[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Ag Library Improves Access to Farming History Collection



Ag Library Improves Access to Farming History Collection

-----------
ARS News Service
Agricultural Research Service, USDA
Brian Norris, (301) 504- 6778, bnorris@nal.usda.gov
November 12, 1999
-----------

BELTSVILLE, Md., Nov. 12--Researchers can now go to a web site to easily
delve into a special collection of documents and other materials covering
more than 200 years of U.S. farming history.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture History Collection Web Site was produced
by the National Agricultural Library here as a cooperative project with the
University of Maryland. NAL is part of the Agricultural Research Service,
USDA's chief scientific agency.

NAL's USDA History Collection includes original letters, reports and other
papers of department officials and agricultural historians, along with other
materials gathered by USDA over its nearly 140-year history. Also in the
collection are manuscripts dating to the late 18th century. The new web site
includes a searchable guide to the collection, a map to help web visitors
navigate the site, highlights of the collection, and historical photo images
and graphics. The site can be found at:
   http://www.nal.usda.gov/speccoll/collect/history/index.htm

"The history of agriculture in America is in many ways the history of this
nation," said NAL director Pamela Andre. "Farming was and is key to the
success of the United States, and USDA has been an important part of this
success. The new web site makes it easier for those researching this
important aspect of American history."

"The collection dates to USDA's creation in 1862 and before," Andre said.
"When we added it to our special collections in 1997, our immediate goal was
to preserve it while making it easier for researchers to use." NAL created
cataloging records for the materials, took steps to preserve deteriorating
materials, and reorganized the collection into a more user-friendly format.
The project included rehousing and organizing the collection's 660 linear
feet of records into acid free archival folders and cartons. More than 8,000
books and journals were cataloged and added to the NAL collection.

The USDA History Collection includes materials brought together over several
decades by USDA agencies. Along with the letters, memoranda, reports, and
papers of USDA officials and agricultural historians, the collection
contains newsletters, photographs, videotapes, press releases and clippings.
"Collected histories contain information that can improve our future by
teaching us lessons from the great minds of the past," Andre said.
"Libraries preserve these histories and make them easily accessible so that
the lessons can be studied and learned by generations to come."

Use of materials from the USDA History Collection can be arranged by
contacting NAL's Special Collections, telephone (301) 504-5876, or email
speccoll@nal.usda.gov. NAL is the largest agricultural library in the world
and is one of four national libraries of the United States with the Library
of Congress, the National Library of Medicine and the National Library of
Education.

----------
Contact: Susan H. Fugate, Special Collections Section, ARS National
Agricultural Library, 10301 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705, phone
(301) 504-5876, fax (301) 504-7593, sfugate@nal.usda.gov.
----------
This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information
distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get the
latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm.
* Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: isnv@ars-grin.gov.
* ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD
20705-5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648.