Contact: Brian Norris (301) 504-6778 NAL COMMITS TO `ELECTRONIC LIBRARY' GOAL BELTSVILLE, MD--On January 1, 1995, the National Agricultural Library (NAL) will take a major step in its commitment to becoming an "electronic library." "On that date, electronic information becomes the `preferred medium' for library materials in an all-out push to make NAL's services and its collection available in various electronic formats worldwide," said acting NAL Director Pamela Andre. Andre said that NAL's ultimate goal is to become "truly a library without walls, where our magnificent collection can be accessed by computer by anyone, anywhere and at anytime." According to Andre, NAL is making this commitment because of its belief that "the current paper-based information delivery system is inadequate to keep pace with the needs of the modern agriculturalist." The "electronic library" goal was set in an "Electronic Information Initiative--Phase I" undertaken by NAL as part of a strategic plan to guide NAL operations into the next century. The overall purpose of the initiative is to research, plan and implement a systematic program of managing data in electronic form. "Phase I was a consideration of the issues associated with NAL's ability to manage electronically created and stored information," Andre said. "The final report recommends actions NAL must take in order to provide full electronic access to information in the increasingly networked agricultural community." Andre said NAL set the January 1, 1995 goal in a "statement of commitment" contained in the Phase I Final Report. In part, the statement says, "Increasingly, information is produced in digitized form, and with recent telecommunications innovations and the Internet, the resources available to the computer literate researcher are expanding exponentially... (consequently) The NAL is taking the initiative in a systematic program of managing data in electronic form and establishing strategies for collecting, storing and distributing U.S. agricultural information in electronic form." The statement ends, "To demonstrate its commitment to meeting the challenges of becoming an `electronic library,' on January 1, 1995, the National Agricultural Library will designate electronic information the preferred medium." Other steps NAL will take to achieve its electronic library goal are: tie in to electronic networks worldwide to provide "seamless access to information;" shift and add resources to acquire, process and make available electronic data; work closely with other world agencies and libraries to emphasize electronic information; and convert its own publications from print to electronic media. Details of the NAL effort are contained in "The Electronic Information Initiative: Phase I Final Report: A Key Success Factor in the NAL Strategic Plan." Copies of the report are available via anonymous FTP at "cliff.nalusda.gov" in the "/pub/elec.init" directory as filename "eii-rpt.txt". Copies are also available on 3 1/4" diskette by sending a blank formatted disk to: Head, Document Delivery Services Branch Attn: Electronic Initiative Diskettes National Agricultural Library, Room 300 10301 Baltimore Ave. Beltsville, MD 20705-2351 "NAL cannot afford to ignore the flood of electronic advances taking place that we can use to serve our users more effectively," Andre said. "With this announcement we have committed ourselves to mastering information technology, to the benefit of U.S. and world agriculture." NAL is one of three national libraries of the United States, with the Library of Congress and the National Library of Medicine. It is the largest agricultural library in the world.