is agreed to by all major participants.

While short-term savings may result from a park

providing their own planning, quality (and long-term

savings) usually will be enhanced by including outside

perspectives and guidance from experienced

interpretive planners. Such planners work at Harpers

Ferry Center, many regional offices, some parks, other

agencies, and in the private sector.

While short-term savings

may result from a park

providing their own

planning, quality (and

long-term savings) usually

will be enhanced by

including outside

perspectives and guidance

from ex-perienced

planners.
6

WHAT SHOULD

AN INTERPRETIVE PLAN INCLUDE?

Interpretive planning falls

within a spectrum from

general management planning through facility and

media design. A plan should

emphasize which-ever parts of

that spectrum that it needs to.

Care should be taken to make

sure that recommendations at

the design end are based on

sound, relevant and agreedupon conclusions at the

planning end.

There are several important general criteria for the

form and content of interpretive plans. An

interpretive plan should be the best possible

representation of that particular planning process,

that unique set of resources and visitors, that set of

goals and recommendations, those contemporary

conditions, and those assumptions about the

future. An interpretive plan should also reflect

relevant agency policies and guidelines.

More specifically, an interpretive plan should meet

most of the following criteria:

> represent an accurate and useful version of both

the consensus and the diverse perspectives that

emerged during the planning process

> express significant, understandable, achievable,

and appropriate goals

> involve major stakeholders, including subject

matter experts, those who will implement the

plan, and those who will be affected by the

actions recommended in the plan

> recommend cost-effective, creative, sustainable,

and achievable actions that meet visitor

experience and resource protection goals, and

conform to agency mission and park purpose

and goals

> provide understandable and useful guidance to

program, media, and facility planners and

designers

> identify relationships and influences among

related planning and management actions

> describe and picture significant resources and

experiences sufficiently for readers who may

not be familiar with the area

> convey major messages to various readers,

including those who skim, those interested only

in the major points, and those looking for a

detailed analysis
7

> convey a sense of importance, significance, and

passion for the resources, stories, and experiences

> help move the planning process to the next stages

(design and production)

> be interesting, readable, and understandable

Depending on the needs of each project, sections in

addition to those discussed in this document may be

useful for an interpretive plan. These include cost

estimates, implementation schedules and

responsibilities, resource and activity inventories,

staffing, partnerships, study collections, preliminary

designs, value analysis, and research needs and results.

Interpretive planning falls within a spectrum from

general management planning through facility and

media design. A plan should emphasize whichever parts

of that spectrum that it needs to. Care should be taken to

make sure that recommendations at the design end are

based on sound, relevant and agreed-upon conclusions

at the planning end.

There are guidelines from which planners and parks can

choose the best way to handle each project. The National

Park Service has issued guidelines (NPS-6, Chapter 3,

amended 1995) for comprehensive interpretive planning,

which include a long-range interpretive plan that is a

revision of the NPS Interpretive Prospectus.

In the balance of this chapter we introduce most of the

elements commonly included in goal-driven interpretive

plans. The overall goalsfrom mission through themes

and objectivesare frequently defined in general

management plans and strategic plans, and can be

incorporated in the interpretive plan.
8

GOAL-DRIVEN PLANNING

One purpose of working

within a goal-driven framework is to make sure that

consensus has been reached

on the results to be achieved.

Then discussion can focus on

the best ways to achieve those

results. This approach helps

avoid the trap of automatically

designing one's favorite

medium or program with-out

considering desired outcomes.

Interpretive plans are goal-driven. They start with

identifying the broadest goals relevant to the

project or area. Within these broad guidelines,

more specific goals and/or objectives are

composed. The number and specificity of goal or

objective statements will vary with each project.

Relevant issues (problems) and assumptions

(givens) are considered. Action elements may be

associated with goals or issues.

One purpose of working within a goal-driven

framework is to make sure that consensus has been

reached on the results to be achieved. Then

discussion can focus on the best ways to achieve

those results. This approach helps avoid the trap of

automatically designing one's favorite medium or

program without considering desired outcomes.

Goal-driven planning matches approaches used by

the Park Service to comply with the Government

Performance and Results Act (GPRA), which

requires setting goals and reporting results. Some

terminology may differ (this document uses goals

more than GPRA outcomes), and interpretive

planning has less stringent requirements for

reporting quantitative results. However, goals and

recommendations developed in interpretive

planning workshops will be compatible with park

strategic plans developed under GPRA guidelines.
9

PURPOSE

Purpose statements describe why an area was set aside,

and what are the purposes of the area today. Legislation,

legislative history, public participation, articles of

incorporation, and agency rulemaking can provide the

basis for purpose statements. From these, the planning

team derives clear, concise, and relevant purpose

statements.

Purposes may have been developed for a general

management or strategic plan; these may then be

incorporated.

Examples

Park Purposes: Petroglyph National Monument

Preserve the integrity of the cultural and natural

resources in the context that gives them meaning.

Provide opportunities for diverse groups to

understand, appreciate, and experience the monument

in ways that are compatible with the monument's

significance.

Cooperate with affected American Indians and land

grant heirs in perpetuation of their heritage.

Function as a focal point for collection, analysis, and

dissemination of information relating to Rio Grande

style and other forms of petroglyphs and pictographs.

The first two statements above elaborate on the

traditional purposes of preservation and enjoyment. The

third recognizes the necessity of involving the creators

of the petroglyphs, their ancestors, and other traditional

users of the area. The fourth expresses language in the

enabling legislation.

It is important to note that additional purposes may

have emerged since an area was originally set aside.

Cabrillo National Monument is one example: the

original purpose for the park was to commemorate the

explorations of Cabrillo. Note the additional purpose

statements below.
10

Park Purposes: Cabrillo National Monument

Protect an opportunity for visitors to experience,

feel, and understand the complex and

inspirational human and environmental

interrelationships visible from Point Loma.

Commemorate Cabrillo as a representative of

European exploration of the California coast.

Preserve a remnant of the southern California

coastal environmental processes.

The first and third purposes were derived from the

addition of lands and activities after the monument

was created. These statements confirm that these

resources and experiences are central to the current

reason for the park to exist.
11

SIGNIFICANCE

Significance statements describe the importance or

distinctiveness of the area. These statements are based

on resource inventories, but are more than an inventory.

Significance statements may exist in area legislation,

legislative histories, scientific and historical studies, or

general management or strategic plans; the planning

team needs to revisit these and update or clarify them if

necessary.

Examples

Park Significance: Petroglyph National Monument

The monument contains one of the largest

concentrations of petroglyphs in North America and

represents an extensive record of peoples for whom we

have few written records.

The monument has outstanding research potential

because the petroglyphs are numerous, have retained

their integrity, are an outstanding example of Rio

Grande style, and are close to other associated

archeological resources.

Places in the monument have traditional and cultural

importance to American Indians and Atrisco land

grant heirs.

The Piedras Marcadas pueblo ruin is one of the largest

pueblos of its time period in the Rio Grande valley.

The monument's natural and cultural landscape

(escarpment, volcanic cones, and surrounding open

space) and long vistas are major elements that define

Albuquerque's western horizon and provide

opportunities to experience contrasts with a growing

urban environment.

Park Significance: Cabrillo National Monument

The park contains one of the very few accessible

examples of intertidal communities and chaparral

communities representative of the southern California

coastal environment.

The views from the park contain natural and cultural

resources in juxtaposition (military operations,

wildlife, San Diego, landforms, remnant natural

communities, harbor, and shipping)
12

that illustrate human and environmental

interrelationships.

The park is located within view of the area where the

first European landfall occurred on the California coast.

Note that significance statements resemble

interpretive themes, but may be larger in scope.

Significance statements can lead directly to themes.
13

INTERPRETIVE THEMES

Themes are often described as the key stories or

concepts that visitors should understand after visiting a

park. Themes provide the foundation for all interpretive

programs and media developed in the park. They tell

interpreters and designers what are the most important

ideas or stories. They do not include everything we may

wish to interpret, but they do cover those ideas that are

critical to visitors= understanding of a park=s

significance.

There are many approaches to the mechanics of writing

interpretive themes. Since visitors are seldom exposed to

the themes exactly as written, it matters less which

methods are used than whether they work. The goal is to

produce themes that are understandable, concise, and

complete thoughts, that are the most important ideas

for that area. Equally knowledgeable readers ought to

get roughly the same impressions from reading the

themes (this standard is important when considering

how much detail to provide). It is important that there is

general consensus about the content and form of the

themeswhether they be one sentence or one

paragraph, or if they are hierarchical (themes and

subthemes) or prioritized.

Themes can help organize media, facility, and visitor

experience discussions by considering the question,

"Where and how will we interpret these themes?≅ Since

park visitors are usually engaged in recreational

pursuits, interpretation of themes is most successful

when supported by appropriate and enjoyable activities

and settings.

Themes should be complete thoughts; it is helpful to

write them in complete sentences. Their emotional or

evocative content can vary. However, to be effective,

themes need not be Αgrabbers≅. Themes tell us what to

interpret, not how. It is more the task of interpreters and

media designers to make them compelling.

Many planners have adopted Αcompelling stories≅ as

substitutes or supplements to themes. For more on using

compelling stories, see An Introduction to Compelling

Stories (National Park Service, 1995).

Themes are often

described as the key

stories or con-cepts that

visitors should

understand after

visiting a park. Themes

provide the foundation

for all inter-pretive

programs and media

developed in the park.

