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Melanie Gardner AgNIC Coordinator National Agricultural Library/USDA May 3, 2006

Agriculture Network Information Center (AgNIC) – Building Partnerships among Land Grant Universities, County Extension and Others. Melanie Gardner AgNIC Coordinator National Agricultural Library/USDA May 3, 2006 Maryland Library Association. National/International Initiative. GOAL:

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Melanie Gardner AgNIC Coordinator National Agricultural Library/USDA May 3, 2006

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  1. Agriculture Network Information Center (AgNIC) – Building Partnerships among Land Grant Universities, County Extension and Others Melanie Gardner AgNIC Coordinator National Agricultural Library/USDA May 3, 2006 Maryland Library Association

  2. National/International Initiative • 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 organizations

  3. AgNIC Audiences • Students and faculty in universities, colleges, K-16 • General public • Government agency personnel • Policy makers • Industry partners • International customers

  4. AgNIC Partners • Universities • Research Institutes • Not-for-Profit Organizations • Government Agencies • Others

  5. Collaboration from the Beginning • Preliminary AgNIC concept development (1994) • General Services Administration grant to NAL (October 1995) - $250,000 • With this funding NAL worked with the University of Arizona, Cornell University, University of Nebraska, and Iowa State to create the first AgNIC Web sites • Decided to go with Open Source – free & collaboratively supported and developed

  6. First Generation of AgNIC • Five original partners • “Centers of Excellence” approach • Subjects chosen in areas of strength • Evaluated links to related subject sites • Online reference services offered within first 2 years • Encouraged development of FAQs and FURs

  7. Building the Concept • Face-to-face meeting annually to express needs, train, plan, and resolve issues • Decided on a “distributed” architecture • Currently 60* institutional members • Instituted a “partner’s portal” in Fall of 2005 for developing content and collaborative virtual workspace • New version of portal will be released next week

  8. Collaboration … it’s easy! • Technology makes it easier than ever before • Find others who believe in the same goals • Put organizational or institutional “ego” aside • Communicate, communicate, communicate … • Share content, ideas, skills, and share the “load” – for reference and developing new projects

  9. Partnering with Extension • Commonalities between local libraries and county extension • Local presence • Every county • Similar goals • Logical partnerships!

  10. Why would you partner? • Customers expect extended and expanded resources. • Budgets are shrinking! • Partners share the load. • Share skills.

  11. Benefits of Partnerships • Improved and expanded information and resources • Increased access to and awareness of information and expertise • Reduced redundancy • Improved efficiencies and cost benefit • Improved long-term access to information

  12. How do you build partnerships? • Build on your natural strength! • Information management and delivery • Education and outreach • Try not to infringe on each other’s “territory” • Find common ground - together • Stay positive • Understand that there is enough for everyone to do • Stress the strength of working together

  13. QUESTIONS? Contacts: Melanie Gardner mgardner@nal.usda.gov http://www.agnic.org

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