CORNELL L p
UN IV ERSI T

 S Albert R. Mann Library / ,n New Yorkl State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
 : Ithaca, New York 14853-4301 ew Yrk State College of Human Ecology



 c- ^ ^,^-.. t -.. f .;
TO: Land Grant Librarians

FROM: Sm Demasand Wes Boomgaarden, Co-Chairs ^;L/"
 USAIN Preservation Steering Committee

DATE: 16 December 1996

RE: Call for participation in Phase 2 USAIN Preservation Project


Work will begin soon on a proposal to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for phase 2 of the
USAIN project to preserve state and local literature on agriculture and rural life from 1820-1945. Land
Grant libraries wishing to be included in the phase 2 application are urged to submit an expression of interest
by January 10, 1997 per the instructions included below.

A copy of this letter was sent the USAIN-L list serve on December 2 and by now you may already have
considered this call for participation. If you think your institution may be interested in participating, please
let us know.

BACKGROUND
To advance one component of the "National Preservation Program for Agricultural Literature", USAIN
applied to NEH in 1995 for funding for nine states to preserve state and local literature on agriculture and
rural life from 1820-1945. In July 1996 $850,000 was awarded, enough to allow all nine states to identify
and rank their literature, and four of those states (Alabama, New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin) to proceed to
microfilm the titles accorded highest priority. This phase 1 project will conclude in June 1998.

We intend to submit a series of proposals, every two years, to continue this work. Each proposal will constitute
a distinct phase in an ongoing project, providing funding for: 1. a set of states to identify and rank their
literature, and 2. a set of states which will proceed to preserve its top ranked materials.

Ideally, all 50 states will eventually complete preservation of the literature documenting their unique
agricultural and rural life heritage. Attached below are two excerpts from the phase 1 proposal (Precis and
Project Goals and Objectives) which provide an overview of the project for those who may want more
information.