From dawnb@CSN.ORG Wed Jan 26 21:58:49 1994 Date: Wed, 26 Jan 1994 14:40:32 -0700 From: "Dawn E. Bergacker" To: Multiple recipients of list AGRIC-L Subject: Re: national ag library On Wed, 26 Jan 1994, Jeffrey L. Kirwan wrote: > Is there anyone who can tell me how to access the National (US) > Agricultural Library (I believe the acronym is ARCOLA)? > Thank You! > Jeff Kirwan, Extension Agent, Va. Coop. Ext. Agricola is a article citation database produced by the NAL. My yearly CD-ROM subscription costs about $800. You can also access their database on several online database services, including Dialog and EPIC (both accessible on the Internet). It costs $.75/connect minute to use Agricola on Dialog, and about $.33/connect minute to access through EPIC. You need an account in order to connect to Dialog or EPIC. You can, for free, access the NAL's BBS through the FedWorld BBS. Just telnet to fedworld.gov (at system prompt type "telnet fedworld.gov"). There's some useful information on their bulletin board (ALF--Agricultural Library Forum). The most useful information, I believe, is contact names for each state. I'd recommend checking for contacts in your area, and calling to find out whether they have Agricola. I believe that most of the university extensions get a significant price break on Agricola. I think that Agricola might also be available through the internet to certain government employees. I think that your best bet would be to ask other ag extension type people in your area whether they have Agricola (and will let you use theirs), or whether they know a way to access Agricola (local land grant university?). Dawn E. Bergacker dawnb@csn.org Manager of Technical Information, Imperial Holly Corporation Colorado Springs P.S. I think that someone from NAL reads this list. She should be able to give you a fuller answer. I think that it's also possible for "some government employees" to connect to the online library catalog at NAL. The catalog would tell you what books they have at NAL, and what periodicals they subscribe to.