The language prohibits the Smithsonian from entering any new contract that would “limit access by the public to the Smithsonian collection,” the Washington Post reported May 5. “This exclusive arrangement is inconsistent with a public institution that is largely financed by the American taxpayer, and it was done without any consultation with this committee,” said Rep. Charles H. Taylor (R-N.C.), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Interior, Environment And Related Agencies. Members of Congress learned of the deal through media reports, the Post said.
In an April 27 letter to Smithsonian Secretary Lawrence Small, Taylor and Rep. Norman D. Dicks (D-Wash.) sharply criticized the venture and expressed their displeasure at the Smithsonian’s refusal to make the contract public. In a reply the following day, Small defended the deal and placed blame for the controversy on the media, the trade journal Broadcasting and Cable reported May 5. “Unfortunately, much of the outcry is based on the unfounded claim the agreement constrains the work of historians and documentary researchers from using the collections and resources of the Smithsonian,” he wrote. “First and foremost, what the press fails to appreciate is the new approach will further the Smithsonian’s mission and reach millions of people beyond the walls of our museums and research centers.” Small said the Smithsonian Board of Regents would review the contract at its May 8 meeting.
Posted May 5, 2006.