This regulation describes the organizational alignment and cites the mission, responsibilities, and functions of the National Agricultural Library

This regulation supersedes Departmental Regulation 1020-1. dated October 27, 1981

AGRICOLA - Agriculture on Line Access

CALS - Current Awareness Literature Service

CFR - Code of Federal Regulations

NAL - National Agricultural Library

P L - Public Law

USDA - United States Department of Agriculture

Form AD-245. Request for Publication Form Interlibrary Loan (unnumbered)

a Agency Libraries and Information Centers. All library and information center installations operated by Department agencies other than NAL.

b AGRICOLA. A comprehensive computerized index to agricultural literature produced by NAL.

c CALS. Selective dissemination services from a wide variety of multi-disciplinary bibliographic data bases, including AGRICOLA, Chemical Abstracts and Biological Abstracts.

d Expendable Published Material. Published materials acquired for clipping. distribution, or other similar uses and whose usefulness is exhausted in a relatively brief period are classed as expendable.

They include newspapers: reprints of articles; unbound periodical and serial publications: dictionaries, style manuals, reference aids and similar materials acquired for office use costing less than $500; published materials acquired for training purposes: and published materials purchased by contractors and grantees for their own use under USDA contracts and grants.

e Genomic Sequences. All of the genetic materials in the chromosomes of an organism.

f Non-Expendable Published Material. Publications in the NAL collection. the collections of agency libraries and information centers. reference aids. and all published materials not included under expendable published material are classed as non-expendable.

g Reference aids or working tools. Publications acquired by an agency for the constantly recurring or continual official use of administrative, technical. or professional personnel are classed as reference aids or working tools.

h Stack. Refers to NAL's collection of library materials. including books. journals, papers, audio visual. tapes, records. etc.

a The NAL, under pr of Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1953, and Title 7, CFR is organized to serve the research, extension, regulatory, and other programs of the Department and to serve others who require information which can be derived from specialized publications on agriculture and related fields. It is headed by a Director who reports to the Assistant Secretary for Science and Education.

b The basic operations of NAL are located in the NAL building at Beltsville, Maryland. specialized services are provided from 2 reference center in Washington, .G. and from USDA Agency Libraries and Information Centers.

A list of agency libraries and their addresses can be obtained by writing to:

USDA, National Agricultural Library

Office of the Director

10301 Baltimore Blvd., Room 200

Beltsville, Maryland 20705

a The Department of Agriculture was established by the Act of May 15, 1862, as amended (The Organic Act of 1862), which sets forth a mission, "to acquire and to diffuse among the people of the United States useful information on subjects connected with agriculture, rural development, aquaculture. and human nutrition in the most general and comprehensive sense of those terms." and places upon the Secretary the responsibility to "procure and preserve all information concerning agriculture. rural development, aquaculture. and human nutrition, which he can obtain by means of books..." In carrying out this Departmental charter, the National Agricultural Library (NAL) serves as the Nation's chief agricultural library information resource and service. Its mission is to facilitate access to and utilization of needed information in any medium by agricultural researchers, regulators, educators and extension personnel; those employed in agriculture; those living in rural areas and communities; consumers of agricultural products, and the public at large, insofar as they need agricultural information. As a national library, ft develops and provides agricultural information products and services not only to agencies of the JSCA and the Federal government, but to public and private organizations and individuals as well. The NAL coordinates a national network of public and private agricultural libraries and information centers. especially with libraries of the land-grant colleges and universities, and other state supported colleges and universities with agriculturally related programs, other public organizations, and industry and other private sector organizations.

b Tho NAL ensures the acquisition, organization (including cataloging and indexing), management, preservation, accessibility, and diffusion of information in all phases of the food and agricultural science, as defined in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, as amended, a significant part of this mission is the development and coordination of a national agricultural science library information network. The NAL provides leadership for the management of agricultural information resources through products and services, including bibliographies, loans, photocopies, microforms, structured agricultural thesaurus, computerized data base repositories, Indexing of agricultural Information, and personal reference services Including on-line computerized literature searches. NAL works closely with other agencies In the Department, coordinates closely with the National Library of Medicine and Library of Congress, and cooperates with other groups In both the public and private sectors, to ensure that the results of research and other types of agricultural information are rapidly disseminated to the ultimate user. AL promotes the use of modern technology In support of library and information activities.

