i will let the state have a pilot program to do it. >> kevin, it has been great. thank you for taking the time. it has been great. >> what the annual was about reading festival. -- roosevelt reading festival. at the beginning of september will live from the nations capital for the national book festival, celebrating his 15th year. those are a few events this summer. >> on wednesday, the house administration committee heard about some of the smithsonian's upcoming projects. efforts to digitize objects in the museum's collection. he also had an update of the national museum of african american history culture, that is expected to open next year. he is serving as missoni and acting secretary until july 1. this is about 45 minutes. >> we have this meteorite here it sort of makes you think about jurassic park. artificial heart. a picture that business only and told us they got off of ebay. they had to do almost nothing to it, it was in such great condition. someone took a lot of pride in keeping that picture. anyway, everyone will have it chanced to go look at some of these artifacts. we thought it would be a way to set the stage for what goes on in this unbelievable national treasure. i told some of your staff i will try to get a job at this missoni and. and -- the smithsonian. congress is established this institution in 1846. to found a washington, under the name of the smithsonian, and establishment of knowledge since that time, the smithsonian has developed into the largest museum and research complex in the world. of the 19 museums, nine research centers,. business on its collection includes more than 138 million items. last year, more than 28 million people visited smithsonian museums. 99 million viewed their website and more than 6000 volunteers accomplish the work of the incision along with the employees. the smithsonian is much more than our nation's attic. it plays a role in making accessible our nation's history and culture. while the institution encompasses renowned museums of the national mall, which all our constituents appreciate, it also includes research facilities in panama, and astrophysical observatory's in massachusetts. traveling exhibits across the u.s., and a strong international presence across the globe. the size, and scope of these as sodium present in opportunity. this committee commenced as the sony and for that -- the smithsonian for their unrelenting efforts to leverage the efforts to inspire lifelong learning. education is fundamental to the smithsonian's mission. the committee is very interested to hear how these missoni and is -- the smithsonian is revitalizing especially with access. an intense immense value. this committee held a hearing last converse -- congress. it is one of the most pressing issues for the smithsonian. management indicated work was ongoing to improve collections management. we look forward to hearing about that progress. in addition, we would like to receive an update on how the institution is preparing for the national institution of african-american museum and culture. that is due for completion next year. also possibly being part of a cultural complex in london. the the smithsonian is cherished by all americans to ensure the success of this valid institution, and is continued operation for future generations. it is truly one of the great treasures of our world, we look forward to the continued service. we thank our witness for his attendance. at this time, i would like to recognize upper ranking member, who was not able to attend. >> thank you, very much. i think my microphone is having some feedback problems. i apologize for that. i appreciate the opportunity to be here. thank you for holding this oversight hearing today and giving this missoni and a chance to show off some of its treasures. a new secretary will arrive in a few weeks, and the smithsonian african-american museum will open soon. it is magnificent. every time i drive by there, i get excited. also, and historic national campaign to raise funds for the institution in the smithsonian has been recognized by a national commission. a proposed national women's museum is about to be studied by another commission. the visitors advanced levels are about on the rise. the value of the smithsonian endowment is at record highs. the cost of admission is still zero. i commend the acting secretary thank you very much for your ability to step in quickly. to ensure continuity between secretaries. this is a busy season for those who visit this missoni and during the warmer months. -- the smithsonian during warmer months. i will do me here to this hearing. it is a joy to have you here. we are very proud of your institution. >> to any other members wish to make an opening statement? i would like to introduce our witness. our horvath begin the acting secretary this year following the retirement of the previous secretary. he will serve in this position until the end of this month. it was a very fast-paced, difficult month. it was eye-opening, and interesting. as mentioned the 13th secretary will take over on july 1. as acting secretary, he oversees thousands of staff members within these missoni and institution -- the smithsonian institution. she manage administrative offices including facilities and maintenance, human resources and financial operations. we are happy to say that is a position he will continue as well probably his tenure as acting secretary. his career spans more than 30 years in the administration of five different administrations. we thank you for being with us today. at this time, we recognize you for your statement. albert horvath: thank you very much. chairman miller and members of the committee, thank you for this opportunity to testify this morning. in 1846, congress established the smithsonian as a public-private partnership dedicated to the increase of knowledge. 60% of her annual fund comes from public appropriations. 