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A Wealth of Agricultural Information Available from the Comfort of Your Own Home or Desk
by Yvette Alonso, Food Safety Information Center Coordinator, and Sherry Panzer, Information Systems Division, National Agricultural Library
(As originally submitted for publication in the Beltsville News February 2006.) |
 BELTSVILLE, MD, February 2006--While many people visit the National Agricultural Library (NAL) Abraham Lincoln Building in Beltsville, most of the library’s customers visit virtually, from the comfort of their homes or desks all over the world. NAL's Web site currently receives an average of 4.3 million "hits" each month from people seeking information on agricultural and related subjects. As the physical presence of NAL’s Abraham Lincoln Building--known as the "big brown building on Route One" (see January 2006 issue)-- is renovated, the |
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library's staff have similarly worked to refurbish the NAL Web presence - www.nal.usda.gov.
On December 1, 2005 NAL successfully launched its redesigned Web site bringing a fresh, new look and faster access to a rich array of agriculture-related information. Visitors to the front page of the newly designed site can browse information on popular agricultural topics--from Animals and Livestock to Rural Community Development. These Web pages provide access to carefully selected information, designed to answer questions frequently asked by visitors to the Web site and building. The site offers several Web pages with information focused on the needs of specific audiences, and access to NAL's most popular library services.
NAL will introduce redesigned Web sites on food safety, water quality, invasive species, human nutrition, alternative farming systems, animal welfare and technology transfer throughout this year.
If you would like to learn more about agricultural information, you are most welcome to visit the Library virtually, via www.nal.usda.gov, or in person Monday-Friday, except Federal holidays, from 8:30-4:30. Tours and presentations about the library may be arranged through the Public Affairs office by calling 301 504 6778.
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