c The NAL provides a leadership role In U.S. participation in International agricultural library and Information systems an in efforts to promote worldwide availability of agricultural Information. In addition, the NAL serves as the Nation's major source of agricultural information received from and relayed to other countries, as the agricultural Information liaison to International organizations and organizations outside of the United States, and as the U.S. agricultural representative in the settling of library and information standards internationally.

a The Director of NAL will:

b USDA Agencies will:

a Requesting Service.

b Publications.

c Genomic Sequences and Mapping Information

d Translations.

 e Bibliographies

Loans. Borrowers are responsible for the preservation and return of library material charged to them within the loan period designated, or upon request. The NAL will report to the agency any case where there may be employee negligence in connect on with unreturned library material.

b Loan Liability Replacement of library materials. if required by the library installation through which it was borrowed. as well as financial liability determination and recovery from employee, if any, will be the responsibility of the borrower's agency.

To prevent the unauthorized removal of books, periodicals, and other materials, all briefcases, backpacks, suitcases, envelopes, cartons, or other packages are subject to inspection while within the confines of the NAL facilities.

In order to provide the greatest assistance to the largest number of people, it is essential that the NAL have controlled access to the stacks.

A Stack Passes

a Within USDA. The NAL answers requests submitted in person, by telephone, by mail, or by electronic means for information in the field of agriculture or the related sciences which can be secured from published materials or relevant databases. Except for legislative reference questions relating to matters pending in the current Congress which should be referred to the Office of General Counsel's Library.

b Outside USDA. The NAL responds to requests submitted in person. by telephone, by mail or by electronic means in the fields of agriculture or the related sciences ff the requestor is not able to obtain the information from local resources. A fee may be involved for extended services.

a Ownership. All non-expendable published materials purchased or acquired by USDA agencies are the property of the NAL. When they are no longer needed by the agency. AL should be contacted regarding their disposition. Contact:

 b Agency Publications and other materials. To assure acquisition by the NAL. and access by all employees of USDA. agencies should submit copies of all their publications. Translations and materials received at conferences and meetings to the NAL.

a NAL. The NAL purchases. within available funds, on a priority basis. those publications necessary for the fulfillment of its mission.

 b Department Agencies. USDA agencies should purchase reference publications necessary for journal routing and for use as reference aids. or working tools.

c Agency Libraries and Information Centers. These units should purchase reference an other materials necessary for carrying out their responsibility.

The NAL accepts gifts of all forms. including paper materials software and audio-visual material, etc. While donation of publications is appreciated. it is generally-impractical to accept gifts under conditions which may restrict or limit their usefulness. or result in undue expense of upkeep unless such gifts are accompanied with adequate resources to support their special maintenance needs.

a Exchange Agreements. Before USDA publications may be sent free of charge to any foreign address. exchange arrangements must be made by the NAL Exchange Program. ExcePtions may be granted by the Director of NAL.

b Foreign Exchange Mailing Lists. The Director of the NAL is responsible for all additions to or revisions of foreign exchange mailing lists.

The Director of the NAL makes a contract on a fiscal year basis for bookbinding under a waiver granted by the Government Printing Office. This contract may be used by any agency. Specifications and other pertinent information concerning the contract may be requested from:

a Surplus Materials. The Director of the NAL, as authorized by law. may exchange surplus published materials for other publications (44 U.S.C, 1721).

b Expendable Publications. Disposition of expendable publications may be effected by agencies at their discretion.

c Non-expendable Publications. Non-expendable published materials surplus to the needs of an agency or agency field library shall be disposed of only upon authorization of the Director of the NAL. Washington Metropolitan area offices. agency field offices, and agency libraries and information centers shall send a list of surplus publications clearly identified as such to: