[Agriculture Fact Book 98]
The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the principal in-house research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
ARS research has contributed to improved crop yields and more environmentally sensitive farming techniques. But the impact of ARS research extends far beyond the farm gate. Agricultural research is as much about human health as it is about growing corn.
For example, ARS recently developed a fat substitute called Oatrim. Not only does this technology benefit farmers by providing a new use for oats, it also enables processors to produce tastier low-fat foods. Consumers may reap the biggest benefits: Oatrim-rich diets lower the bad (LDL) type of cholesterol without decreasing the good (HDL) type, and they improve glucose tolerance.
ARS research is also as much about development of industrial products such as printing ink from soybeans and other crops as it is about development of high-yielding wheat varieties. And like Oatrim, printing inks made from 100-percent soybean oil instead of petroleum solve more than one problem. Unlike petroleum, soybeans are a renewable resource, and this technology diversifies markets for soybean farmers and choices for ink manufacturers and printers.
ARS research provides solutions to a wide range of problems related to agricultureproblems that require long-term commitment of resources or that are unlikely to have solutions with a quick commercial payoff that would tempt private industry to do the research. These problems range from fighting the ongoing battle to protect crops and livestock from costly pests and diseases, to improving quality and safety of agricultural commodities and products for humans, to making the best use of natural resources. All the while, the research results must help ensure profitability for producers and processors while keeping costs down for consumers.
ARS: A Year in Research: Selected Highlights
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For more information about ARS, see its home page: http://www.ars.usda.gov
Established in 1862 under legislation signed by President Abraham Lincoln, the National Agricultural Library (NAL) 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).
The NAL mission is to ensure and enhance access to agricultural information for a better quality of life. The library serves national and international customers, including researchers, educators, policymakers, information providers, agricultural producers, students, and the general public.
NAL is the largest agricultural library in the world--with over 3.3 million items in its collection and 48 miles of bookshelves. Tens of thousands of new items are added to the collection each year. Materials date back several hundred years and include books, journals, reports, theses, photographs, films, videotapes, maps, artwork, artifacts, software, laser discs, CD-ROMs, and more. The library also receives about 22,000 periodicals annually. The collection is international in scope and includes items in nearly 40 foreign languages.
Located in Beltsville, Maryland, NAL is part of USDAs Agricultural Research Service. In addition to being a national library, NAL is the departmental library for USDA, serving thousands of USDA employees around the world. NAL is a key resource of USDA scientific and research activities.
About 200 people work at NAL including librarians, computer specialists, information specialists, administrators, and clerical personnel. A number of volunteers ranging from college students to retired persons work on various programs at the library too. NAL also has an active visiting scholar program, which allows professors, scientists and librarians from universities worldwide to work full-time at NAL on projects of mutual interest.
AGRICOLA (AGRICultural OnLine Access) is NAL's bibliographic database providing quick access to the NAL collection. AGRICOLA contains more than 3.3 million citations to agricultural literature and is available on the World Wide Web through the NAL home page at http://www.nal.usda.gov
NAL works closely with the nationwide network of State land-grant university libraries on programs to improve access to and maintenance of the Nation's agricultural knowledge. This is being done more and more through application of new electronic information technology (the Internet and World Wide Web, CD-ROMs, laser discs, etc.). NAL has gained international recognition as a leader in this area.
NAL maintains specialized information centers in areas of particular concern to the agricultural community. These centers provide a wide range of customized information services such as responding to specific reference requests, developing informational materials, coordinating outreach activities, and establishing information exchange and dissemination networks. Subjects covered by NAL information centers include alternative farming systems, animal welfare, food and nutrition, plant genome, technology transfer for rural information (including rural health), and water quality.
For walk-in visitors, the library is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., eastern time, Monday through Friday, except on Federal holidays. Many of NAL's services are available at anytime through the NAL home page.
NAL can be contacted at:
The National Agricultural Library
Agricultural Research Service, USDA
10301 Baltimore Avenue
Beltsville, MD 20705-2351
(301) 504-5755
E-mail: agref@nal.usda.gov
NAL: Selected Highlights
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