NAL 2004

National Agricultural Library 2004 Annual Report cover

"A new age has dawned in scientific and engineering research, pushed by continuing progress in computing, information, and communication technology, and pulled by the expanding complexity, scope, and scale of today's challenges. The capacity of this technology has crossed thresholds that now make possible a comprehensive "cyber-infrastructure" on which to build new types of scientific and engineering knowledge environments and organizations and to pursue research in new ways and with increased efficacy." (Click here to enlarge cover image)

--Dan Atkins, Professor of Information & Computer Science, University of Michigan School of Information, presentation at ARL/CNI E-Research and Supporting Cyber Infrastructure Forum, Washington, DC, October 15, 2004.
Spotlights
From the Director

In this age of transformational change in the conduct of research and new knowledge development, libraries are challenged to rethink the collection, assessment, and use of information. In 2004, The National Agricultural Library (NAL) responded to the emerging new age by planning new directions for the future. The Library's entire workforce continued reviewing innovative digital technology solutions and began constructing plans for improved customer access to relevant data, information services, and tools to meet the challenges and opportunities of the emerging knowledge environment.

Following recommendations from two studies of the NAL-the 2001 Vanderhoef Interagency Report and the 2002 National Agricultural Research, Education, Extension, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board Report-the Library developed initial plans for a National Digital Library for Agriculture (NDLA). The Library's senior staff participated in an extended process to develop a new vision statement addressing rapid changes in agriculture, in global library and information science, and the impact of these changes on the Library's responsibilities and mission. Then, in keeping with the need for transformational change, NAL adopted an NDLA vision statement that reads: "The National Digital Library for Agriculture serves as the hub of an international network of partners utilizing innovative technologies to provide 24 by 7 access to high quality resources in both print and electronic form throughout the world to users regardless of time or location."

Successful realization of this multipart NDLA vision is possible only through close collaboration with partner institutions to blend NAL's expertise and resources in the development of a nationally federated system. NAL's current project initiatives are consistent with the development of the NDLA. Since 1999, we have been working closely with the Agriculture Network Information Center (AgNIC) Alliance, an international group of agricultural libraries and institutions. AgNIC, which now has 51 institutional members, is a distributed network that provides access to digital content. Each AgNIC partner focuses on one or more areas of agricultural science reflecting the institution's expertise. In 2004, NAL invited the AgNIC partners to begin developing plans for the NDLA. To this end, NAL hosted a meeting that brought leaders from the Land Grant University and Extension communities and the AgNIC Coordinating Council together to define opportunities for collaborating in the development of an NDLA.

From NAL's initial conceptual framework, the development of the NDLA must address the following four content and access component requirements:

  • Preservation/Digitization-digital reformatting and preservation of printed agricultural documents and publications, including U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) publications, Extension Service publications, and related grey literature resources.
  • Digital content development-digital capture and preservation of relevant "born digital" Web content.
  • "Cyber" infrastructure-development of the advanced technology infrastructure and network required to ensure long-term access to and preservation of data related to the agricultural sciences.
  • Data resources and tools-development of large-scale scientific data repositories and tools for the manipulation, analysis, visualization, and presentation of digital content.

The Library has several projects underway that complement and serve as models for these four NDLA component requirements. Voyager, our new enterprise-wide integrated library system, implemented in 2003/2004 increased our range of services, improved search and discovery capabilities, and provided access to full text documents in digital format. The USDA Digital Desktop Library service (DigiTop) provides USDA employees desktop access to digital content in current and retrospective journals, access to reference tools, and database services. Specialized information centers offer digital content and services to customers in key agricultural subjects. The Library's National Agricultural Library Thesaurus (NALT) provides a framework facilitating consistent access to NAL digital and paper collections and websites.

Further, there are several ongoing projects to digitize USDA publications and make them available on the NAL website. In addition to the NDLA, NAL improved internal operational efficiency to ensure quality service. Staff teams reviewed workflows and organizational structure, then recommended changes and additions. In conjunction with the Association of Research Libraries' E-Metrics project, the Library built a database that captures information about costs and service usage. NAL now tracks information about electronic journal access, reference material demand, books, website hits, reference response rates, and digital collection growth.

