
Ag Library Improves Access to Farming
History CollectionBy Brian Norris November 12, 1999BELTSVILLE, 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, USDAs
chief scientific agency. NALs 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 USDAs 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
collections 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 NALs Special Collections, telephone (301) 504-5876, or email
[email protected]. 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. Scientific 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, [email protected]. U.S. Department of Agriculture | |