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HFC Publications

When one thinks of good graphic design, one pretty much never thinks about the work of the federal government. Kudos to the National Park Service for providing us an example of a government agency that isn’t afraid of innovative design.

Peter Merholz
January 4, 2004

   Park brochure and several park handbooks

Official Park Brochures and Handbooks

The official park brochures and handbooks developed by Harpers Ferry Center are known for their reliability, thoroughness, visual appeal, and standard design elements that contribute to the National Park Service graphic identity. The most traditional and low-tech of the various media, publications remain a core element in a park’s interpretive program. As park visitation increases and personal services decrease, the onsite portability of publications gives them a significant role in providing visitors with interpretive, logistical, and safety information. Publications are also the one interpretive medium visitors can take with them as a souvenir and handy home reference.

Besides highlighting the park’s interpretive themes and subthemes, publications provide accurate maps and tour information and highlight warnings and precautions not only to protect visitors and resources, but to avoid tort claims against the parks. They help park management provide the public with information about environmental and preservation issues and broaden awareness of the need for protection of cultural heritage and conservation areas. Parks can update their brochures when they are due for reprinting—annually in most cases—allowing them to reflect the latest National Park Service policy and the latest cartographic, historical, and scientific research.

Editors, designers, and cartographers—members of the HFC Media Development Group—work with park staffs to complement the park's own interpretive efforts. They coordinate HFC publications with your other interpretive media for consistency, making sure, for example, that a map on a wayside exhibit agrees with a brochure map.

Publications Consulting

Harpers Ferry Center also makes its expertise available to parks thinking about producing their own publications. As time allows, HFC staff can serve as consultants on design, cartographic, editorial, and printing concerns. We can review site bulletins, make two-color versions of maps available for use in park publications, and in general assist park staffs with a variety of publishing needs.

Contact Us

Harpers Ferry Center has an initial contact point to assist parks with their media needs. Call or email us to request a new publication, to get answers to technical publications questions, to obtain publications cost estimates, or for HFC assistance in developing and producing publications. Contact Us »

Request a Park Brochure

To request a printed park brochure, please contact Frances Cherry in the NPS Office of Public Affairs (address: National Park Service, Office of Public Affairs, Room 7012, 1849 C St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20240; phone: 202-208-4747; email: Frances_Cherry@nps.gov). Be sure to include your address and postal code with the request.

  
Author: Harpers Ferry Center
Last Updated: Tuesday, 30-Sep-2008 10:24:47 Eastern Daylight Time
http://www.nps.gov/hfc/products/pubs/index.htm