International association of agricultural librarians and documentalists (IAALD)

IAALD, a non-profit making association was founded in 1955 . The aims of the association are to promote, internationally and nationally, agricultural library science and documentation, as well as the professional interests of agricultural librarians and documentalists. The term 'agriculture' is interpreted in its widest sense, so as to include forestry, agricultural engineering, veterinary science, fisheries, food and nutrition, and agricultural food industries. The Association's membership of 600 is drawn from sixty countries and comprises agricultural research institutions, international organizations, professional associations and individual members. The Association produces a quarterly bulletin in English, French, Spanish and German covering news in the field of bibliography and documentation of agriculture and allied subjects. IAALD has also produced a Primer for agricultural libraries, reports on the seven World Congresses of Agricultural Librarians and Documentalists as well as proceedings of IAALD meetings. A milestone in the advancement of agricultural information and transfer and improved communications between agricultural universities and information centres worldwide has been the recently completed Agricultural Information Resource Centres: a world directory 1990. It represents the culmination of four years' work by US-based World Directory Working Group of IAALD. The Directory includes 3971 information resource centres that have agriculture-related collections and/or information services. Most of the information was obtained d directly from questionnaires completed by the institutions concerned, though in the case of the Soviet Union a Russian directory, The libraries of the agri-industrial complex in the USSR was used. Each institution was asked to provide its name, acronym, former name, year founded, type, postal address, actual location, name and telephone number of the head of the resource centre, fax and telex numbers, number of professional and other staff, size of collection, number 0 journal subscriptions, main language of the collection and set vices, subjects and specie strengths, unique in-house databases, database vendors used and loan service and photocopy policies. For more details, contact: Dr Jan van der Burg IAALD Secretary/Treasurer PUDOC, PO Box 4 6700 M Wageningen THE NETHERLANDSInternational association of agricultural librarians and documentalists (IAALD)IAALD, a non-profit making association was founded in 1955 . The aims of the association are to promote, internationally and nationally, agricultural library science and..