Products & Services > Wayside Exhibits > Technical Assistance/Rehab Program

Technical Assistance/Rehab Program
Wayside exhibit at Lawnfield, home of President James A. Garfield

Wayside exhibit at Lawnfield, home of President Garfield at James A. Garfield National Historic Site, Ohio.

 

Wayside exhibit at George Washington Birthplace NM

Wayside exhibit at George Washington Birthplace National Monument, Virginia.

  

About the Program

The Wayside Technical Assistance/Rehab Program focuses on small wayside projects for which parks have available funds and well-developed content, typically draft text and graphics. The goal of the program is to speed the delivery of wayside exhibits while ensuring that NPS editorial, design, and production standards are maintained.

2009 Schedule for Submission

The deadlines for submission of the application form and accompanying resource packages are as follows, depending on your wayside exhibit submission request:

  • January 2, 2009 - for all wayside projects that include new map development.
  • January 15, 2009 - for all wayside projects that require planning, design, and fabrication within the same fiscal year.
  • June 1, 2009 - for wayside projects that require only planning/design or fabrication only.

Note: Parks that require original art will need a two-year cycle for completion: one year for art development and the second year for wayside design and fabrication.

Digital Images

Over the past few years, parks have been submitting digital images in their resource packages. In many instances, however, these images cannot be enlarged adequately for use on the waysides and can affect acceptance into the program. Therefore here are some guidelines to follow:

Taking digital photographs: When taking photographs digitally it is important to use a camera that will give the best results. Below is a list features to look for when purchasing a new camera or using your existing model.

  • 6.3MP (megapixel) or above, minimum requirement.
  • Images should be captured in raw format (maximum jpg or tiff if raw is not available).
  • Digital SLR (changeable lenses) recommended (see list of digital cameras below).

The cameras below all fill the requirements listed above. They range in price from $800 - $8,000.

  • Canon Digital Rebel, 10D, 20D, 1D, 1Ds
  • Nikon D70, D100
  • Kodak DCS Pro SLR/c, DCS Pro SLR/n, DCS Pro 14n

Scanning your own photograph, artwork or other graphics: If you are sending a scanned image of an original graphic (slide, transparency, negative or photograph) then it must be scanned to the final size it will appear on the wayside panel. Since, typically, that decision has not been made yet, the image should be scanned as if it were going to be 36” (final size) on the panel at 200dpi. For example, a 35mm slide should be scanned at an optical resolution of 2618% at 200dpi (no interpolation). Most desktop scanners do not have the capabilities to capture that much data, which is why when possible we recommend the original slide or print be sent to HFC for scanning.

For more detailed information, see Standards for Digital Image Files (December 2006 - PDF).

Who to Contact

If you are interested in acquiring wayside exhibits through the program, first review Park Responsibilities and Selection Criteria below. If you feel that the program is appropriate for your project or you need more information, please contact program manager Susan Haines (phone: 304-535-6033; email: Susan_Haines@nps.gov). Susan can help you initiate the project, secure a cost estimate, and guide you to its completion.

How to Apply

After discussing your project with the program manager, submit a Wayside Technical Assistance/Rehab Application (PDF) and an HFC Direct Charge Authorization Form (PDF), along with your resource package (text, graphics, sketch and site location photo). The resource package is described in the Park Responsibilities section below.

Once the application form and resource packages have been submitted and reviewed, you will be contacted to discuss the project’s details.

HFC Assistance

Combining a park’s subject expertise, Harpers Ferry Center’s experience in wayside editing and design contracting, and the vendor’s technical capabilities helps to ensure that the exhibits produced are consistent with a park’s needs and with NPS Graphic Identity Program standards. Learn more about the NPS Graphic Identity Program »

Park Responsibilities

The Technical Assistance Program requires that a park be willing to make a significant investment of time and effort in planning its exhibits. As the subject matter expert, the park is responsible for preparing draft text for each wayside, acquiring support graphics, preparing maps (HFC can supply suggestions for map contractors), and sketching a rough layout that reflects the exhibit’s interpretive intent. These items (text, graphics, maps, rough layouts, and a photo of each wayside site location) constitute the resource packages from which the exhibits are developed. A sample resource package is available on request. Please note: If original art is needed, a two-year cycle is required to review the complexity of the project. (See Schedule for Submission section above for more details.)

See our online Technical Assistance Case Studies for Zion National Park Overlook Exhibit and Zion National Park Trailhead Exhibit.

Selection Criteria

Several factors will be considered when determining if a project is suitable for the Technical Assistance Program.

  1. All proposed exhibits should be consistent with the park’s overall wayside exhibit goals. If a parkwide wayside exhibit proposal (an approved list of wayside exhibit subjects, locations, and purposes) does not exist, you will be encouraged to develop one before acquiring exhibits that may not be appropriate to long-term interpretive goals.
  2. Resource packages for each exhibit should be complete at the time of submission. Digital images must meet Standards for Digital Image Files (December 2006 - PDF).
  3. Submissions should be limited to no more than six exhibits. The intent of the program is to provide a rapid response on projects of limited size. Larger projects are better accomplished through traditional planning and design procedures and by contacting Harpers Ferry Center. Contact Us »
  4. Project funding must be secured by the park. A completed HFC Direct Charge Authorization Form must be on file. In addition to funding fabrication costs, parks are responsible for editorial and design service costs. Cost estimates for these services will be developed by HFC and provided to the park for use on the HFC Direct Charge Authorization Form (PDF).
  5. Projects that require the creation of original art and/or maps will be reviewed for their complexity and appropriateness.

Advantages of the Program

The Technical Assistance/Rehab Program has several advantages over trying to secure wayside exhibits on your own:

  • HFC will COR editorial and design services through an approved IDIQ wayside exhibit contractor.
  • Each wayside exhibit is designed to meet NPS message project standards.
  • HFC will conduct quality assurance reviews to ensure NPS identity standards for design are met and HFC style and editorial standards are satisfied.
  • Each HFC IDIQ wayside exhibit contractor has been carefully selected and trained to provide products consistent with the quality required by the National Park Service.
  • The use of HFC IDIQ wayside exhibit contractors eliminates the need for parks to write technical specifications and work descriptions, or to conduct competitive procurements.
  • Wayside exhibits produced under the program carry the same manufacturers’ warranties that were negotiated to cover other waysides that the center produces—warranties that protect the park from manufacturing defects or from premature product failure.
  • Production files for wayside exhibits produced through the program can be stored and maintained by HFC’s wayside exhibit archives. These files can be retrieved when parks need replacement panels.
  
Author: Harpers Ferry Center
Last Updated: Thursday, 09-Apr-2009 08:59:28 Eastern Daylight Time
http://www.nps.gov/hfc/products/waysides/way-techassist.htm