The goal is to produce

themes that are understandable, concise, and

complete thoughts, that

are the most important

ideas for that area.

Themes can help

organize media, facility,

and visitor experience

discussions by

considering the

question, "Where and

how will we interpret

these themes?≅
14

Examples:

Underground Railroad Special Resource Study

(1995)

An escape from slavery on the

Underground Railroad was an individual

effort as well as a cooperative effort

transcending racial and cultural

boundaries.

Zion National Park Interpretive Plan (1996)

Zion National Park: nowhere else on

earth do the three processes of deposition,

uplift, and erosion come together in such

intimate and scenic fashion.

Natchez National Historical Park Interpretive

Plan (1994)

Based on a cotton economy and a slave

labor system, Natchez served as the

symbolic capital of the cotton kingdom.

The following example shows a hierarchical

approach to themes.

Brown v. Board of Education NHS GMP/IP (1996)

The Effects

The 1955 Brown II decision, which directed states

to implement the Brown decision Αwith all

deliberate speed,≅ was met with varying

responses throughout the country; although

progress has been made since then in many areas,

racial inequality of educational opportunity

continues today.

Racial segregation as an official policy at any

level of American education was to have ended

soon after the Brown II decision, which in May

1955 implemented the May 17, 1954, Brown I

decision.

Segregation did not end with the Brown II

decision. Many states and localities, especially in

the South, either evaded or refused to comply

with the Supreme Court edict.

De facto segregation in education continues

today in many areas, influenced by factors such
15

as economics, settlement patterns, and racial prejudice.

Current issues include corrective measures such as

mandatory busing and magnetschools, neighborhood

schools, the fairness of funding sources such as

property taxes, the advisability of vouchers, and many

issues relating to curricula. Racial discrimination,

with all attendant issues, perspectives, and

ramifications, also continues today.

Stories (Theme 2):

• Reactions by public officials to the Brown decision;

examples of delays and subversion of the intent of the

decision by public officials, mostly in the South (e.g., some

schools in Virginia closed rather than integrate).

• Some results of the implementation of desegregation were,

in the short term, negative. Integration sometimes negatively affected discipline in schools and lowered

expectations of student performance.

• Current educational issues including busing, bilingual

education, magnet schools, prayer, vouchers, and de facto

segregation.

Note that there are four levels to Brown v. Board

themes: a topic (The Effects), a summary theme

statement (The 1955 Brown II decision, ...), several

related subthemes (Racial segregation as an official

policy ...), and examples of interpretive stories.

Topics help a reader get a quick idea of the scope of

the themes. The theme statement summarizes the

concept. Subthemes zero in on specific aspects of the

general concept, and can add texture, explanation,

perspective, and detail. Interpretive stories are

suggested for media designers and interpreters.
16

VISITOR EXPERIENCE

...few visitors come to parks

just to learn information. Visitor

ex-perience goals describe

opportunities for visitors to

derive meanings and values

from park resources and

experiences.

Visitor Experience is a resource.

Noel Poe,

Superintendent, Theodore

Roosevelt NM

Interpretive planning describes visitor experience

opportunities. We cannot require that visitors

engage in these activities, learn these facts, notice

these feelings, or marvel at this vista. But we do

identify the important experiences that should be

available.

Important visitor experiences may deal with

emotions, impressions, relationships, or other

subjective elements that may be difficult to express

in a linear or objective manner. They are nonetheless

essential. Do not let perceived "fuzziness" or lack of

specificity prevent you from describing important

visitor experiences. But all experiences should relate

to park purpose, significance, and desired outcomes.

There are many ways to describe key visitor

experiences; here are two.

Visitor Experience Goals

The planning team lists the important experiences

that should be available to visitors. Experiences

include knowledge, attitudes, behavior, and sensory

experiences. The knowledge portion is covered by

interpretive themes. But don=t stop there; few

visitors come to parks just to learn information.

Visitor experience goals describe opportunities for

visitors to derive meanings and values from park

resources and experiences.

Examples

Blue Ridge Music Center IP

The National Park Service will provide opportunities for

visitors to:

learn information and stories associated with

major interpretive themes, and other related

information, to the depth that they choose, and

through a variety of media

listen to a wide variety of traditional music of the

Blue Ridge, including pieces of their choice, and

including both live and recorded music

become acquainted with musicians from the region

whose backgrounds, life histories and artistry
17

illustrate important themes in the history and/or

perpetuation of music traditions in the Blue Ridge

participate in informal music and dance activities at the

site

learn about and attend musical and related activities in

the area

have an enjoyable recreational experience without

impairing the natural and cultural values of the site

be oriented to and participate in recreational activities

along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Keweenaw NHP GMP/IP

Opportunities will be provided for visitors and area residents to

understand Keweenaw's natural, cultural, and

industrial history, and be able to relate it to the broader

scope of American experience

explore the diversity of Keweenaw's cultural resources

and be inspired to participate in perpetuating the area's

heritage

obtain information necessary to safely, enjoyably, and

easily visit Keweenaw's cultural and natural features,

visitor facilities, activities, and services

acknowledge Keweenaw National Historical Park as an

important national park area preserving and

interpreting nationally significant resources

understand the economic, environmental, and social

effects of the Keweenaw copper industry and wisely use,

develop, and preserve natural resources in the future

understand C&H's magnitude, complexity, and

creativity, and appreciate the corporation's

contributions to the community, the copper industry,

and the nation

understand Quincy Mining Company's role as a typical

example of the rural industrial setting of many copper

country mines

experience current and historic lifestyles of the region to

understand similarities and differences between

contemporary and historic people

It is hard to see, however,

how preservationists and

environ-mentalists can

expect to win the external

threats battle without

including visitor experience

as one of the most important

threatened park values.

John Freemuth (1991)
18

Goals lead directly to

interpretive media, activities or

facilities; they help planners

decide among various options

for activities and media; and

they help designers craft

specific approaches to media

and facilities.

participate in a diversity of activities appropriate

for audiences with differing levels of interest,

understanding, and sophistication

receive current, accurate, and balanced

information that presents all viewpoints and

beliefs regarding the area's people, technology and

resources

understand that Keweenaw's cultural landscape is

the product of prehistoric, historic, and continuing

changes in natural and cultural environments

participate in an integrated interpretive program

developed cooperatively by the National Park

Service and other visitor service providers to offer

a complete, balanced Keweenaw visitor experience

Goals lead directly to interpretive media, activities

or facilities; they help planners decide among

various options for activities and media; and they

help designers craft specific approaches to media

and facilities.

Visitor experience goals are similar to GPRA longrange goals; in some cases they may be the same.

Visitor experience goals describe opportunities and

targets rather than achievement; they don=t have to

be measured to be useful.

Visitor Experience Statement

Another approach is to describe visitor experiences

in a narrative format. This may allow more attention

to shadings and nuances than the listing of goals as

above. It may not be as clear and concise, however.

Example

Lakota Tatanka Heritage Park (Concept Plan)

"The Experience" is what visitors take from a

park. Lakota Tatanka offers a multifaceted

experience: cultural, educational and recreational.

A cross-cultural experience awaits both national

and international travelers. European, Asiatic,

and American tourists will mingle and share

cultures with the Sioux Indians, in a forum

designed to foster harmony and admiration

between races and individuals. If you cannot know

a man until you have walked in his shoes, then

here is where the path begins. Each visitor is allowed
19

to seek his or her own level of intimacy with the prairie

and the Lakota culture.

As the visitors travel through the park to the visitor

center, they are exposed to the vastness of the prairie

with an occasional but exciting glimpse of the buffalo,

an elk, or even perhaps a band of Lakota people crossing

the prairie. When they reach the visitor center, they are

exposed to enjoyable learning experiences designed to

enrich the minds of all age levels and cultural

backgrounds. These learning experiences focus on the

three elements that form the management objectives of

the park. Viewed in their proper context, these three

elements are seen as the interdependent legs of a

foundation that supports and is the reason for the park.

First is the prairie which nurtures a vast array of plants

and animals. Second are the Sioux Indians, the Lakota

people who lived and developed their culture as the

beneficiaries of this landscape. And last is the park

management program itself, a program which re-enacts

the traditional Sioux culture and preserves the prairie,

all as a self-sustaining natural, cultural, and economic

system.

Combining the two approaches may be an effective way

to describe desired visitor experiences in ways that are

both specific and evocative.

Whatever approach is chosen, it is vital that an

interpretive plan describe the visitor experience

opportunities that should be provided. It is then the job of

the planning team to recommend generally how and

where those opportunities are to be provided.

... it is vital that an

interpretive plan describe

the visitor experience opportunities that should be

provided. It is then the

job of the planning team

to recommend generally

how and where those

oppor-tunities are to be

provided.
20

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

There are many methods and

criteria for writing objectives;

pick the ap-proach that is most

useful for identifying and

achieving desirable out-comes.

An important criterion for

measurability is specificity: we

can measure the achievement of

almost any goal or objective that

is described in enough detail.

It may be helpful to first

consider what are desired

outcomes, then consider how to

assess their achievement. That

way, important outcomes

would not be left out due to the

difficulty of measurement. If, on

the other hand, the

measurability criterion is used

early as a "screen-out factor" for

objectives, one can end up with

objectives that are measurable

but not too important.

Planners will find many uses for goals and

objectives in addition to the visitor experience goals

previously described. In this document goals are

seen as long-range and general descriptions of

desired outcomes, while objectives are more short

range, measurable, and specific outcomes.