40% comes from philanthropy. it is helpful in attracting private support. we are grateful for the continued confidence of the administration, the congress, and the american people. i ensure you, the confidence is more than justified. the state of the smithsonian is strong. we are making great progress, and welcoming new secretary on july 1. he is currently president of cornell, who will push for even more progress. i have been privileged to serve as acting secretary. i will return to my previous post as ingres -- undersecretary for finance and administration. these the zoning is more efficient, and entrepreneurial than ever. it offers authentic experiences of what it means to be an american. on may 8, i stood on top of american history museum to witness the flyover celebrating victory in europe today. i would national air and space museum director, general jack daly participated. the next day, some of the participating planes were on display at our air and space museum's. the center also houses am -- among many treasures, the spaceship discovery. we offer a three-dimensional stand that any teacher, student or lifetime learner can download. as i look to west to that day, i saw our national museum of african american culture rising out of the ground. museum curators have acquired more than 30,000 artifacts, the museum is targeted to open in the fall of 2016. we continue to limit our strategic plan. -- two implement our strategic plan. the smithsonian american art museums gallery reopens on november 13. we can offer so much to so many people because we are the largest in the world. we have 19 museums, and galleries. 20 libraries, the national zoo and 201 affiliate museums. we are open 364 days a year, and it mission is free. we operate in more than 100 and 38 countries. if you cannot come to us, we are coming to you. through digital technology. our more than two large websites -- 200 websites attract many viewers. our galleries and almost 27 visits, and another 4.5 million people visited -- 27 million visitors, and another 4.5 million people visited our traveling exhibits. some of those treasures you see on the table in front of you. we protect, and present, some of the nation's greatest treasures. from the star-spangled banner, to the hope diamond. a skeleton of trx edison's lightbulb, we take stewardship of these treasures very seriously. since that time, we have made many improvements, and created an in-depth study that will inform our long-term plan. over 500 scientists are making important discoveries especially with biodiversity issues. it is a worldwide partnership monitoring the health of 6 million trees, in 24 countries. our marine observatories seeks to replicate the success, and assess the health of coastal areas. we offer a american, and african art. we deliver educational materials in all 50 states. these are also available online for free. for 30 years, our science and education center has been proven -- improving k-12 education. we have concerns of our 12 million square feet of services. we will need your continued support in those areas to ensure the vitality of these spaces, many of which are historic. our employees, and volunteers are creative, resourceful, a dedicated to our mission. that is why, the smithsonian was ranked one of the best places to work in the federal government. all of us are honored to be part of this great american institution. as we face exciting new opportunities, and challenges, we will carefully steward the resources provided by the federal government. i thank you for this opportunity, and look forward to your questions. >> thank you very much. you mentioned you had all those artifacts. as you may not know, the miller family has a bit of history with one of those. my husband, who was a fighter private in vietnam delivered a super jet which is on display there. all the old fighter pilots like to look at those old the jets. at any rate, my first question for you is really -- i was looking through your plan, as you mentioned, you really want to increase and revitalize education. i have a particular interest in that. in southeast michigan, it was so hard hit during the economic transition. our kids could hardly take a field trip. one of the things we tried to do during that time was to just make sure that here is fantastic wealth of knowledge, and all of these things are happening. whether it is the library of congress, the smithsonian, etc.. how we can have resources for the teachers to make that part of the curriculum. kids are used to accessing everything electronically. these 3-d printers are really amazing. could you talk a little bit -- that is part of your revitalizing education portion? how you can help with education throughout the entire country? albert horvath: certainly. the smithsonian, at its core, is an educational institution. we do tremendous research. one of our main objectives is to be able to get this information out as broadly and widely as possible. we have a long tradition of education being an important aspect of what we do. for 30 years through the smithsonian's science education center, we have provided education free of charge tailored to local standards for teachers students, and school districts. we feel it is important to try to address the issues of education throughout the country. a place where a couple of our priorities come together is education and digitization. one of the buzz phrases that we have developed at the smithsonian is that if you cannot to the smithsonian, we want to come to you. that is through digitization. we're trying to digitize all of them to make them available to people across the country, in fact across the world. who are students, higher education, lifeline -- lifelong learners. not only in our spaces. we are working on 3-d printing so not only can you render 3-d objects online, but then also transfer them to printers, and have your students create their own models. in fact, we are in the middle of digitizing the space shuttle at this current time. all of these activities were focused on playing an important role in forwarding education across the country. >> could you tell us a little bit, i guess the national zoo is your biggest visitors section. or it is aaron space. albert