In January 2004, the Library implemented the American Customer Satisfaction Instrument (ForeSee Results) online customer survey on selected NAL websites. The survey service, used throughout the Federal Government, will help determine user satisfaction with our Web services and provide recommendations for improvements.

Finally, at the end of 2004, the Library began a major overhaul of the entire NAL website in order to comply with USDA guidelines. This effort is a major undertaking and requires a Library-wide commitment to complete by December 31, 2005.

As reflected in this report, NAL is working to make more content available to its customers, to improve access, to safeguard and preserve its collections, to improve its facilities, and to increase collaborations with other organizations. The Library's accomplishments provide the basis for its future development and will give you, its customers, an improved and expanded range of service offerings to meet the needs of the broader agricultural community.

I invite you to share your ideas and suggestions for NAL's future. You may e-mail me directly at director@nal.usda.gov. The entire Library looks forward to your help in shaping its future.

Peter R. Young
Director
Chapter 1

Connecting Customers With Information About Agriculture

DigiTop

In 2004, NAL's Digital Desktop Library for USDA, better known as DigiTop, was established, offering improved service and more extensive coverage to USDA customers. In response, USDA employees greatly increased their use of NAL's desktop library, which provides online access to published relevant journal articles, reference services, and specialized content resources. The number of hits to the DigiTop server increased from 514,000 in 2003 to 1,200,000 in 2004, more than 130 percent. USDA staff searched DigiTop 2,542,976 times and submitted 3,209,141 requests for electronic journals and database services. Financial contributions from USDA agencies supplement the Library's annual investment for digital subscription licenses, expanding the range of digital content and services NAL provides to the Department's mission workers. In support of DigiTop, NAL receives assistance and advice from researchers and scientists serving on the ARS DigiTop Steering Group, which works with NAL staff to plan DigiTop service enhancements, review user survey results, and promote DigiTop services. The Steering Committee's advice is invaluable to the continued development and integration of DigiTop into NAL's expanding suite of new digital information services.

Also in 2004, NAL merged its longstanding Current Awareness Literature Service (CALS) with DigiTop. This newly integrated service alerts USDA customers when newly published materials become available in their fields of interest.

NAL Website Redesign

Using results from the ForeSee American Consumer Satisfaction Instrument (ACSI) survey, which provides user feedback about NAL's Web resources, the Library began a comprehensive redesign of its Web presence. This major initiative, in conformance with newly established USDA Web style guidelines, is NAL's first wholesale Web redesign since the Library first introduced Internet services in the mid-1990s. It will greatly improve access to NAL digital content and Web services for NAL customers. Staff working on the Web redesign initiative created a comprehensive Web migration plan and designed templates to migrate root Web pages. Further, NAL staff designed a subject taxonomy structure for the top level of the website, created an archive policy, and completed a Web inventory of the Library's 64,000 pages of content.

Collaborative Access to Agricultural Information

Both directly and in collaboration with government and nongovernment organizations, NAL delivered timely, accurate, and indepth information services to its customers. Some examples from 2004:

  • In October 2004, NAL staff began answering questions forwarded from the Ask the Expert section of the USDA website, receiving 60 percent of the questions sent to the Agricultural Research Service (ARS).
  • NAL continued to play an important role in an across-government collaboration to provide library reference services in support of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Begun in 2003, the project came to fruition in 2004 with the implementation of Online Computer Library Center's (OCLC) Question Point virtual reference tool, which allows patrons to enter reference questions into a Web form and then records and tracks the questions and their answers. NAL staff provided systems expertise and coordinated training for the 24 libraries and 90 staff involved in the project, coordinated by the Federal Library and Information Center Committee (FLICC).
  • NAL continues to participate as a founding member of the Science.gov Alliance, a collaboration of 12 major Federal science agencies to build and maintain the Science.gov website. The May 2004 release of version 2 of the Science.gov website allows users to search across 30 important databases and 1,700 websites. This federated search capability is a great advantage to users searching NAL. They can now retrieve information from AGRICOLA, ARS/TEKTRAN, FSRIO, and other NAL information centers' databases with a single efficient search.
  • In January 2004, NAL and Mississippi State University began a DigiTop PLUS Pilot Demonstration Project to test the feasibility of extending online access to digital agricultural information resources to Land Grant institutions. This project will provide collaborative reference services, online digital access to 107 agriculture journals, and three database services, all integrated with NAL's AGRICOLA bibliographic index.