Objectives are often useful when discussing desired

outcomes for specific media, facilities, or programs.

There are many methods and criteria for writing

objectives; pick the approach that is most useful for

identifying and achieving desirable outcomes.

You may have considered these questions:

When should I write goals, and when to use

objectives?

Generally, objectives are nested within goals.

Planning teams should be able to articulate both

goals and objectives. For example, the rehabilitation

of an exhibit room may require consideration of

overall interpretation and visitor experience goals

for the park and for the visitor center. More specific

goals could be prepared for the exhibits. Specific

objectives would describe desired outcomes for each

exhibit element.

Should they be measurable?

Objectives, sure. If you=re writing GPRA goals, they

had better be measurable. For visitor experience

goals, assessing achievement may use less

quantitative means (judgement, observation,

impressions, examples) since the goals themselves

are more general and long-term. Assessing

achievement costs in time, money, and attention;

more statistically rigorous methods tend to cost

more. Benefits and costs of alternative assessment

strategies should be weighed.

An important criterion for measurability is

specificity: we can measure the achievement of

almost any goal or objective that is described in

enough detail.
21

It may be helpful to first consider what are desired

outcomes, then consider how to assess their achievement.

That way, important outcomes would not be left out due

to the difficulty of measurement. If, on the other hand,

the measurability criterion is used early as a "screen-out

factor" for objectives, one can end up with objectives that

are measurable but not too important.

There are several methods for writing objectives; which

is the best?

Once again, the best way is the one that works. To work,

the writer and the team must be comfortable with the

method, and the audiences (e.g., designers, park staff,

partners, central office personnel) must understand what

the writer means.

You can specify percentages (e.g., 50% of the visitors who

drive to an overlook will get out of their cars and look at a

wayside exhibit), follow GPRA specifications, or

otherwise indicate expected achievement (e.g., most will

stay to the end of the video program; vandalism will be

rare). It may be useful to identify more specific amounts

or degrees of achievement after having worked with a

program, issue, or interpretive medium for awhile. For

example a visitor center goal may start as "most visitors

will go into the exhibit room," and become "at least 60% of

visitors will spend at least five minutes in the exhibit

room" as data is collected and baselines and patterns

established.

What are some examples of goals and objectives?

Seldom Seen Mine Special Study

After a trip to Seldom Seen Mine, visitors will be able to

describe the differences and similarities between a family-run

operation and a large-scale, corporate operation and to describe

the physical characteristics of surface and underground mining.

Rocky Mountain NP SFI (1995)

Interpretive Goals

Visitors have the opportunity throughout the year to become

oriented to park facilities, services, and resources.
22

... the best way is the one that

works.

Visitors have available a spectrum of programs, facilities,

and media that collectively:

represent all park themes through the "compelling

story"

meet the interest and educational level of all

segments of the visiting public.

Interpretive Objectives

Of the adult visitors leaving the park, 80% will

confirm they received adequate information to

permit safe, efficient, and enjoyable visits.

Of the adult visitors leaving the park, 75% can

name three management measures used to reduce

impacts to park resources.

Hopewell Culture LRIP (1997)

Visitor Experience Objectives 3⁄4 Exhibits

Interpret those stories best told with exhibits

Provide access to representative and significant types of

artifacts, while protecting the integrity of the artifacts

Help visitors imagine, understand, and wonder about

Hopewell life

Provide experiences that are interesting and accessible for

diverse audiences, including children, visitors with

disabilities, elderly, and international visitors
23

VISITORS

Planning for visitors includes identifying audience

segments, considering motivations and expectations, and

projecting and predicting trends. Visitors are individuals;

but describing major visitor groups yields potentially

useful approximations. Targeting groups such as

elementary school students, family vacationers, interstate

travelers, backcountry users, or beach users enables

planners to better identify and serve primary audiences.

It is also important to identify those who aren=t coming to

the park, and ask if there are issues of access or

opportunity. The planning team may consider ways to

reach out to previously uninvolved audiences.

Planning has moved beyond constructing an average

profile and labeling him "the visitor". Real park visitors

differ in many ways: age, gender, ethnic backgrounds,

expectations, types of groups, frequency of visits,

socioeconomic status, education, and knowledge. Not all

differences are significant. Time, money, and patience

usually prevent audience analysis in exhaustive detail,

but the major segments and relevant differences should

be described. Planners and designers should try to match

visitor diversity with experiences suited to the major

groups represented (as well as matching experiences to

resource conditions, fragility, and accessibility).

Think about addressing the following questions about

visitors in your interpretive plan:

How many people visit the area? in what patterns

(daily, weekly, seasonally, yearly, ...)? How long

do they stay?

Where do they come from?

Why do they come? What are they interested in?

What do they expect from their visit? What do

they know about your area, resources, stories,

regulations, opportunities, etc.?

How accessible is your area to different

populations of potential visitors? How do

Planning has moved

beyond constructing an

average profile and

labeling him "the visitor."

We know more about the

bison in Yellowstone than

we do about its visitors.

Participant in an NPS

planning workshop.
24

Research costs are often directly

proportionate to the confidence

level of the results, so managers

and planning teams need to

decide how much accuracy you

are willing to pay for.

different groups feel about visiting your area?

Who is not coming, and why?

How do visitors feel and what do they think about

your resources, experiences, facilities, and staff?

There are many practical considerations regarding

information about visitors. For each interpretive

plan, you need to decide:

What information do we need about visitors (see

list above)? Which information is the most

important? Why do we need it (how will it be

used)?

How accurate does it need to be?

How will we get that information?

The second questionhow accurate should the

information beshould be addressed before

determining how you will get that information. A

useful concept here is the confidence level: the

probability that the conclusions represent reality.

A university researcher submitting a thesis or a

paper to a professional journal might choose a 95%

confidence level, whereas an agency decision maker

might settle for somewhat less. Research costs are

often directly proportionate to the confidence level

of the results, so managers and planning teams need

to decide how much accuracy you are willing to pay

for.

We can often get valuable information about and

from visitors at very little cost. Watch them. Count

how long people look at an exhibit. Count how

many go in the auditorium or stop at a wayside

exhibit. Record license plates. Plot attendance

patterns. Talk to visitors.

Approval by the Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) may be required for federal agencies to use

appropriated funds to formally interview or survey

visitors. Approval generally will be granted for

legitimate research that has some thought behind it

and is intended for specific purposes.

Most discussions with visitors do not require OMB

approval. You canAND SHOULDtalk to your

visitors. Asking "which exhibits did you like the

best?" and "what was it that appealed to you?" can
25

reveal patterns and indicate effectiveness, while being an

enjoyable conversation for visitors and not requiring

approval. Perspectives on visitors by front-line staff are

especially important to the planning process.

Federal agency planning teams should check with agency

researchers for procedures and regulations governing

visitor interviews and surveys. Social scientists can give

valuable advice on setting up an area's research

programs. OMB approval is not required if federal funds

are not used in the survey; some parks have gotten good

information in surveys conducted by cooperating

associations or friends groups.

It is tempting for a planner or manager to make

assumptions about visitors based on his/her personality

and outlook. But managers, planners, and other resource

professionals may be demographically (and

psychographically: attitudes, beliefs, values, preferences,

etc.) different from most Americans in several ways. We

should learn about visitors by observing and conversing

with them. We should study the social science research

that has already been done. We should apply what we

learn to planning decisions. Important questions should

be addressed by professional researchers.
26

RESOURCES

Humans impact natural and

cultural resources in many ways

both positive and negative.

Influencing visitor behavior

requires more attention to

attitude and behavior change

than do more traditional

interpretive efforts.

Most interpretive plans describe significant park

resources, ways of experiencing those resources,

and associated interpretive stories. The degree of

detail will vary. Too little detail can lead to

ambiguity and misinterpretation by readers; too

much detail might obscure the main points of the

plan and discourage some readers.

Resource descriptions should usually include

assessments. These can summarize what we

know about the health of park and regional

ecosystems, habitats, species, and cultural, social,

and recreational resources. Resource conditions

can then be related to visitor experiences.

There are three aspects of resources that are

especially important for interpretive planning

teams:

> What are the primary resourcesand the

stories and values associated with themthat

we want to interpret, provide access to, and

protect? What are the characteristics,

conditions, changes, influences, and

relationships?

> What are desired future resource conditions?

> What are the visitor behaviors that affect these

resources, how do they affect them, and how

can we influence behavior to help meet our

mission and achieve our goals?

The first aspect stresses the importance of the

planning team obtaining sufficient knowledge of

the present state of important area resources.

The planning team should know the resources

that make the area significant and attractive.

These resources include visitors; visitor safety

should be a concern for every interpretive

program.

It is important for the planning team to know the

second aspect of resources in an interpretive

plan the desired resource conditions. These

may come from other sources, such as resource

management plans, or consulting with resource

specialists. The team needs to describe how

visitors can be involved in meeting those resource

goals.
27

The third aspect, resource-related visitor behavior,

describes how interpretation and visitor experience are

involved in getting from the first aspect (present resource

conditions) to the second aspect (future desired

conditions). All three aspects of resource planning are

becoming more important as populations grow,

participation in recreational activities grows, habitats and

corridors shrink, public budgets are stretched, and many

natural and cultural resources become more rare. Because

this involves some new approaches and skills, we shall

devote some attention to the subject of resource-related

visitor behavior.

