National Agricultural Library Assessment Report
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Report on the National Agricultural Library – 2001
 
Table of Contents
 
Executive Summary E1-E5
Report
  1.   Interagency Panel for Assesment of the National
        Agricultural Library Appointed with Charge
1
  2.   What Progress since 1982? 2
2.1   Legislative and Administrative
2
2.2   Collection Building
3
2.3   International and Networking Initiatives
3
2.4   Information Technology
5
  3.   Reasons for Current Review 5
  4.   Methods of Panel Study 6
4.1.   Customer and Staff Survey Methods
7
  5.   Findings 8
5.1.   NAL: A National Library by Law
8
5.2.   Disparity in National Libraries
9
5.3.   Comparison to ARL Library Budgets
12
5.4.   Summary of NAL Customer Survey Results
13
5.5.   Summary of NAL Staff Survey
16
5.6.   Summary of Library Directors Survey Response
17
5.7.   Summary of USAIN AGRICOLA Survey
18
5.8.   Analysis of NAL Strengths and Weaknesses as
                    Identified by Survey Respondents and Panel Members
19
5.9.   Private Sector Users
21
  6.   Discussion Related to Recommendations 21
6.1.   Organizational Structure
21
6.1.1.   Mission Statement
21
6.1.2.   Vision Statement
22
6.1.3.   Budget Support
23
6.1.4.   Organizational Placement of NAL within USDA
24
6.1.5.   Board of Regents
25
6.1.6.   Director (See also 6.1.4.)
26
6.1.7.   Friends Group
26
6.1.8.   Development/Gifts
27
6.2.   Planning Process
 27
6.2.1.   5-Year Reviews
27
6.2.2.   User Surveys
27
6.2.3.   Internal Advisory Groups
28
6.2.4.   Long-Range Plans
28
6.2.5.   National Digital Library Planning
29
6.2.6.   Market Adaptation
30
6.2.7.   Facility and Space Issues
30
6.3.   Leadership Issues/Opportunities
32
6.3.1.   Challenges, Future Threats
33
6.3.2.   Opportunity: Knowledge Management and
                                     Digital Library Initiatives
34
6.3.3.   Opportunity: Preservation Initiatives
34
6.3.4.   Opportunity: Collaborative Relationships
35
6.4.   Innovations in Information Services
35
6.4.1.   Technology Issues
35
6.4.2.   Innovative Technologies Grant Program
36
6.4.3.   AGRICOLA
37
6.4.4.   Agriculture Network Information Center (AgNIC)
38
6.4.5.   Information Centers
39
6.4.6.   Document Delivery
40
  7.   Recommendations of the Panel 40
  8.   Implementation of Recommendations 48
  9.   Members of the Panel 49
10.   List of Appendices 50

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Last Updated August 13, 2002