Agriculture Network Information Center (AgNIC)

In February 2004, the AgNIC Alliance launched both a new website and a new portal providing Web services and improved functionality for AgNIC partner institutions and customers. The AgNIC secretariat, based at NAL, awarded nine specific cooperative agreements to AgNIC member institutions to support new content development for incorporation into the National Digital Library for Agriculture (NDLA). Projects covered by the agreements include Collaboratively Improving Access to Farmland Protection Information, Digitizing U.S. Farm Bills and Building Access To Content Collaboratively, and Project To Create an AgNIC Youth Development Site. The success of the AgNIC partnership alliance is demonstrated by the total number of hits on Alliance websites in 2004. AgNIC institutions received over 1 million hits, an increase of 40 million, or 41 percent, compared with 2003 totals.

NAL Information Centers

NAL's seven information centers provide essential gateways to evaluated sources of science-based information in key topics in the agricultural sciences. Each information center makes specialized information available through NAL's website, provides access to other research programs, and assists customers searching for answers to specific questions. Most information products published in print and made available on the Web by NAL information centers during 2004 are listed in the appended "NAL Information Products." Here are some highlights:
Chapter 2

Building Collections and Making Them Accessible

Special Collections

NAL added additional historic literature and art in the agricultural sciences to its extensive Special Collections in 2004, including:

World's Poultry Science Association (WPSA) Records
The World's Poultry Science Association (WPSA) is an active international organization whose purpose is to advance the knowledge and understanding of all aspects of poultry science and the poultry industry. In 2004, WPSA renewed its commitment to house and preserve the organization's records at NAL and transferred officer reports, correspondence, World's Poultry Congress materials, awards, photographs, and meeting materials of its USA Branch from 1962 to 2000 into NAL's Special Collections.

USDA Forest Service Smokey Bear Collection
The USDA Forest Service Smokey Bear Collection (see sample image) continued to grow with the donation of sports-related Smokey Bear products manufactured from 1984 to 1993, when college and professional athletic teams joined with the Forest Service to promote fire prevention awareness. The collection includes player cards, posters, activity books, balls, hats, wallets, rally rags, baseballs, baseball gloves, pennants, and water bottles distributed to children at sporting events. The Smokey Bear Fire Prevention Program continues to be one of the most successful advertising campaigns in the United States.

50th Anniversary Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Time Capsule Collection
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), units of the agency contributed historical records, objects, and other 1947-2004 memorabilia for a time capsule highlighting the ARS story. ARS leaders dedicated the capsule on November 2, 2004. While time capsules normally are buried, this one is stored in NAL's's Special Collections, where much of it-except 13 letters, which will remain sealed until 2053-will be accessible to researchers.

Growing a Nation: the Story of American Agriculture
NAL assisted USDA Under Secretary Joseph J. Jen and Utah State University Extension in the development of an interactive and multimedia history of American agriculture for American history high school teachers. Available on CD-ROM and online, "Growing a Nation: the Story of American Agriculture" uses information and illustrations from NAL's Special Collections, as well as from the National Archives and Records Administration, the Library of Congress, and other Government agencies.

Improving Customer Service

NAL staff made use of the Library's year-old Voyager Electronic Library Management System (ELMS) in 2004 to improve content, usability, and service for users of NAL services, including its AGRICOLA bibliographic database. Customers can now use NAL's AGRICOLA interface on the Web to search the main catalog, the article citation database. Customer use of AGRICOLA has increased markedly as a result, and AGRICOLA received 3,400,000 hits in 2004.

Library indexing staff began using a standard linking feature in the Endeavor Citation Server module to create journal article citation records in the Library's AGRICOLA database records and contracted with Endeavor to create additional linkages. This work improved retrieval of full-text articles from NAL holdings and enhanced service to NAL customers.

NAL installed its first fully automated document request and delivery system in 2004, a major improvement in the Library's customer service capability. The new system, from Relais International, works in tandem with NAL's Voyager ELMS and other databases, improving NAL's workflow, productivity, and customer service. When the system is fully implemented, NAL customers will find it a seamless way to search, request, and receive documents online.