Humans impact natural and cultural resources in many

ways both positive and negative. Influencing visitor

behavior requires more attention to attitude and behavior

change than do more traditional interpretive efforts.

Examples of resource-related behavior:

> hiking on or off trails

> wildlife viewing, studying, feeding, disturbing, or

poaching; plant viewing, studying, or collecting

> vandalism or respectful enjoyment of resources

> thoughtless and dangerous behavior, or careful and

safe behavior

> public involvement (social, political, and economic), or

lack of interest about or opposition to resource goals

> sustainable or destructive visitor experiences

> land developments or habitat preservation outside

protected areas

> compliance with or violations of regulations and

policies

Influencing resource-related behaviors requires

management and communication strategies that relate to

the ways that people form their attitudes and beliefs, how

those attitudes and beliefs relate to behaviors, and how

decisions about behavior are made. Traditional

interpretive approaches can be enhanced by

understanding the salient attitudes and beliefs that

support visitor behavior, employing
28

Influencing resource-related

behaviors requires management

and com-munication strategies

that relate to the ways that

people form their attitudes and

beliefs, how those attitudes and

beliefs relate to behaviors, and

how decisions about behavior

are made.

targeted communication strategies, and providing

specifically-designed recreational experiences.

Roggenbuck (in Manfredo, 1992) discusses three

overlapping ways to manage resource impacts:

> Applied behavior analysis: overt visitor

behavior is linked with rewards or punishment;

includes law enforcement, competitions and

other incentives, area closures, activity

restrictions

> Central route to persuasion: changes in beliefs,

attitudes, and behavior are brought about

through interpretive programs and media,

personal contacts, and publicity, where the

persuasive messages are direct and overt

> Peripheral route to persuasion: the recipient is

consciously unaware of the messages; which

may be expressed through facility, media, and

program design, social and environmental

settings, and rhetorical devices such as cognitive

dissonance or storytelling

Interpretive planning plays an essential role in all

three approaches. A goal-driven approach

commonly starts with developing, reviewing, or

confirming resource goals (depending on how

current and accurate they are). Then the planning

team identifies which behaviors significantly impact

resourcesboth positively and negatively. This is

an important point because most discussion of

visitor impacts on resources has emphasized

negative impacts: walking off trails, feeding or

disturbing wildlife, stealing or defacing cultural

resources, disturbing the experiences of other

visitors. However, positive impacts may be as

powerful in protecting resources. Examples include

political support, following regulations, volunteer

activities, habitat enhancement outside protected

areas, demonstrating safe and minimum-impact

behaviors, and telling your neighbor about what a

great time you had and how fragile are the

petroglyphs or whorled pogonias.

Once resource-related behaviors and experiences are

identified, the planning team can consider

alternatives for encouraging or discouraging each

behavior (you will not have time to deal with all

behaviors; just tackle the important ones). Each
29

visitor-related resource protection issue may have at least

two associated behaviors: most visitors do the right thing

(and we want to encourage more of that) and other

visitors do the wrong thing (and that we want to

minimize). For example, walking off trails is an issue in

many natural and cultural resource areas. The behavior

we want to encourage is staying on the trail; the one to

discourage is straying off the trail. Both deserve attention.

While addressing resource-related behavior issues, there

are several important points to consider:

> Management and communication approaches will

work better the more they are targeted to specific

behaviors by specific audiences.

> Treatments will often work best when placed at the

time and place where behavior options are first

considered. For trail shortcutting, that might mean a

small sign or wayside exhibit and a roving ranger at

the first shortcut. For wildlife feeding, that might

mean pre-visit publicity when the group first thinks

about bringing food to feed wildlife (which often

means at home) and a wayside and roving ranger at

the first point where freeloading wildlife can be found.

> Since audiences are diverse, a variety of approaches

are needed to deal with the most significant behaviors.

> Management and communication programs can work:

common methods such as wayside exhibits, roving

rangers, area closures, and environmental education

have shown positive results; skillful and targeted

approaches (based on research) will give even more

positive results than more general efforts.

> Attitude change works best as a long-range strategy,

and is especially effective with 8-12 year old visitors in

structured environmental education programs.

> Most visitors will comply with visitor use guidelines

and restrictions if they are clearly articulated and

justified, and if there are alternatives available that

meet their objectives or motivations.

> Much more research is needed. We also need to

use existing research and make it more accessible.

Management and communication approaches

will work better the more

they are targeted to

specific behaviors by

specific audiences.

Since audiences are

diverse, a variety of

approaches are needed to

deal with the most

significant behaviors.
30

SUBJECT MATTER KNOWLEDGE

Interpretation helps vis-itors

move from tangible experiences

to under-standing systems,

relation-ships, processes, and

meanings.

Insuring that our inter-pretation

is relevant and contemporary

requires frequent reevaluation

of existing facts, identification of

new sources, con-sideration for

different points of view, and

reconsideration of past themes.

Planners work on a variety of projects which involve

many types of resources, stories, and subject matter

areas. No one can be an expert in all areas; but

planners must be willing to learn what is important

for each project. This involves learning not only

important facts, but procedures, methodologies, and

rules of evidence as well.

Resources can include: beams and bricks from an

old Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls; geysers, hot

springs and fumeroles in Wyoming; an apple

orchard in Zion Canyon; petroglyphs at Saguaro;

tide pool denizens at Acadia; a Navajo rug and its

creator at Hubbell Trading Post; a tall grass prairie

in Kansas; a cornfield at Antietam; solitude in the

Mojave desert; words to an old spiritual, "Follow the

Drinking Gourd"; recollections of a brass band

drummer who played with Sidney Bechet in New

Orleans; and a cracked bell in Philadelphia.

Interpretation helps visitors move from tangible

experiences to understanding systems, relationships,

processes, and meanings. An interpretive plan may

suggest how history can be narrated to show

multiple perspectives and the relationships of

events, and encourage visitors to derive personal

meanings. A plan may provide guidance on how

science is explained to allow visitors to understand

causal and functional relationships, alternative

hypotheses, and the nature of evidence. Gaining

these insights involves research, critical examination

of evidence, selection of facts, and synthesis of these

facts into meaningful interpretive narratives.

Interpretation is not just a collection of static facts;

rather it seeks to provide visitors with a better

appreciation and understanding of resources and

experiences. Insuring that our interpretation is

relevant and contemporary requires frequent

reevaluation of existing facts, identification of new

sources, consideration for different points of view,

and reconsideration of past themes. Cultural

resource specialists attempt to answer the classical

questions of who, what, why, when, and how, by

organizing known facts into illuminating or

provocative patterns.
31

Scientists ask questions about processes, relationships,

causes, and effects. Through these examinations and the

acquisition of new knowledge every generation has

refined research methodology and subsequently changed

the interpretation of our natural and cultural resources.

Humans decide what is worth knowing about our world

and our past. One way to determine what is worth

knowing is to follow Freeman Tilden's principle of

presenting interpretation that relates to visitors'

experiences. How did today's society develop? How did a

natural landscape develop? What are the human roles in

the "natural" world? What in our past holds meaning for

us individually? as children? as women? as men? as

Americans? as American Indians? as descendants of

immigrants or of the enslaved? as laborers? as business

owners?

Many national park visitors hope to learn something

about themselves and the world they live in. Some

visitors seek to affirm or supplement what they learned in

school. Some are looking for confirmation of some part of

their heritage or spirit. Equipped with accurate facts,

subject matter experts, interpreters, and visitors can

openly discuss the significance and diverse meanings of

the petroglyphs, tide pool denizens, log cabins, geysers,

and words to the old spiritual. Good interpretation can

expand our collective sense of ourselves and our world by

exploring the values of our cultural and natural resources

from different perspectives.

In planning for the interpretation of our parks we must

challenge ourselves to gain the knowledge of visitors and

other resources that will allow us to facilitate links among

them.

Sound research methodology can help planners:

> present accurate messages

> present balanced and complete messages

> present single objects (e.g., organism, place, person,

event) within larger contexts (e.g., ecosystem,

landscape, community, period)

Ideally, interpretation helps

us gain not just knowledge

but that rare and more

precious commodity,

wisdom. Interpretation does

not just inform us but

pushes us to a deeper and

more subtle under-standing

of some aspect of the world

around us.

- Kenneth Ames (1992)
32

> provide an understanding for the evolution of

thought as it relates to a specific place, organism,

object, or event

> present multiple perspectives, voices, and

interpretations

> select and analyze evidence

> deal with contradictory evidence

> deal with controversial issues and themes

> use different models or methodologies for

interpreting evidence

> identify connections among processes and events

> find original and secondary sources

Resource specialists, interpreters, and planners have

valuable roles to play in offering the public high

quality interpretation through personal services and

media. Interpreters and planners who develop and

present messages with solid scholarship can be

confident of their ability to interpret our natural and

cultural resources in all of their dynamic,

enlightening, inspirational, liberating, contradictory,

empowering, and humanizing forms.
33

RECOMMENDATIONS

Interpretive planning teams recommend ways to meet

park goals through interpretive media, facilities, and

activities, and through direct experiences with resources.

These are not prescriptions; many recommendations are

likely to be modified in the design process. All

modifications should meet the original goals. Goals may

be modified, but this should be a formal process and

incorporate all stakeholders.

Recommendations should constitute the most cost

effective means of achieving desired outcomes. Whether

or not a formal value analysis is conducted, alternatives

should be considered, choices should be based on

comparisons of benefits and costs, and decisions and

rationales should be documented.

