Sun 26 Sep 93 20:07 By: Bob Batson Re: NAL Reference via Internet FORWARDED FROM: KCK Public Library ORIGINALLY FROM: ALAWON Vol 2, No 39 (American Library Association) ORIGINAL DATE: September 16, 1993 ORIGINAL SUBJ: ALA Washington Office Newsline NAL REFERENCE SERVICE NOW AVAILABLE BY INTERNET Starting May 1, the Reference Section of the U.S. National Agricultural Library began accepting requests for reference services over the Internet. The address for requests is agref@nalusda.gov. Services are provided to federal, state, and local government researchers, scientists, and officials; university and college professors, researchers, and students; private scientific, business, and agricultural organizations; foreign government agencies; and the general public. Most reference requests are answered without charge, although Keith Russell, NAL's Associate Director for Public Services, said that comprehensive searches may require NAL to charge a user fee. NAL defines comprehensive searches as those that require NAL to search commercial online databases and exceed a $25 charge to fill, or those that require more than one hour of the NAL librarian's time, charged at $11 per hour. User fees are assessed only upon prior agreement with the user and are only charged for work over the one-hour limit. For further information, contact the Reference Branch, Room 111, National Agricultural Library, 10301 Baltimore Boulevard, Beltsville, MD 20705-2351; phone 301-504-5204; TDD 301-504-6856, fax 301-504-7098; Internet jforbes@nalusda.gov. * Origin: From the north forty in Kansas, USA! (1:280/322.3)