National Agricultural Thesaurus

The 2004 edition of the National Agricultural Library Thesaurus (NALT) features an expanded terminology for ornamental horticulture, created through cooperative efforts with Michigan State University. Following a 2004 update of the AGRICOLA database to incorporate the new terminology, all journal article bibliographic records created since 1970 contain NALT terms. NALT is also available as a Web service to organizations outside NAL.

The Thesaurus is proving to be a resource not only for NAL but also for USDA and other government agencies. NAL used its extensive knowledge of agricultural thesauri to help USDA create its own taxonomy, metadata model, and associated vocabularies. The taxonomy structure behind NALT is also being used to develop USDA websites, and NAL continues to provide leadership, assistance, and guidance.

Preserving Materials Digitally

Preparing for a digital future, NAL participated in several important preservation projects in 2004, including:

  • Collaborated with the University of Maryland to digitally preserve 8 serial titles and 22 individual titles for NAL's Rural Information Center. The digitized publications will become part of the NAL digital repository.
  • Participated in the Million Book Digitization project, led by Carnegie-Mellon University with funding from the National Science Foundation. In the initial stage of this project, NAL sent 200 USDA publications to be digitized by Zhejiang University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. After digitization, the originals and a digitized copy will be returned to NAL and made available to customers through the AGRICOLA database.
  • Participated in the nomination phase of a project with the Government Printing Office and the Association for Research Libraries to determine which U.S. Government documents should be digitized to create a growing collection of publications in digital format and widely accessible in the public domain. NAL is recommending agricultural publications from its collections.
  • Continued to participate in an ongoing preservation project with the Land Grant Colleges funded by a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to the United States Agricultural Information Network (USAIN). NAL and the Land Grant Colleges are cataloging local publications on agricultural subjects published prior to 1945 and stored on microfilm. Original records are put into OCLC by the colleges, and NAL catalogers modify them as needed.

Technology
To improve and ensure public access to its agricultural information resources and to meet USDA requirements, NAL upgraded security for its computer and telecommunications systems in 2004. The Library installed more robust servers and a back-up T1 line to the Internet, and updated software used on NAL systems. To support telework by NAL staff, NAL installed a Virtual Private Network with enhanced dial-in authentication and improved e-mail security. The Library's upgraded systems have received USDA security certification.

Physical Infrastructure

NAL improved the physical security of the Abraham Lincoln Building in 2004, with assistance from the Agricultural Research Service and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Installation of a secure access, intrusion detection, and security surveillance system was completed early in the year, followed by new card-key access and digital security camera systems. Major improvements to the building's fire safety began with the installation of sprinkler systems on two office floors. The re-pointing and waterproofing of the building's brick exterior and replacement of the windows on the 14th floor are planned for 2005 and later years.

Disaster Recovery

As a result of lessons learned from hurricanes and other water-related disasters, NAL established disaster-recovery storage rooms on all stack floors and placed portable carts on office floors. Stocked with supplies and tools needed to protect the NAL collections from damage, the storage rooms and portable carts enhance the Library's ability to respond quickly in the event of water-related disasters.
Statistics*

2001 2002

2003 2004

CollectionsVolumes held
Volumes added during the year (net)
Monographs purchased
Current serials received
Microform units
Computer files
Manuscripts and archive (linear feet)
Cartographic
Graphic
Audio
Film and video
Information Services Mediated Reference transactions****
Document requests received
Requests filled from NAL collections
Requests filled through borrowing
Weekly public service hours
Web-based Services Hits to NAL Main Server
Hits to School Meals Server
Hits to NAL AgNIC Web Server
Hits to Invasivespecies.gov Server
NAL Web Search Engine Queries***
Hits to FSTEA Server
Hits to DigiTop Proxy Server
Hits to Agricola/Voyager
PersonnelProfessional, FTE**
Support, FTE**
Total
2,351,433 2,364,878 2,373,695 2,384,775
14,884 13,445 8,817 11,080
4,700 3,705 927 3,930
19,616 19,079 18,024 20,567
1,075,913 1,078,365 1,085,057 1,087,052
1,607 1,675 1,734 1,819
18,819 18,867 18,994 19,082
4,287 4,506 4,662 4,824
1,087 1,104 1,115 1,118
461 401 461 462
3,622 3,779 3,382 3,382
 