Interpretive Media

Interpretive media selection is as much art as science.

There is rarely only one way to achieve a goal. Involving

specialists in key media is highly recommended. Each

situation has its own particular mix of factors to consider.

Some of the most important elements in a media decision

are: message, audience, and resources.

Message

What is to be communicated affects the method of

communication, and vice-versa. Is the message simple or

complex? Is it an abstract concept that can only be

presented verbally or are there graphic components? Does

the concept require a specific sequence or chronology to

be understood? Is it helpful or necessary to involve many

senses? How can we make the messages attractive?

compelling? relevant? What priority does this information

have in relation to the overall interpretive program?

Should the message be experienced in addition toor

rather thanlearned didactically? What are the desired

outcomes of this communication?

Audience

The audience must be able to access and comprehend the

information. What knowledge and expectations are they

likely to have when they arrive at the site? How much

time do they have? When would this

Recommendations

should constitute the

most cost effective means

of achieving desired outcomes.

What is to be communicated affects the

method of

communication, and viceversa.

The audience must be

able to access and

comprehend the

information. The more

detailed the audience

profile, the easier it is to

select appropriate media.
34

The quality and quantity of

resources available to support

media devel-opment will not

only affect the kind of media

selected, but may determine the

feasibility and cost of

production.

information be most useful: before, during, or after

experiencing the resource? What primary

languages? literacy patterns? ages? group types?

What are their motivations for coming to the site?

Are there cultural differences to take into account?

What physical abilities do they have? The more

detailed the audience profile, the easier it is to select

appropriate media.

Resources

The quality and quantity of resources available to

support media development will not only affect the

kind of media selected, but may determine the

feasibility and cost of production. Are there

landscape elements to support the message? Are

they accessible? How much information is available

on the selected subject? Has the accuracy of the

information been certified? Are there additional

perspectives that should be interpreted? Are quality

photographs and other graphic elements available

and can the proper use rights be obtained? Does the

message rely heavily on the use of artifacts and are

these artifacts extant and available? Can the artifacts

be adequately protected while on display? What

kind of budget can be projected?

Common types of media used to deliver interpretive

messages include audiovisual products, museum

exhibits, wayside exhibits, publications, and

personal services. Each has qualities which make it

more or less suitable for a given application. Some of

the recognized strengths and limitations of each

medium are listed below. Note that these are

generalizations; exceptions can usually be found.

Audiovisual Media

Advantages

> well suited to the presentation of chronological

and sequential material

> can capture realism and provide emotional

impact

> provide opportunities for dramatization

> can be portable for off-site use

> provide views of places, animals, plants, and

seasons otherwise unavailable or inaccessible
35

> can create a mood or atmosphere

> can reach many visitors at one time

> can be adapted to serve physically impaired visitors

> can illustrate before and after effects

> can be produced in different languages

Limitations

> cannot be used everywhere

> require back-up equipment, periodic maintenance,

and regular monitoring

> may be perceived as sterile or impersonal

> may offer little opportunity for visitors to browse or

study an item in depth or at their own pace

> repetitious sound tracks can annoy visitor center staff

> may be a visual or auditory intrusion

> production and maintenance costs can be expensive

> people usually have high expectations of audiovisual

media; low-budget products can fall short of

expectations

Exhibits

Advantages

> can be viewed at visitors' own paces

> can be designed in all shapes, sizes, colors, and

textures

> can display objects associated with the site

> can incorporate artifacts, artwork, or mixed media to

produce desired atmosphere and effects

> can transcend language and cultural barriers

> can promote the use of the senses to aid the perception

of the able-bodied and handicapped visitor alike

> can promote visitor participation

> can be designed for both indoor and outdoor use
36

> are well suited for ideas which can be illustrated

graphically

> permanent exhibits can be grouped with

rotating, seasonal, or temporary displays to

provide a sense of change

> can provide experiences of varying complexity,

allowing visitors to select the depth they choose

Limitations

> are sensitive to agents of deterioration

> require security and maintenance

> must be housed in adequate facilities

> do not work well to tell largely verbal, complex,

or sequential stories

> exhibit materials may have high commercial

value, making them targets for theft

> can be very expensive

> inexpensive exhibits may look amateurish, and

are usually less effective than higher-quality (and

more expensive) productions

> technology and materials can overwhelm the

message

Personal Services

Advantages

> direct human to human communication is often

more enjoyable to visitors than communication

by impersonal media

> can easily be customized to meet visitor needs or

changing conditions

> can use group/visitor reactions to stimulate

interest

> can be interactive

> may be monitored and changed accordingly

> tap diverse skills of interpreters

> versatile, effective, and relatively easy to

implement

> can be cost effective, especially in the short term
37

> can convey complex messages, and help visitors

connect tangibles and intangibles to universal

concepts

Limitations

> require well-trained interpreters

> may not give consistent messages

> require close supervision and management

> can be difficult and expensive to maintain year round

> high recurring costs

> can be difficult to critique properly

Publications

Advantages

> are portable

> can treat a subject in-depth

> provide a source of detailed reference information

> can be produced in different languages

> suited to presenting sequential or complex material

> can be read at visitors' own pace

> can produce income

> can often be revised at a reasonable cost

> can be produced at various levels of detail

> have value as a souvenir, something to take home

> can be used before going to a site, during the visit, or

after returning home

> can be produced to treat the same subject for different

audiences

> may be appropriate for stories lacking in artifacts or

photographs

Limitations

> can discourage potential readers with lengthy and/or

complex texts

> can be a source of litter
38

> require periodic revision to remain current and

accurate

> may require facilities and maintenance (such as

brochure dispensers)

Wayside Exhibits

Advantages

> can be available 24 hours a day

> use real objects and features in their own setting

as objects of interpretation

> are relatively inexpensive

> can be designed to blend with site environment

> provide onsite interpretation of specific sites and

stories

> can depict a place as it appeared many years

before

> can show a feature from a view unattainable by

visitors

> can illustrate phenomena that are invisibly

affecting a resource

> establish a park identity at remote, unstaffed

locations

> alert visitors to safety or resource management

issues at the point of danger, decision, or

environmental impact

> can be replaced relatively quickly and

inexpensively

Limitations

> limited amount of text and graphics per panel

> don't work well for complicated subject matter

> focus attention on tangible resources; less

effective with intangibles and universal concepts

> may intrude on a park’s visual landscape

> may not be practical at sites with climatic or

environmental extremes

> susceptible to vandalism
39

> expensive site preparation may be needed at some

location

These general attributes provide initial guidance in the

selection of appropriate interpretive media and should be

used only as a guideline to begin the discussion of which

media to select. With all media, resilience is an important

criterion: a state-of-the-art interactive gizmo is worthless

when broken.

Newly-developed digital media such as CD-ROMs and

the Internet offer different advantages and limitations,

which will become more apparent over the next few

years. Advantages may include interactivity, ability to

zero in on specific interests, greater graphic interest and

Αspecial effects,≅ ability to relate to audiences such as

teenagers, and ability to update information. Limitations

may include high cost, low resilience of hardware and/or

software, need for trained or informed users, and

otherwise limited audiences.

Media development in today’s rapidly changing

technological environment requires the involvement of

professional media planners and designers to ensure

solutions which efficiently use the available resources,

respond to visitors' media expectations and provide a

quality experience. The planning team should ensure that

objectives for media and programs are careful described;

park staff and other reviewers should ensure that media

and program proposals are likely to meet the objectives.
40

FACILITIES

Sound interpretive plan-ning is

essential for visitor facilities

such as visitor centers, contact

or information stations,

environmental education

centers or camps, trails, wayside

kiosks, and scenic overlooks.

It is especially important to

establish the goals and

functions, and the criteria for

variables such as location and

appearance, before options or

solutions are considered.

Sound interpretive planning is essential for visitor

facilities such as visitor centers, contact or

information stations, environmental education

centers or camps, trails, wayside kiosks, and scenic

overlooks. Interpretive planners should be

involved in planning and schematic phases of

facility development, and work closely with

designers and park staff in fitting facilities to the

needs of visitors and resources.

It is especially important to establish the goals and

functions, and the criteria for variables such as

location and appearance, before options or

solutions are considered.

Many questions can be asked:

What is the facility going to do? (generally and

specifically)

What is its role in visitor experience?

What functions, relationships, contiguities,

messages are there? What activities need to be

next to or close to each other?

What are expected audience patterns and

visitation? How many people should the facility

accommodate?

What are expected staffing levels?

Do forms support functions?

How much money is available? What kinds of

other assistance? What are cost effectiveness

relationships?

How (and how well) do existing facilities work?

What support functions or spaces are needed?

Plans for new or renovated buildings may

incorporate assessments or evaluations of existing

facilities. These assessments at a minimum should

show how well goals are being met.

Answers to these and other questions become part

of the building program. This does not mean

interpretive planners prescribe design solutions; it

does mean that goals are agreed upon before

design solutions are worked out.
41

There are many ways to describe goals and functions (or

outcomes) for interpretive facilities; the scope and detail

will vary as well. Examples below show some of the

different ways to describe facility goals, functions, and

other criteria.

