National Digital Library for Agriculture

1. National Digital Library for Agriculture Peter R. Young, Director National Agricultural Library American Distance Education Consortium -- May 3, 2006

2. National Digital Library for Agriculture • In 2002, this recommendation was endorsed by the National Agricultural Research, Education, Extension, and Economics Advisory Board, following a period of public comment. • In 2005, the Ad Hoc Task Force for the NAL challenged NAL to think in terms of “big, bold, and bodacious” ideas. “Complete and implement a plan for a national digital library for agriculture (NDLA) that will be the main focus and long-term organizing principle for NAL and the national network of university and industrial libraries.”Report on the National Agricultural Library -- 2001

3. Big Considerable size Of great significance Beautiful, and generous Bold Fearless and daring Clear and distinct Unduly forward and brazen Bodacious Probably a blend of the words bold and audacious, … a more traditional meaning is “remarkable, prodigious” Incorrigible Unrestrained by convention or propriety Big, Bold, Bodacious

4. Envisioning the National Digital Library of Agriculture “The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” Winston Churchill

5. Farmer Information Initiatives: • Books (singly in the home) • Agricultural newspapers • Reading circles • Libraries • Traveling libraries New, 1899

6. “His need is a library within reach that will furnish in concise form the entire body of thoroughly proved agricultural science.” Information Services 1899 2006

7. Challenges for Libraries in 2006 • Research is increasingly interdisciplinary • Data sets are large & complex, requiring long term curation • Median costs for journals increased 188% between 1986 and 2004 • Number of journals published increase every year Change is inevitable – are we to be architects or victims of its outcomes?

8. The Need Is: Not technology Not policy Not content The Solution Is: Integration, interpretation, selection, organization Well-managed and sustainable libraries The 21st Century Library

9. Long term Integrated Collaborative Compelling Getting Started We are beginning a process to identify the “engineering requirements” or “blue print” for creating a “road map” to a future national agricultural information system that is:

10. Components of the Digital Library • Tools • Database systems • Robust search engines • Web based interoperable, systems • Knowledge Assets • Technical experts • Indexing and metadata for retrieval • Extensive digitized collections • Partnerships • Share resources • Planned redundancy for preservation • Extend services across time zones and audiences

11. National Digital Library for Agriculture (NDLA) The National Digital Library for Agriculture (NDLA) is envisioned to be a comprehensive digital collection, accessed by a robust search engine and is linked to analytical tools vital in finding solutions for the problems faced by the food and agriculture enterprise. The NDLA is built on a network of partnerships sharing collections and providing services, coordinated by the USDA’s National Agricultural Library (NAL).

12. NDLA Characteristics Collections will include access to: • Commercial content • Non-commercial content • Digitally reformatted print content • Long-lived digital data collections providing the cyber infrastructure needed to conduct digital science

13. NDLA Characteristics • Would draw on innovative technologies to directly link users to: • Quality content (abstracts, full-text, data, and information packages) • A complementary mix of services: • a greatly enhanced AGRICOLA database; • comprehensive and topical Web sites; • document delivery services • discovery tools

14. What’s Missing? Many elements for the NDLA already exist or are in development, what is lacking is: • the blueprint to leverage existing programs, collections and services; • system-wide coordination; and • funds to develop the infrastructure needed to store, preserve and provide access to the collections • funds for advanced tool development to effectively use the knowledge held within the collections

15. Making the NDLA a Reality • Community-wide visioning process is just getting started in FY 2006 (building awareness and buy-in) • Leadership Council Meeting – January • 1890’s Library Deans and Directors – April • Agriculture Network Information Center – April • American Distance Education Consortium -- May • Proposed FY 2007 Federal budget for NAL is a chance to obtain the needed resources to launch the initiative

16. Making the NDLA a Reality

17. ADEC and the NDLA • In 1899, the farmer needed a “library” within reach; today, students at all stages in life share this need. • ADEC promotes the creation and provision of high-quality, economical distance education programs and services through the most appropriate information technologies available. • A National Digital Library for Agriculture supports ADEC’s mission.

18. ADEC and the NDLA • Your participation is needed to help to plan and build the NDLA. • Community-led visioning sessions • Faculty with sabbatical leave • Thesis projects • Send comments and suggestions to: ndla@nal.usda.gov

19. Collaboration Coming together is the beginning; Keeping together is progress; Working together is success. Henry Ford