horvath: they are always in that. >> i understand the envelope of the air and space is need of serious structural repairs. maybe you could tell us how you are planning for that. albert horvath: certainly will stop we have a long-term capital plan. 12 million square feet of space. keeping those buildings vital and functional, is a priority for us. the buildings have long been on our plans, we envisioned it being our next big priority following the completion of the museum of african american culture. as we began the process of assessing the work we would need to do, we unfortunately uncover the fact that the outer envelope -- the facade that is comprised of tennessee pink marble -- is thinner in size than it should have been. after 40 years, it is starting to crack and bow. we have had three independent assessments, they all concluded that stone needs to come down. it is too thin to be repaired. all of that stone needs to be replaced. that is in addition to the other work we are contemplated. like upgrading our air handling systems. completing repairs on the roof and the look -- the like. it was built with the notion that we would receive about 3 million visitors a year. we now receive 6-7,000,000 visitors a year. it is receive a lot more wear and tear than was envisioned. unfortunately, we are looking at a price tag of $500 million before we renovate the building. it is a project we are in the process of design on, we would hope to begin construction on the reservation -- renovation sometime in 2017. our plan is to keep portions of the building open to the public. again, it is one of the most heavily visited museums in the world. we don't want to take all of those objects off-line if we can avoid it. >> that is a huge price tag. >> thank you very much, madam chairman. you get excited when you talk about your family's involvement. i would be remiss to say that in san diego we have affiliated museums. it is the same thing there, you get a lot of the pilots that not only hang around, they also teach the kids how to work on planes, and repair them. it is really exciting. i have had a chance to go there a few times. i would be remiss if i did not thank the smithsonian for that. in balboa park, they are affiliated with the smithsonian. the smithsonian will come to them. i know you do that with affiliated museums. i do want to ask a couple of questions -- does the smithsonian have a public stance of the creation of an american latino is he him -- museum? albert horvath: should congress authorize, and approval funding for that museum, we would be honored to add such a museum. we would do everything in our power to deliver that museum to the american people. >> second question, what effect has sequestration had on the smithsonian over the last couple of years, if any? albert horvath: the budgetary uncertainty around the federal budget has certainly forced us to do a lot of scenario planning and rethinking of priorities. we were able to weather -- there you go. we were able to weather the sequestration that was lamented a couple years ago because we had done a lot of preparation. if there were long-term reductions may, we would have to fundamentally rethink some of the basic operating premises of the institution. as you might imagine, given some of our facilities challenges, we are obviously keenly aware of how important continued strong federal funding would be for us. not only for the acute problems, but to allow was to push forward in terms of digitization, collection care initiatives expansion of education, and the like. at present, we continue to develop a number of different strategies depending on the levels of funding. we've spent quite a bit of time to ensure our ability to raise nonfederal funds through philanthropy, and sponsor projects, are as advanced as possible. >> a little pet peeve of mine -- sequestration, i was not here when we voted on it. it comes from the latin term " to set aside" i don't know why they use that term. it is the term they chose. we are all very excited, all of us about the opening of the national african american museum next year. are there any special events planned around it that the publisher be aware of? albert horvath: we are in the midst of planning for the grand opening next fall. we're the early stages. we intend to begin doing some preliminary kinds of events leading up to that. the museum itself is not waiting for the building to be finished. we just opened a new exhibit in american history to begin showing some of the collection that has been amassed over the last couple of years. both of through the african-american lands. i would encourage everyone -- african-american lens. i would encourage everyone to go see it. not just generating excitement, but to the seemingly day-to-day changes that take place, we are trying to do programming to get people excited and ready. >> my time is up. >> thank you will stop -- >> thank you for your service in such an important role. i hope everyone forgot -- got to go to the national mind. it was an incredible location. thanks to all that were involved in that. there is always concern on the upkeep of buildings, and making sure we don't defer maintenance. that happened sometimes because the money is not there. i know we have a new museum that has been talked about double open next year. a very exciting time. there are others that are being discussed. it was also a concern that has to go forward, we have the ability to maintain them, and do the upkeep. this will be a major lift as for his families. the air and space museum is one everyone likes to go to. they set the record for longest time in the air with the old mess, 12 -- ole miss 27 days. another also admit to be shut off valve, so you could safely transfer fuel. you get the single-engine plane that they say stayed up for 27 days. they had to climb out in service the engine during flight. during construction, we are confident that will be fully displayed. that is another deal. it is true, every exhibit has a great story. we are very thankful for that. how do you foresee, i