Examples

New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park; preliminary

drafts for general management planning

Visitor Center Functions

Orient visitors to park and area resources, services, and

attractions

Interpret the park story, as described by interpretive

themes, providing an overview of the park story, and

emphasizing those story elements that are best told by

indoor interpretive media

Provide, along with other locations, jazz education

classes, and programs

Provide needed visitor services, such as rest rooms,

emergency services, and information

Provide a focus, point of contact, and spatial and visual

identity for New Orleans Jazz NHP.

Visitor Center Location Criteria

Visitor Access

Close to or within primary tourist activity areas

Easy to find

Accessible via public transportation

Accessible to people with disabilities

Structural soundness

Needed repairs are feasible

Needed repairs are affordable

Sufficient and suitable space

The right amount of space is available

The space is arranged in a desirable layout

Outdoor characteristics

Sufficient parking can be developed nearby
42

The neighborhood is relatively safe

The appearance of the building, grounds, and

neighborhood fits with the park theme and agency

identity

Visitor experience

Visitor reactions to the built environment are

consistent with visitor experience goals

Sustainability, Cost

It would be cost effective to purchase/lease,

renovate, operate, and maintain the building

according to sustainability guidelines

Support other goals

This building would support other initiatives such

as historic preservation, neighborhood

revitalization, partnerships

Hagerman Fossil Beds Research Center/Museum

The research center/museum will contribute

significantly to visitors' experiences for the

following reasons:

Due to the fragility of the resource, the research

center/museum will be a moderate drive from the

monument itself. There will, however, be a

panoramic view to the monument and the historic

Horse Quarry from the center.

The center may be most or all of what the visitor

remembers of Hagerman Fossil Beds;

Hagerman's resources include fragile, inaccessible,

and often extremely small fossils which need

interpretation to be elevated to the level of interest,

relevance, and significance to the visitor;

Paleontology, a science frequently involving tedious

measurements and arcane terminology, also requires

interpretation to become relevant and accessible to

visitors.

Building Goals

Museum:

Orient visitors to site significance, resources, and

area attractions
43

Create an inviting mood, to encourage visitors to stay

longer

Support the environmental significance of the

paleontological story, rather than fixing on isolated

specimens

Provide visitor services (rest rooms, information,

assistance)

Communicate interpretive stories

Protect resources through effective interpretation

Provide educational programs to schools

Provide visitor access to paleontology research

Research Center:

Prepare fossils

Store fossils

House and facilitate research by resident and visiting

professionals, with important assistance by volunteers

Interpret work to public

Promote research and publications dealing with

Hagerman 

Facilitate interaction with other paleontological and

educational institutions

Promote the protection of paleontological resources and

information

Building Program

Research functions at the center would consist of field

collection, preparation, and curation of Hagerman

specimens; paleontological resource management

support; collections management; and support of other

research endeavors. Activities would include fossil

locality inventory and clarification and documentation of

the stratigraphic record.

The major components of the research center would be a

preparation laboratory, a general purpose laboratory,

curatorial storage, field specimen and equipment storage,

casting room, library, collections management area, and

lecture and meeting rooms. In addition, there would be

office spaces for a staff
44

paleontologist/curator, a collections manager, a

preparator, and independent researchers.

Specimen collections from the monument would be

housed in the research center/museum and would

be available for loan. Hagerman specimens in

existing collections would be sought as necessary as

donation, on a loan basis, or as castings. The

National Park Service would not recall specimens

from existing collections; however, a data base of all

Hagerman specimens would be compiled at the

research center.

Research endeavors conducted by independent

paleontologists or volunteer support would be

managed by a professional paleontologist on the

monument staff.

Educational functions would consist of offering

educational support activities at the center for all

grades, use of classrooms in conjunction with

research and preparation lab activities, field trips to

the research center/museum and monument as part

of the local school science curriculum and in support

of special events, college credit workshops and

seminars for continuing education, and graduate

level research projects and programs.

Major components of the educational function

would consist of paleontology exhibits, audiovisual

programs (shown in an auditorium, a video alcove,

and throughout the exhibit area), a preparation lab

viewing area, and environmental education

classrooms.
45

LANDSCAPES

There are landscapes that are so recognized as having

special qualities that their mention conjures images in the

mind's eye: Maine's rugged coastline, cornfields in the

Midwest, Florida's Everglades, the red rock country of

Arizona and Utah. Other landscapes, associated with

historic events or people, are just as recognizable: New

York City's Central Park, the streets of Harlem, the plaza

in Santa Fe, New Orleans' Bourbon Street, the White

House south lawn.

What are the special qualities associated with these

landscapes? Why and how do we connect with certain

landscapes?

Landscapes, whether Yosemite Valley or the

neighborhood where we played as children, have

qualities that can be identified, documented, protected,

and interpreted. The challenge for interpreters and

planners is to help visitors experience landscapes in

beneficial, enjoyable, and sustainable ways, and help

them relate experiences to more intangible values,

meanings, and traditions.

Historic preservation traditionally has focused on

buildings. A holistic approach to preservation, involving

both cultural and natural resources, has been practiced

only recently. Cultural landscapes include: historic sites

(associated with important events, activities, or persons),

historic designed landscapes (deliberate creations

reflecting recognized styles), historic vernacular

landscapes (illustrating values and attitudes toward the

land and reflecting patterns of settlement, use and

development over time), and ethnographic landscapes

(associated with contemporary groups and typically used

or valued in traditional ways). Landscapes illustrate

human adaptation and use of natural resources, and

provide a setting for past and present human activity.

A cultural landscape can be "read" on many levels: as

nature, habitat, artifact, system, problem, wealth,

ideology, history, place, and aesthetic. Few of us have

learned to recognize historic land use or settlement

patterns, or to identify constructed elements of a

landscape, let alone realize that change is an important

aspect in considering landscape character. Interpreters

and planners give visitors tools for

We all react, consciously

and unconsciously, to the

places where we live and

work, in ways we scarcely

notice or that are only now

becoming known to us. . . .

These places have an impact

on our sense of self, our

sense of safety, the kind of

work we get done, the ways

we interact with other

people, even our ability to

function as citizens in a

democracy. In short, the

places where we spend our

time affect the people we are

and can become.

Tony Hiss (1990)

The challenge for interpreters and planners is to

help visitors experience

landscapes in beneficial,

enjoyable, and

sustainable ways, and

help them relate

experiences to more

intangible values, meanings, and traditions.
46

Interpreters and planners

should consider landscapes

when addressing resource

significance, visitor ex-perience

goals, and interpretive themes.

appreciating landscapes by explaining broad

historical, social, and physical contexts; by

describing lost character-defining features; and by

explaining historic themes and associations.

Interpreters and planners should consider

landscapes when addressing resource significance,

visitor experience goals, and interpretive themes.

Interpretation can be linked to the landscape's

ability to convey the past through its character and

defining features. The level of integrity (i.e., the

degree of visual change over time or the similarity to

an earlier era) may affect the types of media chosen

to interpret the landscape. For example, wayside

exhibits may intrude upon a high-integrity

landscape, whereas they may work in landscapes

with lower integrity, in one with missing elements.

Decisions on how to best interpret cultural

landscapes should be based upon careful planning,

research, documentation of existing conditions and

relationships, preservation approaches (e.g.,

preservation, rehabilitation, restoration,

reconstruction), projected maintenance needs, and

management goals.

The social, recreational, and educational benefits can

lead to understanding, as well as enhance an

Αexperience of place.≅
47

EVALUATION

Evaluation is an essential part of planning. Nearly

everyone on planning teams has ideas about how

different media, programs, or facilities work, about how

important are various visitor experiences; yet these are

too seldom based on empirical research. The planning

team should ask questions such as "How well has that

worked in similar situations?" and "How do visitors

evaluate their experiences here?" and ΑHow well do we

know?≅

Evaluation asks whether goals were met; it can also

identify and quantify both causes and results. Planners

then recommend a certain location for a new contact

station because they know the present one does not

capture many visitors. Planners can recommend using

roving rangers and small signs or wayside exhibits to cut

down on trail shortcutting because evaluations showed

them to be more effective than other options. Planners can

recommend using color photographs rather than abstract

designs in a marketing brochure, because evaluations

show them to work better with the public.

Like most other aspects of planning, evaluation should be

an ongoing process, the form of which is tailored to the

tasks and questions to be answered. The planning team

may commission studies be done as part of the planning

process; the team should be knowledgeable of previous

research that relates to planning issues; it should

recommend further studies that are needed to tell us more

about visitor experience, and interpretive themes, media,

programs, and facilities.

Evaluations done during a process are called formative;

evaluations performed at the end of a process are called

summative. Summative evaluations have been more

common in government agencies: performance is

measured and assessed at the end of a fiscal year;

achievement of media objectives is determined after the

media are installed for a period of time; achievement of

short-term educational goals is measured at the

conclusion of a program.

Formative evaluations are increasing in the Park Service,

especially with the implementation of

Evaluation asks whether

goals were met; it can

also identify and quantify

both causes and results.

Like most other aspects

of planning, evaluation

should be an ongoing

process, the form of

which is tailored to the

tasks and questions to be

answered.
48

GPRA and value analysis. Benefits are seen as the

degree to which alternatives support long-range and

mission goals; costs include long-term costs, and are

estimated to the accuracy possible at each stage of

planning or design. Cost effectiveness of projects is

then evaluated in various ways at major decision

points.

NPS evaluation programs include:

> Visitor Services Project, which assesses visitor

backgrounds, preferences, activities, and

opinions through surveys; about ten parks a year

are studied; the program is coordinated by the

Cooperative Park Study Unit (CPSU) at the

University of Idaho.

