Expanding Resources for Researchers and Students

This website was created as part of a cooperative agreement to raise awareness about the agriculture-related collections housed by the National Agricultural Library and the University of Maryland Libraries.

About the Agreement

The Beginning of the Cooperative Agreement

In 1996, the National Agricultural Library (NAL) initiated a legal arrangement (referred to as a cooperative agreement) with the University of Maryland Libraries to jointly preserve and provide access to records that document the history of American agriculture. Expected to be completed in approximately three years, the cooperative agreement has been renewed several times, and represents a long-lived, successful university-government partnership. The two institutions are uniquely equipped for such a relationship based on:

• the close proximity of The University of Maryland Libraries on the College Park, Maryland, campus and the National Agricultural Library, in Beltsville, Maryland
• the significant manuscript collections about agriculture held by both institutions and the employment of qualified staff
• the opportunities to work with students in the University's graduate program in information science.

The approaches to processing, preserving, and making accessible collections related to the history of U.S. agriculture include:

• sharing information on technical matters
  
• intertwining our informational materials
  
• promoting related national resources through exhibits and the Web
  

The results are:

• excellent training opportunities for students of library science and history
  
• creative products illustrating the unique content of each institutions' collections
  
• organization and preservation of and access to valuable materials documenting our agricultural heritage

Introducing the Projects Supported by the Cooperative Agreement

The initial project involved surveying and processing over 1,000 linear feet of materials that had been gathered by the History Office of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). When USDA eliminated what was known as the history office, the working collection assembled by devoted, talented historians, analysts, and writers over an 80 year span, was transferred to NAL. The processing of the USDA History Collection took several years and led to a wide range of other initiatives, illustrated in the following sampler of links to additional information:

• USDA History Collection
• USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
• Maryland Agriculture Exhibit
• More Projects

Opportunities for Internships and Volunteer Experiences

The cooperative agreement between the National Agricultural Library and the University of Maryland Libraries represents opportunity for students in the College of Library and Information Science and for volunteers who are interested in American agriculture or work with archives and manuscripts. There are a number of positions available for paid and volunteer work, particularly at NAL. Those interested in finding out more about the prospects of working to preserve the documentary heritage of American agriculture should contact:

• Volunteer Work at the National Agricultural Library
• Archives and Manuscripts Department of the University of Maryland Libraries
• Special Collections Department of the National Agricultural Library

Image Credits

The image is a plant experiment, most likely taken on the premises of the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station at the turn of the century. The image is part of the Papers of William L. Amoss, first Director of the Farmers' Institutes at the Maryland Agricultural College. The Farmers' Institutes were the predecessor to the Cooperative Extension Service. The Papers of William L. Amoss and the Records of the Farmers' Institutes are both available at the University of Maryland Libraries.