know chairman miller discussed this, your planning and keeping this open -- how many years will that renovation take place? albert horvath: we are still in the midst of very detailed design and planning. right now, our best estimate is that it will take about 4.5 years of renovation time. we will try to do it in phases through the building. it is complicated and does all of the building systems are integrated. that is part of the challenge of what we are trying to study at this point. it is very important for us to try, as much as possible, to keep portions of the building open. >> other buildings are aging as well, it will have those needs as well. is there a plan in which we will make sure we won't end up with a big hit where you see may be doing these in stages where we don't end up with a $5 million one time major renovation. albert horvath: there are a couple of examples where we have been doing that. the natural history museum everyone knows the dinosaur hall is currently closed. that is partially driven by the desire to renovate that portion of the building as well as do some maintenance on the artifacts. we have taken the same approach to american history. back in 2008 we reopened the star-spangled banner hall. we are working on the west the side of the building. we are very excited about reopening the first floor of that renovated space in july. we have taken the same approach to the national zoo. to the extent that some of the larger, or complicated buildings were taking on the entire building. it could be astronomical in terms of cost. we have tried to parse them out. because of the way the building was built it is just not as practical to be able to close portions of it. one of our biggest challenges is making sure that we continue to address the most pressing needs and try to use maintenance, as well as facilities capital funding to be as thoughtful as possible. >> what time is almost over. let me ask you this. 138 million items, probably more . not everything we probably want to keep. i am a bit of a pack rat. i don't want to throw anything away. when you are deciding new items to go in, is very basic criteria that you have? albert horvath: certainly. we look at the importance of that object, and in particular discipline that it supports. we ensure that we can safely, and effectively keep it. we make sure we had the expertise to study it, and to tell it's a story. >> not everything makes the cut? albert horvath: >> not everything. >> i yield back. >> i wish you well on your next endeavor going to work for the smithsonian as you mentioned. please check your references. don't cut my mike. first off, i want to say thank you mr. acting secretary. my twin boys were part of a large high school group that was out there just last week. some of the feedback was that going to the smithsonian was one of their favorite activities. it is something that we see many folks go through every day. i think this committee, we truly appreciate what you do, and with the men and women who work at your facilities do on a regular basis. thank you for that. education was a key points in your opening testimony. i noticed you mentioned some of the stem programs. they work with k-12 education. can you go into further what you do at the smithsonian to ensure that students who may not be able to make it out here to washington, d c, how do they have access to your facilities? how do those programs work. how do teachers that may now be able to be involved with them know how to contact you to get involved? albert horvath: we have tremendous educational resources at the smithsonian. some attached to specific museums, or research centers. some coordinated in morse -- more central ways. one course is to take what we have and get it to folks regardless of where they are geographically. the smithsonian's of science education center has been putting together a curriculum that is tied to state standards that teachers and school district skin implement, and use to teach science -- districts can implement, and used to teach science. it is hands-on learning, and is supplemented by lesson plans and activities that can be downloaded. all of the material is provided for free. we have a large traveling exhibition service which takes the smithsonian content around the country. and many museums, across the country, you can benefit from the same kind of content that you see in washington d.c. at your local museum across the country. more and more, we are trying to put more of our material online. even if you are not using the formal material, a feature -- teacher can download and use a variety of support materials that we provide to integrate into their classroom. we view education as central to our mission. also, as a way of livening these objects and telling their stories. and using them in a way that helps inspire children. >> i appreciate what you do to make that happen. many students don't get a chance to experience what we see, and sometimes take for granted. what can we do to help encourage more activity? albert horvath: i think you are doing it. the more that we can engage people in our facilities, and our programs, to understand the richness and the depth of what we do is stop i think together we can learn places will be arts -- aren't filling in gaps. we recognize we cannot do everything. we believe we can have a significant impact on improving the application of stem education across the country. in teaching history particularly the history of the american experience. >> one last question. do you have an idea of how many school districts you're porting your stem education program into nationwide? albert horvath: i can get to specific numbers as part of the final testimony. i don't have those numbers offhand. >> albert horvath: we made them available to anyone who wants them. >> thank you very much. i will yield back. >> thank you i am fascinated by the smithsonian over the years. it predates our civil war by 15 years. i believe you have been there five years, is the correct? four years? i have a couple questions about to get to