> Many park-initiated evaluations are conducted

or contracted by parks with assistance from

regional offices, service centers, and the

Washington Office of Interpretation and Visitor

Services. Funding frequently includes support

from partners, especially the private sector.

> Government Performance and Results Act

(GPRA); which holds offices and areas

accountable for defining and assessing desired

outcomes.

> The Value Analysis Program, which assesses the

cost effectiveness of design/construction projects

in excess of $500,000.

> Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE); which

assesses the effectiveness of interpretive facilities

and media largely through observation and

interviews; the program is coordinated by the

Denver Service Center (DSC) and Harpers Ferry

Center.

> Post Construction Evaluation; which looks at the

quality of construction of facilities built by DSC;

the program is coordinated by DSC.

Interpretive plans usually include evaluations of

present conditions; these may include narrative and

graphic descriptions, data, summaries of studies,

and recommended actions to correct deficiencies.

They may also recommend needed studies.
49

ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS

We're about to get $20,000 from a foundation to improve

the media in our visitor center. Our interpretive plan is

obsolete. What should we do?

You'll need to do some planning. How much and what

types depend on many things, including your budget,

what you mean specifically by "obsolete," the state of

other planning (management, strategic, and resources

planning), how persuasive you are, how anxious your

donors are to cut a ribbon, etc. Work to get matching

funds, use creative financing, make calls. Do not let

limited funds preclude doing at least some planning.

Many grants require adequate planning and evaluation.

We should plan and evaluate even if it is not required.

It may not be necessary to formally write a new longrange interpretive plan. An interim document can be

produced that may be a bit weak on background

information and production values, but develops

consensus on themes and goals, describes desired visitor

experiences, and analyzes choices for media, programs,

and activities. But when you've finished those elements, it

doesn't take too much to produce a formal long-range

plan.

Our interpretive plan is pretty outdated. We have no

plans to make major changes in our interpretive media

or visitor facilities, but would like to improve our

personal programs. Do we need a new interpretive

plan?

Again, it depends partly on what you mean by

"outdated". You probably want to do some planning to

decide the best niches for personal programs, assess their

effectiveness, describe audiences, review themes and

goals, etc. You may have higher immediate priorities than

producing a formal plan, since media or facility changes

are not likely.

You probably want some outside perspectives. These do

not have to be packaged in a formal interpretive plan, but

why not spend the extra effort? A formal plan can help

solicit funding for needed improvements to your

program.

We should plan and

evaluate even if it is not

required
50

To get consensus usually

requires agreement first on

goals. Disagreements frequently occur at the Αhow≅

level. By stepping back and

discussing Αwhy≅ and Αwhat,≅

consensus can often be reached

at a higher level. Then

discussions can focus on the

best ways to accomplish agreed

goals.

How much should an interpretive plan cost?

That depends on the scope of the project and the

plan. It should cost the least amount necessary to do

it right.

In 1998, an HFC-produced long-range interpretive

plan for a moderately large and complex park could

cost $15,000 to $30,000. More comprehensive or

larger plans will usually cost more.

I want to re-do our exhibits and make them all

"hands-on," but I can't talk some of the rest of the

staff into it. How can I get us all pulling the same

direction?

To get consensus usually requires agreement first on

goals. Disagreements frequently occur at the Αhow≅

level. By stepping back and discussing Αwhy≅ and

Αwhat,≅ consensus can often be reached at a higher

level. Then discussions can focus on the best ways to

accomplish agreed goals.

Be prepared to initiate a discussion on goals with an

open mind. Interactive or Αhands-on≅ exhibits

aren=t always the best choice for visitor center

exhibits. They tend to work well with children and

kinesthetic learners, but they also have limitations:

they can break down, and they may encourage

Αhands-on≅ but not Αminds-on≅ interaction. Be

willing to go where the discussion leads, and

consider all options.

Whenever I suggest a wayside exhibit to interpret

some resource issue like walking off trails, my

boss says something like, "We don't want to have a

sea of signs in the park; this place should be

natural. Besides, they won't read or obey them

anyway." What can I say to her?

This argument is an example of stating the question

in exaggerated terms, then criticizing that

exaggeration. Nobody advocates a sea of signs. But

some parks expect visitors to obey regulations of

which they are not adequately informed. That

generally does not work.

Wayside exhibits can be intrusive on the landscape.

There should be reasons for each wayside, a

carefully executed planning effort that begins with

comprehensive goals, and narrows to identifying the
51

best ways to accomplish these goals. In the case of

waysides, a wayside exhibit proposal will identify the

rationale, locations, and topics for exhibits.

A common question is whether to use waysides or a

publication (brochure, site bulletin) to interpret outdoor

attractions. Brochures are often better for stops that are

part of an integrated story, whereas waysides might be

better at interpreting separate stories. Waysides usually

cost more, yet they might encourage more attention from

visitors. Waysides can be more easily vandalized. Site

bulletins can be updated more easily and cheaply.

Brochures and site bulletins require a dispenser and staff

to re-stock them.

You may wish to interpret a site initially using a site

bulletin; that will allow flexibility in determining the best

stops and messages. When you have evaluated the

results, and are sure you have the story right, you can

then opt for wayside exhibits or a more expensive and

effective publication.

How do I decide the best way to get our interpretive

planning done? It would be cheaper to do it ourselves.

There is no standard answer. Harpers Ferry Center is

mostly project funded; parks and regional offices are

mostly base funded, so costs may appear lower. If a park

or regional office has people with the needed experience,

time, and capabilities, an excellent team can be assembled.

It is highly recommended that you include team members

from outside the park. An outside perspective is very

helpful and often results in ideas that may not be voiced

by park staff.

There is also a real difference between interpretation and

interpretive planning. If a park interpreter is expected to

function as an interpretive planner on a project, s/he

should have some experience and expertise in planning.

Many regional interpretive specialists are also

experienced planners.

Parks have many options on how to meet their planning

needs. The HFC division of interpretive planning will be

glad to discuss needs and options with you. HFC

involvement can range from full participation to

consulting.
52

Prepared by the staff of the Division of Interpretive Planning, Harpers Ferry Center, National

Park Service. For more information, contact Division Chief Andy Kardos, (304) 535-6056.

Photo credits: National Park Service, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Tom Gray, Bill

Witmer, Jack Spinnler, Sam Vaughn
53

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A: Harpers Ferry Center Services

The Harpers Ferry Interpretive Design Center is the office established to plan,

design, and produce interpretive media for all national parks.

Its mission is to:

• Prepare interpretive plans for parks to guide their interpretive

developments.

• Plan and produce museum and wayside exhibits, audiovisual

presentations, and interpretive publications.

• Perform preservation work on historic furnishings, and develop and

evaluate new interpretive techniques and technology.

Manager=s Office

Gary Cummins, Manager (304)535-6211

Division of Audiovisual Arts

Brian Jones, Chief.............................................................(304)535-6498

Liz Shugrue, Manager, Denver DOI-AV Center...........(303)236-2001

• Produce films, videos, and audios from concept to installed programs.

• Act as technical consultant by reviewing requests for proposals and contracts

and in providing technical specifications.

• Review scopes of work and scripts.

• Recommend appropriate audiovisual format to convey interpretive theme of

park.

• Assess new technology to determine applicability to NPS needs.

• Recommend equipment and format to parks for upgrades and new programs.

• Retain and provide access to master tapes of video and audio programs.

Division of Conservation

Martin Burke, Chief...............................................................(304)535-6228

• Provide professional conservation services, ensuring the long-term

preservation of museum objects in park collections.

• Treat and mount objects for exhibition.
54

• Provide technical review of exhibit plans.

• Photograph objects received by the Center, documenting them at various

stages of treatment.

• Provide full records on all treatments performed on museum objects.

• Conduct collection condition surveys.

• Provide preservation and conservation advice to parks, Denver Service

Center, the Washington Office, and to individuals and institutions outside the

Service

• Develop standards for the conservation and treatment of museum objects for

the National Park Service.

• Provide curatorial training courses and individualized instruction in parks.

• Conduct research on topics related to NPS collections.

• Conduct or coordinate analysis of artifact materials.

• Provide interpretive reports on objects treated.

Division of Exhibits

Mary Herber, Chief................................................................(304)535-6097

Cynthia Darr, Assistant Chief.............................................. (304)535-6097

Exhibit Planners

• Work with the exhibit designer, producer, and park staff to produce media

content packages which contain the exhibit graphics and text, as well as

descriptions of objects and artifacts.

• Collaborate with the park staff to develop exhibit themes and interpretive

stories.

• Provide information used in interpretive plans and other long-range planning

documents.

• Provide technical advice to the parks and other government agencies

regarding exhibit planning.

• Supervise production of art, models, mannequins, reproductions, and other

exhibit-related elements.

Exhibit Designers

• Work with the exhibit planner, producer and park staff to produce conceptual

and final designs which include the exhibit drawings, graphic layouts, and

material specifications.
55

• Work closely with the park staff, planners, producers, and other designers to

ensure that interpretive needs of the parks are met.

• Coordinate architectural issues with Denver Service Center and the parks as

they relate to interpretive media.

• Supervise production of art, models, mannequins, reproductions, and other

exhibit-related elements.

Exhibit Producers

• Work with the exhibit designer and planner to prepare exhibit fabrication bid

packages, manage exhibit fabrications contracts, and supervise installations.