30,611 17,151 16,262 16,244
138,198 149,726 125,538 107,542
103,754 106,617 95,630 77,965
15,676 19,727 13,903 12,389
40 40 40 40
 
24,129,599 36,287,534 43,574,679 48,035,570
1,151,165 2,287,063 3,167,524 3,141,794
4,300,572 4,601,617 5,777,831 4,213,555
1,060,677 1,036,847 1,438,712 2,036,430
275,429 427,257 436,677
23,997 245,394 348,103 379,029
513,688 1,200,874
178,995 3,397,830
 
107 109 129 137
62 55 89 90
169 164 218 227
*Statistics are for October 1 through September 30 each year.
** Includes Contractors and Cooperators on Long-Term Agreement.
***In initial year listed, NAL began to measure hits not previously reported.
****The decline in mediated reference transactions from 2001 to 2002 is due largely to the application (in 2002) of a different means of counting these transactions.
Information Products From the NAL 2004

Print and Web Publications

Allen, Tim. Compiler. 2004. Traveling with Animals? Animal Welfare Information Center.
Link no longer available

Alternative Farming Systems Information Center. 2004. Update to Organic Agricultural Products: Marketing and Trade Resources (SRB 2003-01). Alternative Farming Systems Information Center.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/OAP/OAP.shtml

Alternative Farming Systems Information Center. 2004. What Alternative Energy Sources Are Available for Farms? Alternative Farming Systems Information Center.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/altenergy.shtml

Animal Welfare Information Center. AWIC Newsletter. Volume 12, Numbers 1-2. 2004. Animal Welfare Information Center.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/newsletters/v12n1/vol12no1final.pdf

Boehmer, Stephanie with Mary Gold, Mary Ann Leonard, Kay Miller, and Becky Thompson. 2004. Soybean Rust: A National Agricultural Library Resource Guide. Reference and Reader Services.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/services/pubs/soyrust.shtml

Crawford, Richard. 2004. Housing, Husbandry, Care & Welfare of Selected Birds (Quail, Pheasant, Finches, Ostrich, Dove, Parrot & Others). Animal Welfare Information Center.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/Birds/birds.htm

Food and Nutrition Information Center. Models and Replicas in the National Agricultural Library Collection. 2004. Food and Nutrition Information Center.
http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/professional-and-career-resources/nutrition-edu...

Food Stamp Nutrition Connection. Health Statistics. 2004. Food Stamp Nutrition Connection.
http://snap.nal.usda.gov/professional-development-tools/hot-topics-z/hea...

Gold, Mary. 2004. Organic Livestock Production. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center.
Link no longer available

Gold, Mary and Thompson, Rebecca. List of Alternative Crops and Enterprises for Small Farm Diversification. 2004.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/altlist.shtml

Gold, Mary. Compiler. 2004. Where Can I Find Agricultural Funding Resources? Alternative Farming Systems Information Center.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/funding/funding.htm

Goodman, Gregg. 2004. Information Resources on the Care and Use of Insects 1968-2004. Animal Welfare Information Center.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/Labinsects/labinsects.htm

John, Patricia. 2004. Update to Capital Assistance Funding: A Rural Health Resource Guide. Rural Information Center.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/ric/ricpubs/capital_assistance.htm

John, Patricia. 2004. Update to a Guide to Funding Resources. Rural Information Center.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/ric/ricpubs/fundguide.html

John, Patricia. 2004. Update to Historic Preservation Resources. Rural Information Center.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/ric/ricpubs/preserve.html

Larson, Jean. 2004. An Information Resource on the Giant Panda. Animal Welfare Information Center.
Link no longer available.

Larson, Jean. Compiler. 2004. Tuberculosis in Animals. Animal Welfare Information Center.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/TB/TBMain.htm

Mazur, Rebecca. 2004. Growing Herbs: Selected Information Sources, 1996-2003.
Reference and Reader Services. Link no longer available.

Scholl, Jan and Kate Hayes. 2004. Nationwide 4-H - Youth Staff Development and Training Program, 1972-1981. Special Collections.
Link no longer available.