stop talking about the african-american museum. what is the open date, do you have that projected? albert horvath: fall of 2016. we do not have a specific date and to the fight. >> all right. will we remove some exhibits like george washington carver do we remove that from one smithsonian to put it into another? can you talk about the process? albert horvath: we on a pretty frequent basis move collections around our various museums. the american art museum tells the story of america through arts rather than specific artifacts. we sometimes move paintings from their to the american history museum. there will be times when certain objects will move back and forth depending on the nature of the exhibition or the particular story we are trying to tell. >> my concern is that we make sure they're getting a great history from some of the people who have impacted us. a lot of advances over the last few years -- can you discuss strategy in terms of making the smithsonian attractive to the younger generation? my background is ministry work we don't make adaptations. is there a marketing strategy? how do we move forward? albert horvath: it is a big thrust for us. ensuring we have an institution that looks like me, and people like my son. one example of what we of been able to do is the recently renovated museum in new york. we closed that museum for three years, fully renovated it, and reopen it in december to great fanfare. we integrated tremendous amount of technology into the visitor experience. there a new object called the pen, which you can get when you walk in the door. as you go through the exhibits, you touch a part of the exhibit and it downloads that object, which you can then e-mail it to yourself. you can curator collection when you get home. you only had a limited amount of time. we're looking at the african-american history and cultural museum as well to integrate tons of interactive digital video experiences into the more traditional experience of physical objects. we are taking that very seriously. >> do you find that is a difficult balance? you don't want to dumb down the historical aspects. i guess that is part of the process. is that a fair assessment? albert horvath: what we are looking for opportunities to amplify the objects. one of the latest apps we created is called skin and bones. you look at a skeleton, on your phone, that skeleton comes to life. you can see what that object does. you can see what it looked like when it was on the ground. it does number two reality movement. we think the technology can really enhance the experience. it gives you a much richer opportunity to dig in. >> i appreciate you working hard to be proactive. >> that give her much. talk about skeletons. let me ask you a question about the natural history. bt wrecks exhibit -- the trex exhibit, it is too bad you had to close that whole exhibit down. when will it be reopened? albert horvath: 2019. >> you can't open any part of it? albert horvath: no. all of the renovation is pretty extensive. it is a fairly large piece of the building. the exhibits themselves are undergoing a fairly sensitive restoration as well. that is pretty painstaking work. what we are trying to do through technology is to satisfy that dinosaur itch that a lot of people have. that is one of the most popular exhibits that we have. >> it really is. one must question. we have had an opportunity to talk about the possibility, i suppose you are going to the process of doing something in london. perhaps you could tell us a little bit about that? i know you're regions affected by the debate. -- have talked about it a bit. should we be doing that? what is the reason for it? albert horvath: as you might imagine, we are presented with lots of opportunities on a regular basis to do interesting things. this opportunity in london was presented to us by the mayor of london about a year ago. his vision in the redevelopment of the facility that housed the 2012 summer games includes the creation of a cultural quarter that will be populated with a number of cultural and educational institutions. his desire was to have the smithsonian be a part of that. it is an interesting idea. certainly, it is interesting to think about doing something in that land. early on, we considered it, and went back to them with a certain set of criteria. first, we would need a significant amount of support in order to do this. secondly, we would not ask congress for an additional funding to support this. it would have to be something that would be supported by private funding. we would have to be sure that within permission of the smarmy and -- the smithsonian. we are a very global entity already. a lot of the international work is focused on scientific research. this would be different opportunity for the smithsonian to tell the story of america abroad. it appeals to us in that way. we indicated that we would need to have to us. we cannot raise funding for that. the mayor and his team have identified significant amounts of private support that would enable that to happen. the final piece of the assessment we are in the midst of is really looking at the financial model that we would need to implement. and whether it can sustain us for a long. of time. we are excited about the prospect and have not made a final decision. as you might imagine, we have been in close contact to ensure his input is part of the overall process, and that he feels comfortable with the progress that we are making. >> thank every much. we wants to be kept in the information loop. i think that is a very interesting idea. without objection, i would say that all members without five legislative days to submit written questions to the witness. we wish the witness to respond as quickly as possible. we appreciate your attendance here today. we want to thank mr. davis, and all of the employees, some of whom are here today. you have a tremendous group of dedicated and -- individuals. we appreciate their service as well. without objection, the hearing is adjourned.

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