• Purchase sculpture, art, models, mannequins, dioramas and other exhibitrelated media.

• Provide technical advice and assistance regarding exhibit fabrication.

Technical Assistance Program

Project funding for this program comes from the requesting organization through

sources such as donations, special park accounts, and user fees.

• The Program Manager responds to requests for unprogrammed projects and

oversees the indefinite quantity contracts for planning and design, and for

fabrication.

• The Senior Designer provides design consultation and quick-response exhibit

designs.

• The Program Liaison responds to requests from parks and provides advice

and assistance in solving problems and coordinating work requests.

Division of Historic Furnishings

John Brucksch, Chief..............................................................(304)535-6119

• Provide research and prepare Historic Furnishings Reports for furnished

historic structures throughout the Service. Implement furnishings plans and

produce furnishings exhibits.

• Provide technical assistance to parks in planning and operation of furnished

historic structure museums.

• Acquire and provide sources for period artifacts and reproductions used in

exhibits and furnished historic structures.

• Implement furnishings plans and produce complete furnishings installations.

Provide post-installation orientation and support for park staff.

• Provide technical assistance to parks in planning and operating furnished

historic structure museums.
56

• Assist the Division of Interpretive Planning and parks in feasibility studies for

interpretation and historic furnishings.

• Provide expertise and assistance in the fields of military history, furnishings,

and accessories.

• Participate in servicewide training.

The Division of Interpretive Planning

Andy Kardos, Chief...............................................................(304)535-6058

Sam Vaughn, Lead Interpretive Planner (DSC) ..................(303)987-6984

• Provide long- and short-range interpretive planning for NPS areas.

• Provide an interpretive planning standard for the NPS and quality control for

the planning of interpretive media products.

• Involve park, Harpers Ferry Center, and others in defining a park=s

interpretive vision.

• Provide justification for interpretive actions and funding.

• Involve interpretive media experts in determining the efficient, innovative,

and creative interpretive package, to enhance visitor awareness,

understanding, and appreciation of park resources.

• Assist park management in assessing the park=s interpretive future to meet

the challenges that lie ahead in a way which best serves park resources and

the needs of park visitors.

• Coordinate interpretive planning in General Management Plans and

Development Concept Plans among parks, regions, Denver Service Center,

and Harpers Ferry Center.

Division of Wayside Exhibits

Phil Musselwhite, Chief ........................................................(304)535-6049

• Plan, design, and produce outdoor interpretive exhibits.

• Provide technical information and professional support directly to parks that

wish to develop wayside exhibits themselves.

• Establish and maintain editorial, design, and production standards for NPS

wayside exhibits.
57

• Maintain duplicate wayside panels, mechanical art, computer files, hardware,

and paints, necessary for the repair or replacement of aged or damaged

wayside exhibit panels or bases.

• Research and develop new wayside exhibit concepts, materials, and

technologies.

• Offer assistance to other federal agencies, and to agencies of state and foreign

governments, in their efforts to develop wayside exhibits.

The Division=s products include:

• Exhibit panels, in a range of standard and custom sizes, imaged as screenprinted paper (embedded in fiberglass), porcelain enamel on steel, or digital

prints on aluminum.

• Aluminum bases, custom fabricated to hold the exhibit panels, and painted in

NPS standard colors.

• A wayside base designed to accommodate 6" x 12" screen-printed or ceramic

panels. The new exhibit style, much smaller and lower than the typical

wayside, is intended to serve as a trailside plant identifier.

• Bulletin cases, in standard or custom sizes, including a hinged and lockable

clear acrylic front and cork backpanel intended for the posting of park

informational materials.

• Detailed plans and all hardware necessary for the construction of kiosks to

support and protect three 36" x 48" exhibit panels and/or bulletin cases.

The Division of Publications

Melissa Cronyn, Chief...........................................................(304)535-6425

• Prepare and publish official NPS information and interpretive publications.

• Reprint 73% of the park folders on an annual basis.

• Produce more than 400 free folders, handbooks, maps, posters, and charts

used throughout the National Park System.

• Printed 28.5 million copies of park folders in FY97.

• Reprint and provide folders to more than 320 parks, in consultation with park

staff.

• Maintain 85 handbooks, posters, and charts available for sale through the U.S.

Government Printing Office and sold by the cooperating associations.

• Provide advice and assistance to parks on producing site bulletins,

administrative publications, and miscellaneous one-time projects.
58

• Provide new designs and maps in a digital format which can be modified for

use in other NPS projects. Out of an inventory of approximately 500 maps,

two-thirds are either digitized or in the process of being digitized.

Several administrative offices, which primarily provide support to Harpers Ferry

Center media divisions, also provide services to the parks within the System. These

offices include:

OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Shirley Caniford, Chief..........................................................(304)535-6489

OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

Dan Sohn, Chief .....................................................................(304)535-2915

• Provide support to NPS standard procedures and software and maintain

integration of several generations of LAN/WAN switching/routing

technologies to assure continuum of connectivity into the future.

OFFICE OF LIBRARY AND ARCHIVAL SERVICES

David Nathanson, Chief .......................................................(304)535-6262

• Operate the Center=s research library, providing reference and interlibrary

loan services.

• Operate the National Park Service History Collection.

• Maintain a comprehensive collection of NPS technical reports, including the

Cultural Resources Bibliography Collection.

OFFICE OF PROCUREMENT

JoAnne Grove, Chief..............................................................(304)535-6236

• Manage the Center=s Task Order Assistance Program that allows parks to

work directly with indefinite quantity contractors retained by the Center.
59

OFFICE OF PROGRAMS AND BUDGET

Fonda Jackson, Chief .............................................................(304)535-6280

• Oversee the formulation and execution of HFC=s fiscal, operating, and project

programs for the provision of servicewide interpretive media products and

services.

• Maintain the servicewide Interpretive Media Priority List.

OFFICE OF SUPPORT SERVICES

Michael Alvarez, Chief..........................................................(304)535-6124

Facilities Management

Sharon Young, Support Services Specialist................................. 535-6084

• Responsible for communications, building maintenance, HVAC systems,

security, safety, energy, space management, office movers, and office

equipment.

Graphics Management

Bryce Workman, Technical Information Specialist..................... 535-6263

• Conduct image research and acquisition, including use rights.

• Manage the NPS Historic and Interpretive Photograph Collection.

Art Resources Management

Wade Myers, Technical Information Specialist........................... 535-6441

• Manage a central repository of staff and commissioned HFC art for

accessibility by staff.
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Property Management & Depot

Carolyn West, Support Services Specialist .................................. 535-6197

• Manage an Audiovisual Depot repair service for standard audiovisual

equipment and components in park interpretive programs.

Registrar=s Office

Alice Newton, Museum Specialist ............................................... 535-6716

• Receive and document all museum objects and artwork coming into the

Center.

• Record the source, status, and disposition of objects received at Harpers Ferry

Center for treatment and installation in museums.

• Pack and transfer objects between the Center and parks.
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APPENDIX B: References

Ames, Kenneth L., Barbara Franco, and L. Thomas Frye (1992) Ideas and Images:

Developing Interpretive History Exhibits. Nashville, Tennessee: American Association

for State and Local History.

Freemuth, John (1991) Islands Under Siege: National Parks and the Politics of External

Threats. Manhatten, KS: University Press of Kansas.

Ham, Sam H. (1992) Environmental Interpretation: A Practical Guide for People with Big

Ideas and Small Budgets. Golden, Colorado: North American Press.

Hiss, Tony (1990) The Experience of Place. New York City: Knopf.

Lewis, William J. (1980) Interpreting for Park Visitors Philadelphia: Eastern Acorn

Press.

Lime, David W., ed. (1996) Congestion and Crowding in the National Park System. St.

Paul, Minnesota: Minnesota Agricultural Experiment System. Miscellaneous

Publication 86-1996.

Manfredo, M., ed. (1992) Influencing Human Behavior. Champaign, IL: Sagamore Pub.

Co.

Meinig, D.W., "The Beholding Eye: Ten Versions of the Same Scene," 33-48, in

Meinig, D.W., ed. (1979) The Interpretation of Ordinary Landscapes Geographical Essays.

New York: Oxford University Press.

National Park Service (1996) NPS-6, Interpretation and Visitor Services Guideline,

Chapter III.

National Park Service (1994) NPS-28, Cultural Resource Management Guideline.

National Park Service (1995) An Introduction to Compelling Stories.

Tilden, Freeman (1957) Interpreting Our Heritage. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: The

University of North Carolina Press.

Trapp, Suzanne, Michael Gross, and Ron Zimmerman (1991) Signs, Trails, and

Wayside Exhibits: Connecting People and Places. Stevens Point, Wisconsin: UW-SP

Foundation Press.

Vande Kamp, Mark. Social Science Literature Pertinent to Deterrence of Noncompliant

Visitor Behavior in Natural Areas: A Working Annotated Bibliography. Seattle, WA:

Cooperative Park Studies Unit, University of Washington.

Vande Kamp, Mark; Johnson, Darryll; Swearingen, Thomas (1994) Deterring Minor

Acts of Noncompliance: A Literature Review. Seattle, WA: Cooperative Park Studies

Unit, University of Washington.

Veverka, John A. (1994) Interpretive Master Planning. Helena, Montana: Falcon Press.
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Wright, Brett and Marcella Wells (1990) A Field Guide for Evaluating National Park

Service Interpretation. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, Division of

Interpretation.
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