Sherman, Ted. 2004. Update to Bibliographic Databases for Water Quality and Related Subjects in DigiTop. Water Quality Information Center.
Link no longer available.

Shochet, Michael. 2004. Bioenergy and Biofuels Bibliography, January 2002 - December 2003. Technology Transfer Information Center.
Link no longer available

Smith, Tara. 2004. Acrylamide. Food Safety Research Information Office.
Link no longer available

Smith, Tara. 2004. Animal Electronic Identification. Food Safety Research Information Office.
Link no longer available

Smith, Tara. 2004. Predictive Microbiology. Food Safety Research Information Office.
Link no longer available

Thompson, Rebecca. 2004. Conservation Tillage. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/contillage.shtml

Thompson, Rebecca. 2004. Update to Links to State Extension Service Publications. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center.
Link no longer available

Thompson, Rebecca. 2004. Update to List of Alternative Crops and Enterprises for Small Farm Diversification. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/altlist.shtml

Thompson, Rebecca. 2004. Update to Raising Emus and Ostriches. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/srb9706.htm

Water Quality Information Center. 2004. Conservation Effects Assessment Project Bibliographies. Four volumes. Water Quality Information Center.
http://wqic.nal.usda.gov/publications/bibliographies/conservation-effect...

Women, Infants, and Children Program. 2004. WIC Online Learning Course. Food and Nutrition Information Center.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/wicworks/WIC_Learning_Online/WLOL_promotional_ha...

Women, Infants, and Children Program. 2004. WIC Topics: Cultural Competence.
http://wicworks.nal.usda.gov/topics-z/ethniccultural-resources

Databases

AGRICOLA
http://agricola.nal.usda.gov/

Food Stamp Nutrition Connection. Recipe Finder.
http://recipefinder.nal.usda.gov/

Online Documents Covering Water and Agriculture.
http://wqic.nal.usda.gov

WIC Formula Database.
http://wicworks.nal.usda.gov/wic-formulaDistribution Lists

Cacfp-talk: for State agencies and institutions participating in the USDA's Child and Adult Care Food Programs (CACFP) and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).
http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/get-connected/cacfp-summertalk

Enviro-News: an unmoderated distribution list that provides subscribers with timely access to news and announcements related to environmental issues.
http://wqic.nal.usda.gov/enviro-news

FSTEA: Food Safety Training and Education Alliance (FSTEA) distribution list.
http://listserv.nal.usda.gov/archives/fstea.html

Food Stamp Research Discussion Group.
Link no longer available

Foodsafe: A networking and information sharing tool for food safety professionals.
http://www.foodsafetyweb.info/foodsafe/index.php

Mealtalk: For professionals operating child nutrition programs.
http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/get-connected/mealtalk

Successtalk: For people interested in a healthy school nutrition environment.
http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/get-connected/successtalk

Technology Transfer Weblog.
Link no longer available

West Nile Virus Weblog.
http://weblogs.nal.usda.gov/wn/index.html

USDA Organic Interest Group Weblog.
usda-oig@listserv
Abstract

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural Library. 2007. National Agricultural Library 2004. USDA-ARS-NAL, html (156 KB).
Summarizes the accomplishments of the National Agricultural Library in 2004.

Keywords: AGRICOLA, agricultural history, agricultural information, agricultural library, agriculture, Department of Agriculture, human nutrition, information center, national libraries
ARS Mission

The Agricultural Research Service conducts research to develop and transfer solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority and provides information access and dissemination to-

  • Ensure high-quality, safe food and other agricultural products.
  • Assess the nutritional needs of Americans.
  • Sustain a competitive agricultural economy.
  • Enhance the natural resource base and the environment.
  • Provide economic opportunities for rural citizens, communities, and society as a whole.
    •
    The National Agricultural Library


    • Serves as a national library of the United States and as the library of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

    • Acquires, organizes, manages, preserves, and provides access to information and provides quality stewardship of its unique collection.
    • Assists, trains, and educates people based on assessment of their information needs.
    • Provides leadership in information management.
    • Maximizes access to information through collaborative efforts and utilization of technology.
    • Enhances global cooperation through international exchange of information and the provision of services and technical assistance.

    Mention of trade names or commercial products in this report is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800)795-3272 (voice) or (202)720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.