Announcing a New Symbol for the National Agricultural Library

April 2, 2007

The National Agricultural Library (NAL) has adopted a new graphic symbol standing for the Library’s role in advancing access to global information for agriculture.

The new symbol replaces the previous NAL symbol for use across all points of interaction with the public, including publications, reports, exhibits, employee business cards, signage, stationery, and Web sites.

Accordingly, the new symbol is available in several approved logotypes applicable to an array of situations. Each logotype carries qualities representing the roles of the Library as the primary agricultural information resource of the United States, as the U.S. national library for agriculture and related sciences, and as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

• The icon is a graphic representation of an opened book, a tree, a flag, or of an agricultural field. It echoes some of the design of the USDA symbol.
• The icon is accompanied by the Library's name or acronym, and occasionally by its tagline: Advancing access to global information for agriculture.
• The official colors for the NAL symbol are dark purple and dark green, the same as the official colors for the USDA symbol.

The new symbol was developed through a multi-year effort by NAL staff, assisted by the USDA Agricultural Research Service and the USDA Office of Communications.