1. Making the Most of What We do Best - Agriculture Network Information Center - AgNIC Melanie Gardner AgNIC Coordinator Http://www.agnic.org National Agricultural Library SIDALC 10 th Anniversary Meeting September 2009

2. 15 years ago … 26 individuals from 12 universities, government, private and international met to discuss how to manage all the agricultural information on the Internet 26 individuals from 12 universities, government, private and international met to discuss how to manage all the agricultural information on the Internet Questions asked: Questions asked: What exactly were they talking about?What exactly were they talking about? How should they divide up this responsibility?How should they divide up this responsibility? Who would take the lead?Who would take the lead? What would be the model?What would be the model?

3. “Agriculture Network Information Center” AgNIC would be the framework AgNIC would be the framework Designed around “centers of excellence” approach Designed around “centers of excellence” approach Would provide “seamless access to distributed sources of agricultural information, subject experts, and other resources” Would provide “seamless access to distributed sources of agricultural information, subject experts, and other resources”

4. Goals: Identify major collections of agriculture-related information, subject area experts, and other resources Identify major collections of agriculture-related information, subject area experts, and other resources Facilitate access to and retrieval from these resources Facilitate access to and retrieval from these resources Encourage organizations to collaborate in creating and using the AgNIC, while retaining ownership and responsibility for their own agriculture-related information contributed to AgNIC. Encourage organizations to collaborate in creating and using the AgNIC, while retaining ownership and responsibility for their own agriculture-related information contributed to AgNIC. Leverage the distributed character of the Internet to ensure that workload and responsibility are distributed across participating member sites and to use the expertise available Leverage the distributed character of the Internet to ensure that workload and responsibility are distributed across participating member sites and to use the expertise available Provide a test bed for learning, experimenting, and gaining experience in Network Information Center (NIC) operations Provide a test bed for learning, experimenting, and gaining experience in Network Information Center (NIC) operations Facilitate collaboration between people within the broad agricultural community Facilitate collaboration between people within the broad agricultural community

5. Scope of Participation Began with U.S. Land Grant Universities Began with U.S. Land Grant Universities Libraries and extension – Information organizers & information creators – Perfect! Libraries and extension – Information organizers & information creators – Perfect! Ultimately include many elements of the public and private sectors of the agricultural community Ultimately include many elements of the public and private sectors of the agricultural community

6. So what exactly *IS* AgNIC? AgNIC is a “big tent” alliance based on a center of excellence approach - working to bring quality agricultural information and expertise to Internet users AgNIC is a “big tent” alliance based on a center of excellence approach - working to bring quality agricultural information and expertise to Internet users Augments what institutions are already doing Augments what institutions are already doing Builds a bridge between experts and libraries Builds a bridge between experts and libraries Utilizes existing support systems Utilizes existing support systems AgNIC has a strong library presence & we believe stewardship is at the core of our work AgNIC has a strong library presence & we believe stewardship is at the core of our work Partners take a slice of agriculture – blueberries, swine, beef cattle, aquaculture, etc. Partners take a slice of agriculture – blueberries, swine, beef cattle, aquaculture, etc. That idea is being challenged because the web, technology, and capabilities have changed.That idea is being challenged because the web, technology, and capabilities have changed. We are now considering other options for participationWe are now considering other options for participation Helps individual institutions highlight and promote their areas of expertise Helps individual institutions highlight and promote their areas of expertise

7. National/International Initiative GOAL: GOAL: To provide immediate access to a broad base of agricultural research and practical information using a distributed Web-based retrieval system developed and maintained by an alliance of land-grant universities, the National Agricultural Library, and other interested organizationsTo provide immediate access to a broad base of agricultural research and practical information using a distributed Web-based retrieval system developed and maintained by an alliance of land-grant universities, the National Agricultural Library, and other interested organizations

8. Benefits Network of over 80 information and subject specialists Network of over 80 information and subject specialists Over 60 topics covered comprehensively – with reference services in those topics Over 60 topics covered comprehensively – with reference services in those topics Reduces redundancy of effort Reduces redundancy of effort Open access full-text & web-based resources Open access full-text & web-based resources Global participation Global participation Potential technology platform to launch a collaborative site to get things rolling Potential technology platform to launch a collaborative site to get things rolling Potential mirroring of web sites and services Potential mirroring of web sites and services

9. What DO we do best? FIND information and resources FIND information and resources SHARE information SHARE information HELP connect our users with what they need HELP connect our users with what they need ORGANIZE information ORGANIZE information COLLABORATE COLLABORATE These are the essentials for AgNIC These are the essentials for AgNIC

10. How to participate? Identify what you do best Identify what you do best Examples:Examples: Know about all the experts in area of cacao and make a list of those Know about all the experts in area of cacao and make a list of those Have lists of all banana associations, exporters, and experts Have lists of all banana associations, exporters, and experts Have identified potato databases, major research projects, and research center Have identified potato databases, major research projects, and research center Have a web page listing country contacts for agricultural products imports and exports Have a web page listing country contacts for agricultural products imports and exports Have digital theses of arid agricultural practices and research Have digital theses of arid agricultural practices and research Web page on guava Web page on guava

11. To Participate … Identify how to get this information to the user Identify how to get this information to the user Your institutional web site?Your institutional web site? AgNIC?AgNIC? Blip.tv, Flickr, UTube?, SlideShare, otherBlip.tv, Flickr, UTube?, SlideShare, other The AgNIC goal is to get information to users – we like to help each other do what do what we do best. The AgNIC goal is to get information to users – we like to help each other do what do what we do best.

12. Connecting with Latin America and Beyond Sharing hemispheric information is critical Sharing hemispheric information is critical Sharing expertise makes our jobs easier Sharing expertise makes our jobs easier Sharing training helps build capacity Sharing training helps build capacity Sharing technology helps those with lower capacity to find a “voice” Sharing technology helps those with lower capacity to find a “voice” Getting the right information to the user helps make our countries better Getting the right information to the user helps make our countries better

13. Questions? ¿Preguntas? Contact: Melanie Gardner melanie.gardner@ars.usda.gov melanie.gardner@ars.usda.gov http://www.agnic.org