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NAL regularly cooperates with other libraries, organizations, and private industry, including the following, to enhance access to agricultural information. Such partnerships are critical to the successful development of NAL's programs and services. If you're interested in collaborating with us, please contact us.

Agricultural Libraries Network

This voluntary network, AGLINET, brings together large
international agricultural libraries in service to each other. As a member, NAL provides free document delivery service for materials published in the United States to other AGLINET participants.

Agriculture Network Information Center

This global alliance, commonly known as
AgNIC, joins the National Agricultural Library with land-grant universities and other agricultural organizations to provide access to Web-based agricultural information, with members maintaining Web sites and providing reference services in specific subject areas. Their collaboration, enhanced through shared technology and standards, cuts costs while effectively meeting local, national, and international needs for quality agricultural information. New members (PDF|1.1 MB) are welcome.

Association of Research Libraries

As a member of this association, NAL works
with the largest research libraries in North America to develop standards for assessing library services and to perform research on the trends and influences affecting these libraries. In turn, the association offers specialized training and other programs and services to benefit its membership.

CENDI

This group brings together senior scientific and
technical information managers from a variety of government agencies to improve the productivity of federal science and technology based programs. NAL joins its partners in exchanging information and ideas, sharing resources, and undertaking joint initiatives to improve information support systems.

Chesapeake Information Research Library Alliance

This alliance of libraries from Delaware,
Maryland, and the District of Columbia was formed to enhance education and research at member institutions through collaborative development of library collections and service programs and the expanded use of information technology. As a participant, NAL abides by the alliance’s Direct Reciprocal Borrowing Agreement, which permits USDA employees to borrow directly from CIRLA member libraries. In turn, NAL extends direct, reciprocal, in-person borrowing privileges to faculty and graduate students of member universities and to researchers and fellows at member federal agencies.

CIRLA Fellows Program

Chesapeake Information and Research Library Alliance Fellows Program

NAL, along with other CIRLA member libraries,
is collaborating with the Association of Research Libraries to offer this program to recruit, educate and train the next generation of librarians while contributing to the diversity of the profession. The program is funded through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services that targets the development of Librarians for the 21st Century. The grant itself is being administered by Georgetown University Library.

Cooperative Agreements

NAL and its Information Centers regularly enter into
cooperative agreements with other federal agencies, colleges and universities, or other organizations and institutions to perform research, enhance programs, develop information products, or provide support services. These collaborations reach across the full range of agricultural topics, including nutrition, food safety, invasive species, alternative farming, and more. Examples of work developed from these agreements include the Organic Roots Database and the University of Maryland's Dietetic Internship Program.

DigiTop

This digital desktop library brings published information about
agriculture and its related sciences to USDA employees, whether in the field or at the office, 24 hours a day. NAL provides this vital online resource using combined funding from USDA agencies and selects resources with those agencies in mind, gaining licenses to key databases for researchers, economists, administrators, and analysts.

1890 Land-Grant Library Deans/Directors Assn.

This association promotes cooperation and
innovative efforts between the 1890 college and university libraries and enhances its members' human resources through professional development and recruitment into the profession. It also cooperates with the programs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and NAL, helping to disseminate information, technology and financial support.

Federal Depository Library Program

This program, operated by the Government Printing Office,
creates a partnership network of libraries throughout the United States and its Territories that collect federal agency publications distributed by the GPO, thereby providing a government information infrastructure for the nation. As a participant, NAL provides on-site users with free access to the depository publications in the collection.

Federal Library and Information Center Committee

This organization works to achieve better
utilization of federal library and information center resources and facilities through the promotion of common services, the coordination and sharing of available resources, and the advancement of professional development. As a national library, NAL has been a permanent member of FLICC since its inception, and NAL's Director serves on the Executive Board, helping to formulate policy and set program objectives.

IICA

NAL has joined with the Canadian Agriculture
Library and the library of the Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro in Mexico to form a task force focused on agricultural libraries and information services under the umbrella of this organization. The three libraries collaborate on mutually beneficial projects with a common objective: to increase access to agricultural information in the region.

InvasiveSpeciesinfo.gov

On behalf of the National Invasive Species Council, NAL
manages this reference gateway, providing ready access to information, programs, organizations, and services about invasive species. This extensive site was created and is maintained with the assistance of other federal and academic partners specializing in the field.

Land Grant Libraries

In recent years, the Congress established NAL as the primary
agricultural information resource of the United States and broadened NAL's responsibilities to include providing leadership in developing and operating a comprehensive agricultural library and information network. NAL achieves this mandate through the coordination of this national network of State land grant libraries and U.S. Department of Agriculture field libraries.

National Center for Agricultural Law

The Center, funded by the National Agricultural
Library with federal appropriations, conducts objective legal research and provides timely, accurate, and non-partisan agricultural and food law information to those in the agricultural community. It is the only agricultural and food law research and information facility that is independent, national in scope, and directly connected to the national agricultural information network. It also covers the topic of agricultural law as a member of the AgNIC Alliance. The Center is located at the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville.

nutrition.gov

NAL manages this gateway of the best food and
nutrition information from across the federal government with guidance from other agencies within the U.S. Department of Agriculture and with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is also supported by cooperative agreements with the nutrition programs at the University of Maryland and Howard University.

OCLC Online Computer Library Center

As part of this cooperative, NAL works with
more than fifty thousand other libraries worldwide in a joint effort to further access to the world's information and to reduce information costs. Like other member libraries, NAL contributes intellectual content and shares information resources. In addition, NAL’s current Deputy Director serves on the Members Council, helping to shape the policies and services of this international and influential consortium.

Science.gov

NAL partners with other government agencies
to provide to the public selected authoritative science and technology information through this powerful, yet easy-to-use, government portal. NAL staff also help develop and maintain this innovative gateway by providing guidance on technology, content, and usability.

Tribal College Librarians Institute

NAL provides grant support and leadership in
the delivery of this professional development institute offered annually at Montana State University. This event is geared toward librarians at tribally-affiliated institutions with a post-secondary primary clientele, including the 1994 land-grant institutions, and is open to all members and affiliates of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium.

USDA Agency Field Libraries

With the work of USDA happening across the country, the field
libraries serve their respective agencies by keeping accurate, authoritative information flowing to where it’s needed. NAL stands behind them, providing access to the online resources acquired and licensed here and assisting their efforts to answer questions, build collections, and administer programs.

Last Modified: Sep 24, 2008


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